Wajos Jerk Chicken Rub. Allspice, jalapeño, thyme and lime, spicy and fruity – the Jamaican rub for grilled chicken.

Wajos Jerk Chicken Rub is a dry seasoning blend of sea salt, raw cane sugar, garlic, onions, thyme, jalapeños, allspice, chilis, ginger and cinnamon, 55 g in a glass jar from Dohr on the Moselle. Not a liquid marinade, not a ready-made sauce, not a mild chicken seasoning, but a rub for coating that brings heat and fruitiness. Vegan, contains soy and wheat.

Jerk Chicken Rub by Wajos brings Jamaica to a grill on the Moselle. Jerk is the Caribbean way of seasoning chicken: allspice, thyme, chili and onion, rubbed in vigorously, cooked slowly over wood. At home, you usually lack the wood and often the patience for twelve different spices. This rub has them all combined. All that remains is oil, chicken and a grill – and meat that tastes like a crust instead of store-bought ready-made marinade.

Allspice and thyme at the forefront, then chili, then lime and orange

The rub smells first of allspice – warm, almost like clove – and of thyme. On the tongue comes the heat of jalapeños and chilis, distinct but manageable. Behind that, ginger, cinnamon and the fruity acidity of lime juice powder and orange peel. Raw cane sugar ensures that the crust caramelizes during grilling. Honestly: the rub is strongly salted at a good 15 grams of salt per 100 grams, and it contains soy sauce powder with wheat. For those looking for a mild, heat-free grill seasoning, this is not suitable – in that case, the One For All Rub by Wajos is the calmer choice.

Oil the chicken, rub it in, wait – then grill

The rub needs oil and time. Coat chicken legs, wings or a half chicken thinly with oil two to three hours before grilling, then massage the rub in vigorously, preferably under the skin as well. One tablespoon is enough for four legs. Then cover and place in the fridge so the spices can penetrate. Cook on the grill over medium heat with the lid closed, or in the oven at 180 degrees for about 40 minutes – the skin will turn dark and crispy. The rub also works on pork neck, sweet potato wedges and corn on the cob. It is faster in the pan: slice chicken breast into strips, let it marinate with the rub for ten minutes, sear over high heat – the filling for wraps with pineapple and coriander. It is not suitable for seasoning at the table: dry on finished meat, it is too salty.

Our tip: Let chicken wings marinate with rub and oil overnight, then bake until crispy in the oven – serve with a yogurt dip with lime to balance out the heat.

A Caribbean rub from a spice kitchen on the Moselle

Wajos blends its rubs in Dohr near Cochem on the Moselle. There, the family business with over 80 employees manufactures most of its approximately 900 items itself. The brand traces back to Walter Josef Oster, a vintner from Ediger-Eller who started with liqueurs in the 1980s; his son Peter Oster and Ulf Schwichtenberg turned it into Wajos starting in the 2000s. Each rub is tested in their own laboratory before being bottled.

The rub for grill evenings with chicken and for people who like heat

The Jerk Chicken Rub is the jar for everyone who grills chicken. If you are tired of the same old paprika marinade, you will find the opposite of it here. It fits into every barbecue gift package, together with a sauce or a second rub. If you prefer smoky-sweet instead of spicy, choose the Magic Dust Rub; if you want even more chili, the Piri Piri Rub. All rubs and dips can be found on our Wajos page. Stored in a dry place away from light, the jar lasts a long time; 55 grams are enough for four to five grill evenings. The rub is not suitable for children who find heat too intense – the jalapeño and chili remain noticeable, even after grilling.

Allspice, thyme and chili, blended on the Moselle – the rub that turns grilled chicken into a Jamaican classic.