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Wah Gwan! Your girl’s got a recipe that will take your taste buds on a Caribbean vacation—Homemade Jerk Marinade. This marinade is packed with bold, spicy flavors that will transform your chicken, fish, pork, or veggies into a taste sensation.
Ready to turn up the heat in your kitchen? Let’s get into it!
Jerk anything is one of my favorite things to eat. So I had to come up with my own jerk marinade. My cousin in law, who is from Jamaica helped me come up with this amazing recipe.
This jerk marinade is the real deal, bursting with the flavors of Scotch bonnet peppers, onions, garlic, and a medley of spices. Whether you like it mild or fiery hot, you can customize the heat to your liking. Just remember, the more peppers, the spicier it gets!
If you love Caribbean flavors, check out my Jamaican Green Seasoning recipe.
Ingredients for this recipe
Scotch Bonnet Peppers or Habanero Peppers: Ideally you want to use scotch bonnet peppers, but since they aren’t available everywhere, habanero is a decent substitute.
Onion: Yellow or white.
Scallions: A.k.a. green onions.
Garlic: Cloves, minced.
Ginger: Fresh.
Thyme: Sprigs.
Salt: To taste.
Pepper: To taste.
Brown Sugar: For sweetness.
Cinnamon: Ground.
Nutmeg: Ground.
Allspice: Ground.
Black Pepper: Freshly cracked.
Soy Sauce: For umami.
Browning: For color.
White or Apple Cider Vinegar: For acidity.
Orange Juice: Use a fresh orange.
Vegetable Oil: For blending.
How to make Caribbean jerk marinade
I start by tossing everything into a blender or food processor—Scotch bonnet peppers (seeds removed for less heat), chopped onion, scallions, garlic cloves, ginger, thyme, and a mix of spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice.
Then, I add some brown sugar for sweetness, soy sauce for umami, and a touch of browning for that rich, deep color. Don’t forget the vinegar and orange juice to bring all the flavors together.
Blend it all up until you get a thick, aromatic paste. This marinade is a game-changer, perfect for slathering on chicken, fish, pork, or even veggies. It’s so versatile, you’ll want to put it on everything.
And the best part? You can store this authentic jerk marinade in the fridge for up to 3 months or freeze it for up to a year. Talk about meal prep magic!
It can be stored for up to 3 months in the fridge and up to a year in the freezer.
Use 2-3 peppers for a milder marinade and 4-5 peppers for a spicier kick.
It’s perfect for chicken, fish, pork, or even veggies.
Jerk Marinade
Ingredients
- 2-5 scotch bonnet peppers , chopped, remove seeds for less heat
- 1 onion , chopped in quarters
- 5 scallions , chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp ginger
- 3-5 thyme, sprigs
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- 4 tbsp brown sugar, dark or light is fine
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp allspice
- black pepper
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tsp browning
- 1/3 cup white or apple cider vinegar
- 1 orange, small
- 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Put all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until it’s a thick paste consistency. Store in an air tight container.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I love this marinade! It literally tastes good on everything. My favorite dishes to use this marinade on are wings and salmon. It’s so flavorful and adds a kick to the meal.
Thank you!!
Super tasty recipe and packs a good punch of heat. I left the seeds in for that little extra spice!
Thanks you – great on chicken legs cooked in the smoker or bbq!
Thank you George! I’m so glad you liked it.
Do you put the whole orange in, peel and all?
No peel.