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    Whisk Affair » Recipes » Cooking Basics » Jerk Marinade

    Published: Mar 29, 2021 | Last Updated On: Mar 30, 2021 by Neha Mathur | This post may contain affiliate links. I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jerk Marinade

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    Jump to Recipe

    Jerk marinade is a fabulous classic Jamaican marinade that is loaded with spicy, tangy flavors. This recipe makes the best homemade authentic marinade in just 5 minutes using simple ingredients. Use it to marinate chicken, pork, beef, fish, shrimp, etc (vegan, gluten-free).

    Here are some more sauces and dips, that can be used in other recipes – Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce, Avocado Pesto, Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, and Bechamel Sauce.

    Jerk marinade kept in a glass bottle.
    Jump to:
    • About This Recipe
    • Ingredients
    • How to make Jerk Marinade?
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Pro Tips By Neha
    • Usage Suggestions
    • Storage Suggestions
    • You might also like
    • Recipe Card

    About This Recipe

    Jamaican Jerk marinade is a classic Jamaican (Caribbean) marinade that is spicy from the use of Scotch Bonnet peppers, very flavourful with complex flavors from the use of various spices and aromatics.

    Authentic Jerk marinade has a perfect balance of spice, sweetness, and heat and is a very versatile marinade sauce. The flavors are bold and very complex but they come together perfectly as one once the meat is grilled.

    Made using basic pantry staples and in under 5 minutes, this homemade recipe is highly customizable and you can control the heat level according to your taste preference. It is vegan and gluten-free too.

    Jamaican Jerk marinade is now very popular in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Caribbean communities around the world. And after tasting it on a trip, yours truly has become its die-hard fan as well.

    Marination makes the meat or veggie super flavorful, moist, and tenderize it as well. A spoonful of this pungent marinade can instantly add tons of flavors to chicken, shrimp, beef, or pork. It is great on veggies too.

    Although you can easily get it in stores these days, making it at home has many advantages.

    1. The homemade marinade is completely free of added preservatives, colors, and flavor enhancers.
    2. It is very customizable.
    3. Economical

    Ingredients

    Lime and Orange – This jerk marinade uses lime juice and orange juice, which provides a tangy taste. If you cannot find orange juice, you can increase the amount of lime juice.

    Pepper – Scotch Bonnet pepper is traditionally used to make this marinade. The heat level and spiciness of this pepper are similar to the Habanero peppers. So if you cannot find Scotch Bonnet peppers easily, you can replace them with Habanero peppers. In fact, any hot pepper will work in this recipe.

    Onion, Ginger, and Garlic – Onion, ginger, and garlic are also used, which adds a lot of flavors to this marinade.

    Soy Sauce – Dark Soy Sauce adds a nice salty sweet umami flavour in the sauce.

    Spices – When it comes to spices, we will use whole black peppercorns, fresh thyme, ground allspice, ground nutmeg, and ground cinnamon. Along with taste, it also adds a nice aroma to the marinade.

    Dark Brown Sugar – To add that little hint of sweetness, add in dark brown sugar that also adds to the color of the sauce. if you do not have brown sugar, you can add in white sugar too.

    Others – Apart from these, you will need green onion, vegetable oil and white vinegar.

    How to make Jerk Marinade?

    Add 1 cup chopped onion, 2 tablespoon chopped garlic, 2 tablespoon chopped ginger, 3 chopped green onion, 2 tablespoon fresh thyme, 2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, ¼ cup dark soy sauce, ½ cup vegetable oil, ¼ cup white vinegar, ¼ cup lime juice, ½ cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 3 scotch bonnet peppers (remove the stalk) to the medium jar of a blender.

    All the ingredients added to a grinder.

    Blend until smooth.

    Top shot of jerk marinade.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is Scotch Bonnet Peppers?

    “The scotch bonnet is the pepper of choice in the Caribbean—it’s the most widely used hot pepper in the region’s cuisine.

    Other hot peppers, such as cherry peppers (wiri wiri), bird peppers, habanero, and pimento peppers are also readily available and used in various recipes, and Indian chili peppers can also be found in markets and supermarkets.

    But when someone talks about hot peppers in the Caribbean, particularly in the English-speaking Caribbean, they’re almost certainly referring to the scotch bonnet pepper.

    You might see them labeled in stores and markets as “hot peppers” or “big peppers.” Read more about them here.

    Can I use any other pepper instead of Scotch Bonnet Pepper?

