Spice Rub | A CoLoRfUl PaLaTe

Jerk chicken is such a summertime food. It reminds me of being in Jamaica (almost a year ago now – crazy!) and the spicy bite of the seasoning is unlike any other.

The weather in New Hampshire right now is a far cry from Jamaica – it’s cold, mostly icy because for some reason it keeps raining instead of snowing, and windy. So windy. I went on a chilly trail run with my two favorite partners in adventure, and while it was snowy and gorgeous and not actually too cold, I was ready for something warm and filling when I got home and settled in for the night.

This recipe is 100% gluten free and makes a LOT of tortilla tacos. And even if the freezing rain and wind are whipping around outside the window, you might feel a tiny bit of Jamaican warmth if you focus really, really hard. If not, you at least will have eaten a filling and healthy dinner so, there’s that 🙂

What You Need

Either 4 cooked chicken thighs or 1 whole crock pot chicken, (without the BBQ sauce) pulled with bones removed
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 jalapeno
1 4oz can diced green chilies, drained as much as possible
1 tsp olive oil
Splash of your favorite rum
1/4 cup sliced green onions, for garnish
1/2 avocado, sliced for garnish
Plain Greek yogurt, for topping
Salsa of your choice for topping
1 package of Mission gluten free corn tortillas (or corn tortillas of your choice)

What You Do:

If you cooked chicken thighs, cut them into strips and dice with a sharp knife until it’s shredded, like the consistency of chicken salad. If you followed the recipe for crock pot pulled chicken, you’re ready to go with slow-cooked pulled chicken right off the bone.

Set the chicken aside in a large bowl.

Make the jerk rub by loading all remaining ingredients (diced onion through splash of rum) into a food processor and blending well. You should have about 1 1/2 cups of rub once blended.

Mix with chicken.

In an ungreased skillet over low-medium heat, place one corn tortilla for just 10 seconds or so. Then flip and repeat on the other side.

Each side of the tortilla should be just slightly toasted.

Place a generous spoonful of jerk chicken on each tortilla, topping with a dollop of plain Greek yogurt, 2 avocado slices and a sprinkling of green onions.

Pro Tip: While the tortillas are very tasty, the rub can be used just on whole chicken to save you some time. Spread on your raw chicken before baking for a deliciously seasoned dish.

I know, it wasn’t too long ago that most of us gorged ourselves on turkey. But I was perusing this lovely farm store near my house and came across the most fantastic meat counter ever. I’m talking all local, grass-fed meats, at shockingly reasonable prices.

Because of the recent success of our BBQ pulled chicken dinner, I couldn’t resist picking up a whole chicken to cook in a different way. I also learned something really important about roasting meat. Since I’m apparently super lame and don’t own a roasting pan, I had to come up with a quick alternative way to cook it without lighting my oven on fire or ruining the entire chicken.

The trick is to cook the chicken over a bed of sliced onions and potatoes. Doing so gives it a nice lift off the bottom of the pan, plus you get to enjoy a delicious chicken-infused side dish with dinner.

The best thing about roasting a whole chicken is how much food you get out of it that will last for days. Kind of like…the turkey from Thanksgiving. But let’s not focus on that.

What You Need:

1 whole chicken (about 3-4 pounds)
4 medium red or yellow potatoes, sliced
1 medium red or yellow onion, sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon rosemary
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp lemon juice
3 bay leaves

What You Do:

Preheat oven to 450F

In a large oven-safe pot (preferably round with high sides), line the bottom with the potatoes and onions.

In a small bowl, combine the olive oil through lemon juice and mix well.

Generously slather the olive oil rub over the entire chicken, making sure to spread it over the bottom as well. I also lifted up the skin in places and applied the rub underneath and directly on the chicken meat. This will really infuse the flavor of the rub during the roasting process.

Place the chicken bottom-side-down in the pot.

Place the bay leaves on the potatoes and onions around the chicken.

Cook the chicken covered on 450F for about 10-15 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350F and cook the chicken for about 20 minutes per pound. If you aren’t sure exactly how heavy your chicken is, roast it for 30 minutes and then check the temperature with a meat thermometer – your chicken is ready when it reads 180F. (Since all ovens vary, you should always check the temp even if you do know the weight just to be sure it’s done).

Pro Tip: You can make a rub for this chicken out of some various ingredients depending on what you like. Substitute the rosemary for fresh chopped sage or thyme, and use 2 tablespoons of melted butter instead of the olive oil.