Escovitch Chicken

By Nick 22-Oct-25

Three Ways — Fried, Grilled & Breaded

Most people know escovitch fish — a Jamaican classic where crispy fried fish gets covered in a spicy, tangy pickle of onions, peppers, carrots, and pimento.
But escovitch chicken? That one doesn’t get nearly as much love — even though it works just as well for all the same reasons.

So I decided to test it out three ways: fried, grilled, and breaded.
Each one turned out different, but one really surprised me.

1. Fried Escovitch Chicken Wings

We’re starting with the most classic Jamaican move — frying it.

I used chicken wings, washed in a vinegar solution (the Caribbean way). Some people don’t wash chicken because of cross-contamination concerns, but washing with vinegar or lime cuts the raw taste and makes a big difference. Just sanitize properly after.

For seasoning, I kept it simple: garlic and onion powder, all-purpose seasoning, a little freshly ground pimento, salt, pepper, and a touch of Spur Tree pepper sauce.
After marinating, I dredged them lightly in flour and fried them at about 325–350°F until golden brown.

Even though escovitch sauce softens the surface, marinating well makes the flavor pop. Once fried, I drained them on a wire rack — no soggy chicken here.

2. Grilled Escovitch Chicken Breast

Next up: grilled chicken breast — the leaner, trickier cut.

I trimmed and sliced the breasts for even thickness, then seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, allspice, and fresh thyme. For fat, I used rendered chicken fat, which gives a rich, savory flavor that store-bought oil can’t touch.

Using a cast iron grill pan, I grilled them over high heat, flipping constantly for even cooking.
The result? Juicy, smoky, perfectly seasoned chicken that worked beautifully with the tangy escovitch sauce.

3. Breaded Escovitch Chicken (Panko Style)

Finally, the crispy one.I sliced chicken tenders thin, seasoned lightly, and set up a three-step breading station: flour → milk → panko breadcrumbs.
Panko gives you that signature light, shattering crunch.

I fried the pieces until golden and crisp — just 5–6 minutes per batch.
This version held its crunch the longest, even under the escovitch sauce.

Making the Escovitch Sauce

Escovitch sauce is simple but powerful.
You’ll need:

  • Onions (cut in rings)

  • Carrots (sliced thick for crunch)

  • Scotch bonnet pepper

  • Pimento (allspice)

  • Sweet pepper (optional for color)

  • Garlic

  • White vinegar

  • Salt (generously)

Start by heating oil, then add pimento and garlic to infuse.
Add carrots, then onions, Scotch bonnet, and sweet pepper.
Pour in vinegar, season with salt, and simmer for a few minutes.
The veggies should soften slightly while keeping their bite.

If it’s too tangy for you, add a pinch of sugar — but escovitch should still have that strong, bright acidity.

The Taste Test

All three versions were solid, but the escovitch chicken wings took the crown.
They just work. The sauce soaks in perfectly, the flavor stays bold, and every bite feels balanced — tangy, savory, spicy, and comforting.

The grilled version had a beautiful smoky flavor, and the panko version stayed amazingly crisp, but wings carried that traditional escovitch spirit the best.

Wings for the win!

Watch the Full Video

You can catch the full episode on my YouTube channel, Feed and Teach, where I walk through each version step by step.
Trust me — once you try escovitch chicken, you’ll start making it as often as the fish version.

Recipes

Escovitch Sauce Recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 5–10 mins
Total Time: 15–20 mins
Yield: ~2 cups

Ingredients

  • Big splash of cooking oil (enough to coat the pan)

  • 2 tablespoons pimento (allspice)

  • 2–3 cloves garlic, whole

  • 2 carrots, sliced

  • 3 medium onions, sliced

  • 3 Scotch bonnet peppers, sliced

  • 1 sweet pepper, sliced (optional, for color)

  • 1 cup white vinegar

  • Salt, generous to taste

  • Optional: small pinch of sugar to balance acidity

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat.

  2. Add pimento and garlic, letting them infuse the oil for 30–60 seconds.

  3. Add carrots, cooking just until slightly softened.

  4. Add onions, Scotch bonnet, and sweet pepper (if using). Stir to combine.

  5. Pour in vinegar, then season generously with salt.

  6. Let the sauce simmer for a couple of minutes until the veggies release some juice but still retain a bit of crunch.

  7. Taste and, if necessary, add a pinch of sugar to mellow the tang.

  8. Serve immediately over chicken, fish, or bammy — or let it cool and store in the fridge for later use.

Tips

  • Keep the veggies slightly crisp for that classic escovitch crunch.

  • Adjust pepper heat to taste — Scotch bonnet is potent!

  • The infused oil adds flavor to whatever protein you pair it with.

Fried Escovitch Chicken Wings

Prep Time: 1 hr (marination)
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
Yield: 8 wings

Ingredients

  • 8 chicken wings

  • Vinegar solution (for rinsing)

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • ½ tbsp all-purpose seasoning

  • ½ tsp freshly ground allspice

  • Salt & black pepper, to taste

  • 1 tbsp Spur Tree pepper sauce (optional)

  • 1 cup flour (for dredging)

  • ½ tbsp all-purpose seasoning (for flour)

  • Oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Rinse chicken wings in vinegar solution and pat dry.

  2. Mix garlic powder, onion powder, all-purpose seasoning, allspice, salt, pepper, and pepper sauce. Coat the wings thoroughly.

  3. Marinate in the fridge for 1 hour (or longer for more flavor).

  4. Dredge wings in seasoned flour.

  5. Heat oil to 325–350°F. Fry wings for about 10 minutes, turning constantly until golden brown.

  6. Drain on a wire rack to prevent sogginess.

  7. Serve with escovitch sauce poured on top.

Grilled Escovitch Chicken Breast

Prep Time: 30–60 mins (marination)
Cook Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 40–70 mins
Yield: 2–3 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 chicken breasts, sliced evenly

  • Salt & black pepper, to taste

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • 1 tsp paprika

  • 1 tsp freshly ground allspice

  • Fresh thyme leaves from 1 sprig

  • Rendered chicken fat (enough to coat pan and chicken)

Instructions

  1. Trim and slice chicken breasts evenly; separate tenders for later use.

  2. Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, allspice, and fresh thyme.

  3. Coat a cast iron grill pan with rendered chicken fat and heat until hot.

  4. Place chicken on the pan, flipping frequently to cook evenly.

  5. Cook until internal temperature reaches 165°F and juices run clear.

  6. Remove and let rest before serving with escovitch sauce.

Panko-Breaded Escovitch Chicken

Prep Time: 30–60 mins (marination)
Cook Time: 5–6 mins
Total Time: 35–66 mins
Yield: 2–3 servings

Ingredients

  • Chicken tenders or sliced chicken breast

  • Salt & black pepper, to taste

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • ½ tsp freshly ground allspice

  • 1 cup + ½ panko breadcrumbs

  • ½ cup milk

  • Flour dredge from fried chicken

  • Oil for frying

Instructions

  1. Season chicken lightly with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and allspice.

  2. Set up breading station: flour → milk → panko breadcrumbs.

  3. Coat chicken pieces: flour first, then milk, then panko. Use one hand for wet, one for dry to prevent clumping.

  4. Heat oil in a pan. Fry chicken for 5–6 minutes, turning constantly, until golden and crispy.

  5. Drain on a wire rack.

  6. Serve immediately with escovitch sauce for maximum crunch and flavor.