Jerk Chicken Salad is a Caribbean dish usually made with jerk chicken, tomatoes, onions, and parsley. It may also contain more exotic ingredients such as mango for added sweetness.
The dish has become popular in many parts of the world with different takes on how to cook it. This recipe will take you through the various stages to create this delicious and unique dish.
How To Make Jerk Chicken Salad?
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 green onion, finely chopped
- 2 tomatoes, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Step 1. Mix olive oil, parsley, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add jerk seasoning and jerk spice (or you can use any other jerk seasoning).
Step 2. Add chicken breast, onion, and tomatoes. Toss ingredients to coat chicken with seasoning.
Step 3. Prepare grill for cooking chicken until cooked through or use a large nonstick skillet for cooking the chicken.
Step 4. When chicken is ready, let it cool until able to be handled easily. Shred meat into small pieces and place it in a serving bowl with the other ingredients from the bowl used to marinate it. Mix thoroughly to incorporate all elements together evenly throughout the dish.
Step 5. Serve with your favorite bread for a complete meal.
Nutrition Facts of Jerk Chicken Salad
| Nutrition | Amount |
|---|---|
| Protein | 24g |
| Carbohydrates | 3g |
| Sugar | 1.3g |
| Fats | 4g |
| Fiber | 0.9g |
| Cholesterol | 34mg |
| Sodium | 167mg |
| Calories | 152.5 |
7 Essential Health Benefits of Jerk Chicken Salad
1. Helps To Maintain Your Proper Weight
Caribbean dishes like this make wonderful and nutritious meals to consume a healthy diet. The high-quality protein in the word and whole grains are easily digested.
A high protein intake will help you maintain your proper weight even if your diet does not contain enough calories or protein. Your body needs additional nutrients for adequate growth, repair, and development.
2. Helps To Maintain Your Proper Muscle Mass
The lean protein and whole grains in the dish will help you keep your muscle mass. Weight loss individuals need to maintain their muscle mass.
If you eliminate proteins from your diet, your muscles will shrink as they are not required for repair or growth.
3. Helps To Maintain Bone Density
A high-quality protein source like this meat dish helps build bones, which is essential for proper bone health. This means you will be less likely to suffer from bone fractures, osteoporosis, or other bone diseases.
4. Contains Key Nutrients And Minerals
The dish contains high nutrients and minerals that promote a healthy heart, good development, and bone health. The meal is rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium, riboflavin, and niacin.
Vitamin A is essential for proper eye health since it plays a role in repairing damaged tissues in the eye and is essential for night vision. Lutein, a form of vitamin A, is found in abundance in the chicken and tomatoes in this dish.
Vitamin C in this meal helps boost the immune system, prevents cancer, and reduces the risk of heart disease. The potassium content regulates blood pressure and heartbeat, while niacin is important for the proper functioning of the nervous system.
5. Helps To Prevent Asthma
The ingredients used in this dish are chock-full of antioxidants that promote lung health. Antioxidants are beneficial since they help to neutralize free radicals.
These free radicals damage the lungs and can be harmful to your respiratory system. The antioxidants present in this dish fight against the damaging effects of these free radicals.
6. Helps To Lower Cholesterol
Homemade jerk chicken salad is a great addition to your meal plan. It has a good amount of dietary fibers, which help reduce cholesterol levels in the body by increasing bile acid production and decreasing levels of triglycerides.
The fiber in the meal also improves digestion which helps to prevent you from suffering from constipation problems.
7. Helps To Increase Memory
The high levels of vitamin B12 and vitamin C and some proteins present in the dish help boost your memory levels, especially if you are a person who has dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
These vitamins help your brain develop and grow new brain cells. The high levels of riboflavin in this dish are essential for the proper functioning of the nervous system.
What Do You Serve With Jerk Chicken?
I recommend serving your Jerk Chicken Salad with your favorite bread. The bread adds texture to the dish and provides plenty of flavors.
Choose whatever kind of bread you prefer as long as it is healthy and does not contain any added sugars.
Is Jerk Chicken Salad Healthy?
This is a great dish to serve during football games, family gatherings, and other social events. It also makes a great meal when you don’t have much time to prepare food.
However, this dish does not have enough healthy ingredients to be eaten regularly as part of your diet. The high sodium levels in the word are not recommended because they can harm your kidneys.
How To Keep Jerk Chicken Salad?
You can store the dish in the refrigerator for two days. Make sure to mix it a few times to bring the ingredients together and ensure that all elements in the word are distributed evenly throughout it.
You can also freeze the dish for up to two months. Pack your container tightly before freezing it because excessive air will cause freezer burn.
Also, avoid adding any salt or sugar to the dish before freezing it because these ingredients will cause ice crystals that are difficult to remove when thawing and reheating the food later on.
Conclusion
Jerk Chicken Salad is one of the best low-calorie dishes you can prepare from scratch. It contains healthy fats from the chicken, whole grains, and lean protein from the beef.
The dish is loaded with vitamins and minerals, which your body needs to be healthy. This dish is also one of the top 10 contenders to “Healthiest Foods” in America.
This recipe will change your eating habits forever! The delicious chicken meat used in this recipe contains very few calories despite its high-fat content.
