What To Serve With Jerk Chicken: 18 Fantastic Ideas

Jerk chicken is the ultimate dish from Jamaica born for all BBQ lovers. I am supposed that you’re going to hold a jerk chicken party in your backyard; what to serve with jerk chicken?

It’s agreed that chicken alone can be good due to its rich flavor. However, the side dish is made to level up the main course and give it a kick of flavor. Eighteen food names on my list are not an exception.

In this article, I sum up some ideas so that you can refer to them. Some might be familiar, and some might surprise you, but they are all super fantastic.

Let’s start!

What To Serve With Jerk Chicken: 18 Side Dishes To Try

Figuring out what to serve with jerk chicken can be an easy task, and it becomes easier if you have a look at the following list:

Fruit Recipes

1. Fried Plantains
2. Mango Salsa
3. Grilled Pineapple
4. Coconut Rice
5. Tamarind

Veggie Recipes

6. Rice and Beans
7. Roasted Potatoes
8. Potato Salad
9. Sweet Potatoes
10. Collard Greens
11. Coleslaw
12. Maque Choux
13. Jamaican Jerk Sauce
14. Stewed Vegetables in Coconut Milk

Drink Recipes

15. Ginger Beer
16. Rum
17. Wine
18. Beer

What Is Jerk Chicken?

When talking about the Jamaican cooking method, the term “jerk” comes from the term “jerky,” which comes from the Spanish word “charqui” (char-key) means meat cooked over an open fire. In which meat is carefully rubbed with a blend of hot and robust herbs and spices, including extremely spicy Scotch bonnet peppers.

Jerk chicken often tastes sweet, spicy, and rich with a hint of smokiness.

18 Jerk Chicken Side Dishes You Should Not Miss

Keep these delicious side dishes in mind the next time you want to cook jerk chicken at home.

Amazing Fruit Recipes That Perfectly Pair With Jerk Chicken

Incorporating fresh fruits into your meals is an interesting way to spice up your dishes and make them more appealing to your guests

1. Fried Plantains

Sweet fried plantains go perfectly with jerk chicken. Sometimes, people even serve this lovely Caribbean dish as a beginning course. It’ll stimulate your taste buds and make you ready for a delicious meal.

Frying plantains might be the best and quickest cooking method to help you enjoy their great-tasting flavors, especially for ripen ones.

2. Mango Salsa

A great way to serve jerk chicken is that you serve it with mango salsa. This colorful dish is made with lime, mangos, cucumber, jalapenos, bell peppers, cilantro, vinegar, garlic, and red onion. As long as you are able to chop vegetables and fruits, you know how to make mango salsa.

Its succulent sweetness cuts through the spicy jerk chicken to create an awesome combination to remember.

If you almost fancy this dish, please watch this video and find out how to make mango salsa:

3. Grilled Pineapple

Grilled pineapple is one of my favorite accompaniments for any BBQ party. It’s easy to make and can add a lot of flavors to the main dish, especially for jerk chicken.

You can customize your own grilled pineapple by choosing different marinades such as brown sugar, honey, coconut and lime, cinnamon, and sugar. In some cases, chili powder could be an ideal option to add to the marinade.

Above all, caramelized grilled pineapple can bring a tangy and sweet aroma to your grilled chicken.

4. Coconut Rice

Coconut rice is a really straightforward dish to make. Simply put, you add coconut milk to your rice to give it a creamy and delicious aroma. To be more specific, you might need jasmine rice, coconut water, and canned coconut milk with a pinch of salt.

Having your spicy jerk chicken alongside a spoonful of tasty cooked rice will be wonderful. It’s a safe bet that you will ask for more.

5. Tamarind

Tamarind is a crucial culinary staple in the pantry of Jamaican and other Southern Asian cooking lovers, thanks to its versatility. This sweet and sour snack is served as a beloved Jamaican appetizer.

With tamarind flesh, you can make a popular Jamaican snack named tamarind balls. All you need to do is mix the flesh with brown sugar and roll them into a small, round ball. It’s up to you to add hot peppers to elevate their flavors.

Discover how to make spicy tamarind balls using caribbean sour tamarind. You can see this video to know more:

Healthy Veggie Recipes To Serve With Your Jerk Chicken

All kinds of vegetables are nutritious and refreshing. Therefore, adding them to your plate, besides jerk chicken, can make your meal healthier and more enjoyable.

6. Rice And Beans

Another recipe that includes rice as the main ingredient I’d like to introduce to you today is rice and beans.

If you’re not a fan of spicy foods, this recipe could significantly reduce the heat of jerk chicken and make it more enjoyable to taste.

This side dish is also favored, thanks to its nutrition profile. It’s said that this combo is one of the healthiest dishes you can eat.

As you might not know, it’s a well-known dish from Latino and Caribbean cuisine.

7. Roasted Potatoes

Sometimes you might want to indulge yourself with a filling side dish like roasted potatoes.

Just slice your potatoes into small cubes about 1 inch and sprinkle them with olive oil, seasonings, and herbs to make this autumn’s iconic side dish. A helpful tip for crispy roasted potatoes is to soak them in cold water for about 20 minutes before cooking.

Both adults and kids will surely enjoy this perfect combination!

