I just love the variety of exciting and scrumptious dishes you can find as you work your way up and down the islands that make up the Caribbean. To date I’ve not been to Jamaica, even though my friends who hails from there have extended several invitations the past few years. Hopefully I can make the trip down the next time they plan a vacation and finally get to see “jerk” done the traditional way. Until then, I’ll keep making my homemade marinade/sauce and hopefully you’ll give it a try. Beware! You won’t go back to the bottled stuff you get in the grocery store once you do though. You won’t believe how simple this is.
You’ll Need…
5 scallions (green onions)
5 sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 scotch bonnet peppers
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 onion
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
Notes: If you’re using dried thyme, use about 1/2 table spoon. This makes about 3 cups of marinade and it can be stored in the fridge for about 1 month.
Basically all you’ll be doing is making a puree with all the ingredients I mentioned above. So you’ll need a blender or food processor.
Rough chop the scallions, peppers, garlic, onion and thyme and place in the food processor to make it easier to puree. Remember when working with these hot peppers to wear gloves (the natural oil is deadly). Also note that most of the heat is within the seeds and the membrane that surround the seeds. So to control the heat, discard those. However, for that true authentic Jamaican feel.. keep the entire peppers.
Now add all the other ingredients and pulse to start. Then run the puree speed for about 2-3 minutes until everything breaks down to a smooth consistency.
For best results use this sauce immediately, but marinate your pork, chicken or fish (haven’t tried beef yet) for at least 2 hours before grilling or roasting in the oven. The next recipe I post I’ll show you how simple it is to use this marinade/sauce to make the Ultimate Oven Jerk Chicken. Stay tuned.
In the coming months I’ll also show you a secret ingredient I use to give this a Canadian twist.. I can’t right now as I’m sending off a challenge to Bobby Flay (he’s taking entries for a new show he’s working on). Wish me luck.
Don’t forget to join us on Facebook and check out the cooking videos – see on the upper right side of the page for links to those. And before you go, do leave me your comments below – it’s appreciated.
BTW, as we “Trinis” do… you can always add our signature to this by adding a couple shots of rum (I would use a dark rum), a little shado beni and how could we forget a drop or two of Angostura bitters.
Based on 201 Review(s)
Good luck with your entry!, I will sure to try making this Jerk Sauce.
Did you ever get around to the Canadian twist recipe?
What vinegar do you use please?
There’s lots of vinegars out there, thanks I await your reply
Author
plain white vinegar works best in my humble opinion. unless you can source Honey Vinegar.
Thank you.
I’ve added fresh minced pineapple and 2 table spoons of apricot jam to this recipe and OMG! Makes it a bit stickier and helped to cool down the heat of the pepper. Thanks for this recipe, it was perfect!
Needed something quick to make this was perfect, added my 3 Carolina reapers. Even though it was very hot, the other flavors still stood out, PERFECT.
Great tasting jerk, however mine came out more green than brown? Could it be the I used light brown sugar and only the green portions of the green onions?
A lot of jerk marinade has browning in for colour. Hope this helps!
Sorry for the double reply. I usually cook my jerk chicken on my Traeger grill at 325 til the breast and thighs hit 165. Usually takes about an hour and a half
My brother big respect and thank you for this recipe. I’m a new to this site and am no stranger to Jamaican cuisine myself. Good vibes and thank you for the knowledge. Keep up the good work.
What temperature, how long, and how much chicken?
This makes a good amount of marinade. I would say this is enough for a whole chicken butchered into 8 pieces plus plenty of extra. With the extra marinade mix it with a cup of mayo, a half cup of sour cream and a half cup of the marinade to make an awesome sauce for the jerk chicken
Has anyone tried marinading using a FoodSaver?
Far exceeded our expectations! Cooked 1.5 lbs chicken tenders in a covered skillet for about 20 minutes. Made the house smell great and was crazy delicious. Served with sweet peas and some black beans and rice.
Made this for Christmas Eve. Family has requested it again for July 4th! It’s very good!
This looks like it would work really well for beef jerky. I plan to marinate the beef in the refrigerator over night before putting it in the food dehydrator. Would you suggest any changes in proportions? I ask because the drying process sometimes accentuates some flavors more than others.
So essentially I want to make just enough marinade for a chicken breast, or a couple of drumsticks, 250gm approx. (skin on, bone in)
Can you PLEASE pare down the quantities, I’d rather make fresh marinade every time. I tried but the flavour wasn’t quite right.
Thanks so much. 🙂
I wonder if you could freeze it in an ice cube tray? Then break out a couple cubes when you want to cook.
Hi Chris..I made your marinade and it was amazing, first chicken then shrimp…when kids ask for seconds that’s confirmation right there it’s good…so tell me what’s the secret ingredient to give it a Canadian twist? 🙂 Thanks!
