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A delicious Caribbean twist to the cobb salad, this Calypso Caribbean Cobb Salad has hearts of palm, pineapple, and jerk marinated chicken that transports you to the islands.

 

I love jerk marinades, don’t you? They’re so easy to prepare. You toss all the ingredients in a blender or food processor, press a button, and you’re done. They have such complex flavors and spices. It’s like reggae party in your mouth complete with the Marley’s in attendance.

 

I also love a good cobb salad recipe!  Using the same pattern, you can make a cobb salad out of anything.  And it allows you to really focus on eating healthy.  This protein cobb salad is perfect for those who are eating a low carb diet.  It’s packed with not only chicken, egg, and bacon, but also delicious edamame.

 

 

What is jerk?

 

Jerk is a method of cooking meat. The story goes that the Arawak Indians from South America settled the island of Jamaica. They brought their method of smoking and drying meat to preserve it longer with them. This allowed them to bring meat with them in hunting and expedition trips. And they could easily reconstitute it with water later.

 

Fast forward many centuries later. The British brough slaves with them to Jamaica to ensure steady crops of sugar cane, coffee, cocoa, and pimento. Some of these slaves escaped into the mountains where they created blends of locally found spices and herbs to marinate the wild game they caught to eat.

 

 

They called these escaped slaves Maroons. The Maroons learned the cooking method the Arawak Indians to cook their meats. Consequently, they cooked their meats underground which meant little to no smoke was visible to those looking for the Maroons.

 

What is in jerk seasoning?

 

There’s a wet rub and a dry rub. This Calypso Caribbean Cobb Salad has a wet rub recipe. But since I’m all about making my own spice blends, I might have to share a dry rub version. So, stay tuned for that. My wet rub consists of onion, thyme, lime juice, cider vinegar, brown sugar, fresh ginger, garlic, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.

 

 

The wet rub also has a spicy blend called Calypso Kick, but you can use 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper if you don’t have a spicy seasoning blend. Or you can use a jalapeno or habanero if you want it to be super spicy.

 

Dry rubs have similar ingredients in there. However, some might call for pimento which isn’t what you think pimento is. It’s actually allspice from what I’ve read. In addition to that, most dry rub recipes have garlic and onion powder in there. There’s thyme, basil, dried ground ginger, and chili powder. Then there’s a slew of sweet spices like cinnamon, the allspice I mentioned, cloves, and nutmeg. The combination of the sweet spices, the spicy cayenne, and the savory spices make for a deliciously unique rub for meats.

 

 

I’ve made a few jerk recipes and shared them on the blog. Most of them have slight variations but include most of the same ingredients like garlic, onions, and a spicy pepper. They usually have brown sugar and some cider vinegar. Like the added kick the cider vinegar gives to the marinade.

 

What does Calypso Caribbean Cobb Salad taste like?

 

Perfectly delicious! Just look at it!! The creamy avocado, the tender beans, the crisp red onions, the tender and sweet pineapple all on top of the cool and crisp lettuce. It certainly sounds amazing on its own, but then you add sliced hearts of palm! And finally, the juicy chicken with its crust of sweet, tangy, and spicy jerk marinade on top that. Oh yeah. I brought it! I brought it ALL in this Calypso Caribbean Cobb Salad.

 

 

This Calypso Caribbean Cobb Salad was super delicious and the dressing was the perfect combination of the same sweet, tangy, and spicy that you would want to pour over a salad like this. It has nice citrus notes, some jalapeno, and delicious spices to go along with the jerk marinade of the chicken. I ate it all and couldn’t wait to have it for lunch the next day. Even the browned avocado (because I didn’t wrap it right).

 

Do you rinse the chicken off?

 

Now, I didn’t rinse the chicken off before I grilled them. Some recipes will say to wipe as much of the wet rub off as possible. So, I tried to wipe as much of the chunky goodness off as I could, and then slapped them on the grill. Consequently, my grill is a mess right now. But it’s well worth it to have that charred wet rub on the chicken to add flavor to this Calypso Caribbean Cobb Salad.

 

 

This is a quick and easy recipe you can make any night of the week. The chicken takes less than 15 minutes to grill. And even less if you butterfly the chicken breasts. Or use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Oh. That’s a great idea! I might try that next time. And maybe turn them into tacos next time? That sounds like a new recipe for the blog.

 

If you’re on the fence about the heat of this recipe, then start with a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne. And if that works for you, then try a 1/2 teaspoon next time you make it. You see where I’m going with this? Feel free to add in a fresh spicy pepper like jalapeno or serrano. Or even habanero if you’re feeling adventurous!

Beat the Heat Recipes

• Best Tomato Sandwich from Palatable Pastime
• Calypso Caribbean Cobb Salad from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Hezzi-D Club Sandwich from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Keto Caprese Wrap from Magical Ingredients
• Mediterranean Chopped Salad in Pitas from Jen Around the World
• Shrimp Ceviche with Pickled Onion from Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Strawberry, Rhubarb, & Pear Salad from The Spiffy Cookie
• Summer Fruit Salad from The Freshman Cook
• Watermelon Salad with Feta and Mint from Books n’ Cooks
• White Gazpacho from That Recipe

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