Before I had kids, one of my go-to meals was jerk chicken with a side of sweet plantains and garlicky wilted kale. I stopped making it once my first Hungry Boy started eating. I thought it was too spicy to share with an itty bitty eater, even an adventurous one. Then, once out of the habit of making this dish, I never got back into it… until the other day when I noticed my favorite jerk seasoning (Walkerswood Jamaican Jerk Seasoning) at the market.
It was a sign. Time to bring the old standby back, even with a new itty bitty eater in the house. After all, can you think of a more perfect grilled summer meal than jerk chicken with fruit salsa?! I’d just have to keep the spice light on the kid portions (SUPER light on the baby’s) and add a cooling mango salsa, which would also boost dinner’s nutritional punch!
So, I got to it. I picked up kale and plantains—the market didn’t have any sweet, so I got green ones to make tostones—and excitedly headed home. This was going to be an easy comfort meal for me and the Hungry Papa and an exciting, new (spicy!) experience for the Hungry Boys.
If you’re feeling ambitious, try making your own jerk seasoning (maybe this one from Martha Stewart?). I plan on doing that one day but, in the meantime, Walkerswood is delicious and makes life SUPER easy. (If you can’t find Walkerswood, try another jarred mix.) Marinate adult portions according to the package directions. Kid portions should be done separately with just a tiny bit of seasoning. If you’re feeding a baby who doesn’t yet eat finger food, puree chicken and mango.
Easiest Jerk Chicken
(can be adapted for children 10+ mos)
boneless chicken breasts or thighs (my preference), however much you need to feed your family
jerk seasoning (I like Walkerswood)
olive oil
salt
1. Clean and trim the chicken. Put adult portions in a bowl and marinate with seasoning, oil and salt according to package directions. Let sit for at least one hour or as long as overnight. At the same time or (if you’d like to keep as mild as possible) right before cooking, rub kid portions with a very small amount of seasoning and oil (you can skip the salt).
2. Grill (or broil) until done, turning over halfway through cooking. Try and get some crispy edges!
Mango Salsa
(can be adapted for kids 6+ mos)*
1 mango, chopped
3 Tbsp chopped red onion
2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
1/4 red pepper, finely chopped
juice of 1/2 lime
salt to taste
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Serve. Tastes especially good if allowed to sit for an hour.
*Note: All of these ingredients are find to serve kids 8+ mos. If you’re feeding a younger eater or you want to keep it mild, you can skip the onion and lime juice or just feed plain mango.
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Kids change the way we cook, but they don’t have to change how well we eat. Get more family-friendly recipes, tips and techniques on Stacie’s blog, One Hungry Mama.