8. Potato Salad

There are hundreds of potato salad recipes that you can try, and all of them are super delicious. Generally, potato salad is rich, creamy, and savory, especially if you add corn, bacon, onion, and more.

The salad dressing is the most crucial factor which decides the quality of your dish. If you haven’t had any potato dressing recipe in your mind, here’s your suggestion: Mixing mayonnaise, yellow mustard, salt, celery seeds, sweet pickle relish, apple cider vinegar, paprika, pepper, and stir until smooth.

Believe it or not, potato salad is my go-to side dish when it comes to any preparation related to jerk chicken.

Today, let’s discover a creamy and delectable potato salad recipe with me!

9. Baked Sweet Potatoes

Baked sweet potatoes will never let you down when pairing with spicy foods. Therefore, they’re also perfect for jerk chicken which is well-known for its peppery and fiery flavor.

If you don’t have time and want to whip up a meal, you can choose to bake sweet potatoes, then top it with butter and salt.

This simple recipe can satisfy your taste buds and is likely to be loved by all guests.

Plus, its vibrant yellow hue can brighten your main dish and make your meal look more palatable.

10. Collard Greens

Collards belong to the same family as cabbage and broccoli. Like many other green staples in the pantry, it goes well with various main dishes, including Jamaica chicken.

In terms of cooking methods, collards can taste incredible on their own with garlic and onions. You can use them for numerous slow-cooking recipes.

They can taste bitter at first, but the longer you cook them, the milder they become. It’s recommended that you should use an instant pot for cooking collards. This way, you can save a lot of time and energy when cooking this vegetable.

And if you prefer spicy food, you can prepare collard green in the Eritrean way. Spicy sauteed collard green is among the must-try Eritrean dishes thanks to the interesting contrast between spicy flavors and the bitter, yet refreshing taste from collard green.

11. Coleslaw

Coleslaw or New England salad, which is mainly made of shredded cabbage, can combine well with the almost main dish you’re going to cook, so you can rest assured that it is fantastic with jerk chicken.

This classic salad is a perfect side dish for your family’s next picnic. Creamy and flavorful, it’s a safe bet that most people like how it tastes.

12. Maque Choux

Maque choux is a colorful corn-based side dish that is known as Louisiana traditional food. A bowl of maque choux brings a ton of flavors, and I’d love to serve it with jerk chicken and other spicy foods.

With its unique taste, maque choux is often served on Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras in February, besides other delicious traditional dishes.

13. Jamaican Jerk Sauce

Looking for some authentic vegetarian recipe from Jamaica to serve with Jamaican jerk chicken? It seems that Jamaican jerk sauce is a top candidate.

This sauce is made with Scotch Bonnet pepper which is comparable in spiciness to habanero pepper.

You can expect a kick of flavor once you try it with the main dish. The best part is that this sauce can last for days if stored properly.

14. Stewed Vegetables In Coconut Milk

You can use homemade or store-bought coconut milk to add to the cooking pot. I suggest you dilute the liquid with water because this makes the stewing process easier.

When it comes to vegetables, it’s up to your choices, such as snow pea, carrots, tindora, yam, broccoli, beetroot, and more.

As you might know, this stewed vegetable dish is essential in Jamaican parties and is loved by most of the guests. If you’re still on the fence, wait until you try the combination of hot jerk chicken and creamy stewed vegetables. What an amazing food experience!

Refreshing Drink Recipes To Enjoy With Jerk Chicken

Here are some beverage options you could add to your meals with jerk chicken. This way, you can keep your guests hydrated and happy.

15. Ginger Beer

Imagine how wonderful the refreshing, clean-tasting, cold beer that flows down your throat and soothes your throat after swallowing a spicy jerk chicken is. You can expect this from a glass of ginger beer. If you prefer something more substantial, add a shot of dark rum.

16. Rum

When it comes to rum, there are endless options that you can try by adding various fruit juices into it, such as orange juice, pineapple juice, lime juice, cranberry juice, coconut water, grapefruit juice, and more.

17. Wine

Another option for any BBQs party on hot summer days is wine. It’s recommended that you prepare a large pitcher, add fresh fruits, pour the wine of your choice (white or red wine) into it, and gently stir the mixture. Add some flavors or herbs to increase the taste. Finally, add ice, then stir again to chill.

18. Beer

It would be best to stock a lot of beer in your fridge because you can never go wrong with this drink. Beer is for everyone and can cheer up any party guests. Moreover, it goes well with the grilled meal. Jerk chicken is not an exception.

Let’s Spice Up Your Meal!

Are you ready to surprise your family tonight with some homemade spicy jerk chicken and its delicious side dishes? I hope you are because it’s a way to spice up your life and make it more exciting.

So go ahead and try some of my suggestions and tell me your experience with them.

To play it safe, keep in mind a good rule of thumb is that spicy foods always go well with a sweet flavor.

For me, I’d like to combine several side dishes and enjoy them with jerk chicken, for example, grilled pineapple, coconut rice, and rum. How about you?

Sometimes, it’s the little things that can make a big difference. Therefore, you can spend time finding your favorite combination.

I’m here, and I’d like to hear from you guys! Let’s comment below so we can discuss further later!