Jamaican Jerk Marinade
This homemade Jamaican Jerk Marinade is made from scratch using ingredients like pineapple juice, lime, allspice, cinnamon, ginger, and more. Use it on Caribbean dishes for chicken, seafood, fish, and shrimp.
Servings 4 servings
Calories 27kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar or sweetener
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried or ground thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 habanero Authentic Jerk uses scotch bonnet peppers. If you have access to these feel free to use them. Habanero is a close substitute
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce Can substitute liquid aminos or coconut aminos.
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger You can use 1/4 teaspoon of ground ginger.
Instructions
- Add all of the jerk spices, habanero, soy sauce, pineapple juice, lime juice, liquid smoke, and ginger to a blender or food processor. Blend until the mixture is well combined. I typically add the ingredients to a bowl and combine using a hand immersion blender.
Notes
- The marinade makes enough to use for 1 pound of meat or seafood.
- Avoid touching the marinade with your hands or wear gloves, especially if you have to touch your eyes, wear contact lenses, etc.
- Jerk does have a kick to it. The dish is traditionally prepared using scotch bonnet peppers (often called Caribbean red peppers). They are almost impossible to find in the United States. Scotch bonnets have a heat rating of 100,000–350,000 Scoville heat units (the measurement of the heat of chili peppers), which is similar to habanero peppers, making it a close substitute.
- These peppers are hotter than poblano, serrano, and cayenne peppers. If you don’t like spicy dishes, feel free to modify the servings used or substitute for a pepper that is less hot. The recipe calls for 1 habanero, you can always use half, 1/4th, etc. You can make it less hot by omitting the seeds.
- The recipe has a hint of sweetness from pineapple juice and 1/2 tablespoon of brown sweetener or sugar. If you are looking for sweet shrimp, add additional brown sugar or sweetener to suit your taste.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 27kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g