Maple Syrup? Cheese Curds? The anticipation is killing me!
Hi
how long can you keep the puree? Can you store it in the fridge and use it again if you have some left over?
I’ve kept this in my fridge for a month or 2. Seems like it gets better with time. I’m sure at some point it will spoil but with all the salt and sugar it might take a while.
I found this recipe a little earlier and I had to come back to this site to say how good it is. I was really surprised how good it tasted and the chef is right I probably will be making my own jerk marinade with this recipe from now on.
roughly how much would you say this recipe served??:)
I followed this recipe to a T. In fact the chicken is in the oven as I type this comment. I noticed my marinade was a bit on the green side, not sure how the chicken will come out (colour wise). Could I have missed something?
Can’t wait to taste it…
Dee
Mines did too!
Which vinegar do you use?
Author
plain white vinegar
The recipe doesn’t call for regular onions, yet they’re in the photo and instructions. Those who want to add them (not I) don’t have any guidance as to quantity.
Thanks.
Be sure to read again. There is 5 scallions (green onions)
5 sprigs of fresh thyme (about 1 tablespoon chopped)
2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 scotch bonnet peppers
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup vinegar
1 onion
1/2 cup orange juice
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon grated ginger
Yellow or white onion is in both pictures and instructions
You made me a cook my wife is happy. From Arima living Bronx NY
Fantastic marinade. I upped the amount of peppers from 2 to 6 because I really like it spicy. I leave it at 2 for my husband who is less inclined. Will be bringing this to a Canada Day celebration coming up. Thank you.
I made a batch of this and whilst nice and hot- I really didn’t like the nutmeg. Way too overpowering! Will omit that next time.
I see a lot of comments on here saying they didn’t use the orange juice. This ingredient, along with fresh scotch bonnets and brown sugar, is critical. Do not substitute lime juice or Lemmon juice. It’s too acidic and will not get the right flavor. It’s the difference between a Caribbean flavor and a “this is some decent chicken that you spiced with everything on the rack.”
Also, marinate over night. Personally I cut chicken breasts into strips and cook on the grill. Boiling off the marinade for sauce is a good touch as well.
What temperature and how long you bake for
Delicious recipe! I made it as my marinade for my thanksgiving chicken (there are just two of us, so no need for a turkey yet), and it was so good! Definitely was a hit, and without the habanero seeds, the spice is perfect. I will definitely make this again, and probably even put some in the freezer to have when I need it. And one of these days, when I make a turkey, I’m going to try this as a marinade and injection. Yum!
I’ve used this recipe 3 times (minus the orange juice) and could not understand why it only got an average of 3 stars because it tastes amazing!!! Then today I made it without the cilantro (forgot it) and it tasted completely different. It’s still good, but doesn’t have nearly as much flavor. I would recommend using cilantro every time for flavor and a thicket marinade. Thanks, Chris – I love this recipe!
An excellent recipe which i’ve used a number of times. Can you tell me though , did you not have a recipe for a hot scotch bonnet dipping sauce to increase the fieryness of the jerk chicken. I made it last year and it was fantastic but i can’t find it again and i need it bad.
Will try this weekend. My friend buys his sauce from a specialty store.
Chris, what do you know about my life?! OMG, I have some people coming on Sunday to eat up the niceness and I’m planning to make rice and peas and oven jerked chicken. Lo and behold, I check my mail and you’ve shared this recipe again (I’ve seen you share it before & watched on YouTube). It was very delicious the last time I put it on pork and chicken. I added a little powdered smoke and put the meat in the oven with a ‘smoke boat’ accompanying it. In said ‘boat’ was: a little water, powdered smoke, ground pimento, and some cinnamon sticks. Flavour for days, everybody raved and licked their ten fingers! Alas, I have no powdered smoke right now but it’ll still be good this time around, I reckon. Thank you again for the timely assistance 🙂
I have been making this recipe for about two years now and love it. For best results, I marinade my meat overnight in the sauce and cook the next day. I baste a few times during a slow cook and have even used a smoker to get the most flavor. When done basting, take all the sauce that the meat marinated in and bring it to a slow boil in a saucepan. Have to boil out contaminents, especially if you had raw chicken in it. After cooking it gently, chill the sauce and it rocks on everything. From your jerk chicken to eggs in the morning, the sauce is really good if you follow the recipe above.
After getting tired of the same old grace jerk recipe ( which is too salty, and spicy for me) I just tried this recipe yesterday 3/22/2015 and it is the best jerk chicken I ever had. I did not have any orange juice on hand, so I used a little lemon juice instead. I give it five stars!!