    If you cannot find scotch bonnet peppers then you may also use habanero peppers or any other spicy chili to make this marinade. Thai Bird’s eye chilies work well too.

    Pro Tips By Neha

    If you are using the peppers for the first time, wear hand gloves, it might burn.

    If you cannot find scotch bonnet peppers then you may also use habanero peppers or any other spicy chili to make this marinade. Thai Bird’s eye chilies work well too.

    The time of marination depends on the type of meat, seafood, or vegetables. Meat needs a longer time, seafood and veggies need less time.

    Remove the seeds of the peppers if you want mild jerk marinade.

    To make this marinade paleo friendly, replace sugar with honey or coconut sugar.

    You can also add tropical fruits like mango and pineapple while making the marinade.

    Usage Suggestions

    You can use jerk marinade to marinate thin cuts of steak, chicken, pork, seafood, and veggies.

    It can also be used as a dipping sauce. But never use the used marinade that was used to marinate meat as a dipping sauce. Make sure to cook the leftover marinade for 10-12 minutes before using it for dipping.

    Marinating time will depend on the type of meat used and its cut. Firstly, cover the meat completely with the marinade in a non-reactive mixing bowl. Rub the pieces with the marinade using your fingers. You can wear gloves while handling the marinade to avoid burn.

    Chicken must be marinated for 2-4 hours, pork and beef for 4-6 hours, veggies for 30-40 minutes, and seafood for 20 minutes.

    Storage Suggestions

    You can refrigerate it for up to a week and freeze it for up to 6 months. Bring it to room temperature before using.

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    Recipe Card

    Loved this recipe?Click here to leave a review and give us a five star rating ★★★★★
    Jerk marinade is a fabulous classic Jamaican marinade that is loaded with spicy, tangy flavors. This recipe makes the best homemade authentic marinade in just 5 minutes using simple ingredients. Use it to marinate chicken, pork, beef, fish, shrimp, etc (vegan, gluten-free).

    Jerk Marinade Recipe

    Jerk marinade is a fabulous classic Jamaican marinade that is loaded with spicy, tangy flavors. This recipe makes the best homemade authentic marinade in just 5 minutes using simple ingredients. Use it to marinate chicken, pork, beef, fish, shrimp, etc.
    4.23 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Basic
    Cuisine: Caribbean
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 people
    Calories: 211kcal
    Author: Neha Mathur

    Ingredients 

    • 1 cup chopped onion
    • 2 tablespoon chopped garlic
    • 2 tablespoon chopped ginger
    • 3 green onion (chopped)
    • 2 tablespoon fresh thyme
    • 2 teaspoon salt
    • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
    • ¼ cup dark soy sauce
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • ¼ cup white vinegar
    • ¼ cup lime juice
    • ½ cup orange juice
    • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
    • 1 teaspoon ground all spice
    • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 3 whole Scotch Bonnet peppers
    US Customary or Metric
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    Instructions

    • Add 1 cup chopped onion, 2 tablespoon chopped garlic, 2 tablespoon chopped ginger, 3 chopped green onion, 2 tablespoon fresh thyme, 2 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar, ¼ cup dark soy sauce, ½ cup vegetable oil, ¼ cup white vinegar, ¼ cup lime juice, ½ cup orange juice, 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon ground allspice, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 3 scotch bonnet peppers (remove the stalk) to the medium jar of a blender.
    • Blend until smooth.

    Notes

    If you are using the peppers for the first time, wear hand gloves, it might burn.
    If you cannot find scotch bonnet peppers then you may also use habanero peppers or any other spicy chili to make this marinade. Thai Bird’s eye chilies work well too.
    The time of marination depends on the type of meat, seafood, or vegetables. Meat needs a longer time, seafood and veggies need less time.
    Remove the seeds of the peppers if you want mild marinade.
    To make this marinade paleo friendly, replace sugar with honey or coconut sugar.
    You can also add tropical fruits like mango and pineapple while making the marinade.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 211kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Sodium: 1320mg | Potassium: 188mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 260IU | Vitamin C: 29.1mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
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      Recipe Rating





    1. Mary Davenport

      April 05, 2020 at 10:52 pm

      4 stars
      I love jerk seasoning, so I am thrilled to find a recipe which speaks to me.

      Reply
      • Neha Mathur

        April 06, 2020 at 4:23 am

        Do try it 🙂

        Reply

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