Sweet Potato Zoodles with Jerk Chicken – The Springtime Grilling Series

It’s the first days of spring and the grilling never stops. Normal life may be paused, and sports are delayed, but the flames of grilling liberty still burn on.  With more time at home, there is ample opportunity to get creative with your grill with The Springtime Grilling Series from Summerset Grills. Steadying on, here is Sweet Potato Zoodles with Jerk Chicken, featuring a spicy and lively marinated chicken served with sautéed sweet potato zoodles.  The simple vegetable becomes a welcome bed for the robust chicken, balancing the heat and texture.

Begin by marinating the chicken in a bold mixture of spices, onion, shallots, red chilis, cloves, ginger, brown sugar, and apple cider vinegar.  Grill the chicken on medium-high heat until cooked through and charred with beautiful caramelization. Grill the pineapple rings to get beautiful grill marks, and then sauté the zoodles in oil for a few minutes in a grill plate. A spicy and zesty salsa is made from red onion, red chili, coriander roots and stems, lime zest, and lime juice.  The sweetness of the pineapple accentuates the spicy flavor of the jerk chicken, while the zoodles help balance the heat with a creamy texture.  Sure to be a crowd-pleaser when we can have crowds over again, this dish will start off the springtime with a flavor-punch to the face that is oh-so gratifying.

Serves 6

Sweet Potato Zoodles with Jerk Chicken Ingredients

  • 12 chicken drumsticks
  • 60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil
  • 1/2 pineapple, peeled, cut into 1cm-thick small wedges
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 long fresh red chili, deseeded, finely chopped
  • 1/2 bunch fresh coriander, roots and stems washed and finely chopped, sprigs reserved
  • 1 lime, rind finely grated, juiced
  • 800g sweet potato, cut into noodles using a spiralizer
  • Lime cheeks, extra, to serve

Jerk Marinade

  • 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
  • 3 green shallots, coarsely chopped
  • 2 long fresh red chilis, deseeded with the veins left in, chopped
  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3cm knob of ginger, peeled, finely grated
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 3 teaspoons ground allspice
  • 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Sweet Potato Zoodles with Jerk Chicken Directions

  1. To make the jerk marinade, place all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz until a smooth, wet paste forms.
  2. Place the chicken drumsticks in a large sealable bag and add the marinade. Seal and toss to coat. Place in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
  3. Preheat a lidded barbecue with a grill and flat plate on medium-high.
  4. Remove the chicken from the bag and drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil. Place it on the grill, shut the lid, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, turning every 10 minutes, for 40-45 minutes, until the chicken is well charred and cooked through.
  5. After the chicken has been cooking for 30 minutes, drizzle the pineapple with 1 tablespoon of the oil. Cook on the barbecue grill for 5 minutes each side. Transfer the chicken and pineapple to a tray, cover loosely with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes.
  6. While the pineapple is grilling, combine the onion, chili, coriander roots and stems, lime rind and juice in a bowl. Season.
  7. Once your barbie is free, drizzle the flat plate with remaining oil and add the sweet potato noodles. Barbecue for 3 minutes or until slightly softened, but not completely wilted. Transfer to a platter.
  8. Top the sweet potato with the pineapple and chicken, and spoon on the onion mixture. Scatter with the coriander sprigs and serve with lime cheeks.

Taken from taste.com.auhttps://www.taste.com.au/recipes/sweet-potato-zoodles-jerk-chicken/VTgvlgyR?r=recipes/christmasbarbecuerecipes&c=6dc88777-8dca-43fc-89b5-3b51f6709b00/Christmas%20barbecue%20recipes