This is easily the BEST jerk recipe I’ve ever tried making. Love it, always keep some on hand now.
I’m making it with snow crab legs tonight, it’s going to be delicious……
I know your good enough for Bobby clay ‘s … keep up the good work and thanks for sharing your recipes….
This sounds awesome I will try it on the grill with chicken this weekend and good luck with bobby
I have today just tried making this marinade, I’m using for the ultimate oven Jerk Chicken but it’s has not come out looking as dark, I didn’t have enough time for marination only an hour, I wonder if this has something to do with it. I’m from the uk and I don’t know what a broiler is
Hi NathanDe. A broiler is what we call a grill in UK, like you use for toast or to grill fish.
I tried this recipe last night and it was easy to put together and it was tasty. I didn’t have orange juice so I used apple instead. Next time I’ll try with orange.
Hi Chris this marinade sounds wonderful, can’t wait to try it…yummm…thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes with us..keep up the good work..
Just made this with chicken drumsticks last night and it went over quite well! I used a jalapeno instead since my grocery store didn’t have Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, and also subbed soy sauce for coconut aminos for a soy/wheat allergic guest. It was delicious and a hit with everyone, including my toddler! Thanks for this great recipe!
I used this recipe today…. It is amazing instead of the Bonnet peppers i used a couple bhut jolokia out of my garden. It was…. HOT, but amazing.
Love, love, love this “Jerk” marinade. I Have used this recipe several times. I grill the chicken using mesquite charcoal (wish I could get the pimento wood) and the color is gorgeous. I like a little char (burnt) on the chicken skin. Mmmmm, yummy!
This turned out great! Made it to go with beef patties and my husband practically drank it. He put it on hamburgers with mayonnaise (not something I would eat but he loved it). Also great to add some more kick to Jamaican rice and beans. Thanks.
Hi, just a quick question what type of vinegar do you use? thanks.
Hi Guys,
I have prepared this marinade few times, but each time it comes out very watery, and because of it it doesn’t really stick to the meat (it runs to the bottom of the baking tray). I am wondering what am I doing wrong?
Hello Marcin,
once you marinate the chicken with the marinade for a while it should absorb the flavors. You have a couple options.. cut back on the amount of liquid and blend until chunky (not puree). this way you have pieces of the herbs etc to hold onto the chicken pieces.
Could I use this as a squirty sauce like a spicy jerk ketchup?
will this work if I am using a BBQ?
Yes it would be perfect for a BBQ
I’m allergic to soy sauce. Can I make this without soy sauce or use a substitute?
I run into the same issue, but not due to allergies. I eat paleo, so I substitute coconut aminos for all recipes with soy sauce. Try it out, very similar taste but all natural! You can find it at Whole Foods or online.
You can use Bragg’s Liquid Aminos too. You’ll find that at most stores these days, or Whole Foods for sure.
Every time I’ve made this it’s been different could you suggest how many mls instead of 1/4 or 1/2 cups please ?
Google has the answer to almost everything:
1/4 cup = approx. 60 ml
1/2 cup = approx. 120 ml
This recipe is awesome just awesome.
The flavor is amazing. I do like it spicier and use 5-6 habanares since stoch bonnets are not easily available.
Is there another pepper you can use to substitute for the scotch bonnet peppers? I don’t think I can can get them here.
Hey Christine, I live in Australia now and use habenero chillies instead of scotch bonnets. They are simarlarly firey yet fruity. I dont see them that often so I buy a batch and keep them in tbd freezer. Hope this helps 🙂
You think I could use this for a jerky marinade?
Tried several jerk resiepes, by far this is the best ever. Thanks
Love this receipe! Last night I switched out the orange juice for cloudy apple juice (lack of ingredients) and it was beautiful. Thanks
Used this recipe for first time this week on a whole chicken and it was fantastic. Trying it again on chicken pieces and replacing half the vinegar with coconut white rum. Tasted raw ingredients and was very pleased with taste. Many thanks.
Can you use apple cider vineger instead of white vineger?
Forgot to add the soy sauce 🙁
I have been looking for this recipe, every recipe I have come across was horrible! All missing the key ingredient Ginger! Thank you!
Dear Chris, just made this marinade and the flavors really sing… great recipe, thanks so much! Look forward to making more recipes from your website/videos
Hey Chris,
Can I substitute 3/4 cup sour orange juice for the 1/2 cup regular orange juice & 1/4 cup vinegar?
Best Regards,
-Joe
Just got back from my second trip to Jamaica, I’ve been looking for a good jerk chicken recipe! Can I bake this in the oven? Or slow cooker?? If so, at what temperature and do I cover? Also. How much chicken does this recipe cover. Thanks so much.
Can I freeze it for later
I have been looking for a good jerk marinade recipe and this is just what I needed. Just made this marinade this evening and looking forward to trying it out on my chicken soon. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.
Hi, sorry if someone already asked this questions, but is ther an alternate for bonnet pepper? Im oversease right now
Habaneros will work.
Hi, got a questions and if it was answered before I’m sorry for asking again. okay I’m overseas and i’m not able to find bonnet pper or allspice, do you have an subsitute for thise items…..
thanks
hi chris
we love jerk chicken
but,i live in germany and here i cant get allspice it seems…could you tell me waht to do?
thanks, and by the way,i love your site
Allspice is known in Germany as ‘Piment’ or ‘Pimento’. You should be able to find this quite easily.
In English speaking countries it is also known as Jamaican pepper,
Hope this helps.
Caro,
actually you can get allspice in germany. its called piment and you can get it at kaufland or edeka. just look in the spices section
Hi Chris, I want to make this dish for a party I’m having over the weekend, but I can’t seem to find the all spice, I live in Burlington, ON
have you tried the spice section at Loongos’
The bulk barn should have everything you’re looking for.
I used this marinade and made jerk chicken wings {in the oven}…It was delicious, the family loved it. Went well with the baked macaroni [macaroni pie] and peas and rice…Thanks Chris this is a keeper. 🙂
Oh my goodness. Tried this last weekend – wow. Coming up to Carnival here in West London so I am getting my island cookery vocab up to speed. Thanks Chris for a great site and really welcoming attitude!
I see white onion in the photos above but your video and recipe only list the green onion… Also, the nutmeg, I didn't see nutmeg in the video but it is in the recipe here. please clarify. keep on cookin!
i have made Jerk Turkey Burgers for 10 years and this is the first time I made the Jerk myself. I used your recipe ans WOW they are 100 times better than EVER before. Slice of Onion, Mango, Munster Cheese and a little drizzle of your marinade made my year! Thanks sooooo much! Great Great Great!
Hihi, I made the jerk chicken for my friends and everyone loves it! I have no access to scotch bonnets so I had to use bird's eye chillies. Spice level went too low 🙁 Otherwise, it was a lovely meal and I am about to repeat it for Father's Day. However, I would like to make jerk fish this time round, any recommendations on what time of fish?
Great recipe info! I've never made Jerk chicken before (just didn't feel confident enough about the recipes I had seen prior to this one) but NOW, I'm gonna dive in and make it next weekend! Thanks so much for sharing! :o) Greetings from Chicago!
GOOD LUCK … WITH THE CHALLENGE….. HAVENT TRY THE JERK CHICKEN YET.. PRETTY SURE IS FANTASTIC…… I WILL MAKE IT SOME TIME NEXT WEEK…. I WILL LET YOU KNOW …. LOVE MARGARITA JIMENEZ FROM DAVIE . FLORIDA…..
I love Island food and this jerk chicken recipe was the BOMB……….I will be back for more recipes and THANKS…….
This recipe is the bomb!! Last night, I had some extra marinade left over so I put it on some fish…it was delish!!!! Chris, you're truly a cookin genius.
Very good recipie. I've been making jerk chicken for years & I've had several variations. I use mango nectar & rum. When I'm too lazy to make my own Marinade I.cheat & buy Walkerswood Jerk Marinade. Its the next best thing. Thanks so much for sharing, delicious.
This marinated looks like the ingredients of any decent jerk marinated. great if you simply want to make jerk chicken. Once in a while, you have some jerk chicken in Jamaica, grand Cayman’s Boden town, or S. FL. all made by real jamaicans and they taste unbelievable and traditional & authentic. you realize that their recepie is different and that they are also using something different (maybe tamarind or some other unique ingredient; i have no idea). But this receipe isn’t it. For the right taste, ingredients are everything. For example, Chinese Jamaicans use soy sauce, but i can gurantee that they are not using Kikkoman regular or lite soy sauce. most Jamaica do not even use soy sauce in authentic jerk. If u feel your marinade is to salty, add some now sugar or vinegar. either way, I wish I could find a truly famous authentic jerk receipe.. ps, i believe fresh pigment seed and great young pimento leaves and yellow (little pumpkin looking) scotch bonnets (and green scotch connects) are an absolute MUST). I hope someone can add something vauluable. Your hopeless Jerk, David : )
hey Christo ,how come it took so long to put this up, this is the ducks nuts!!! unreal
Gorgeous! I now live in New Zealand, where they don’t have jerk marinades or scotch bonnets! so had to use Thai hot chiles instead…. But it was still delicious! My kiwi husband had never had anything like a jerk sauce…. I used it on a pork loin and some grilled pineapple for a salad. Thank you so much for the recipe. I’ve added it to my favorites.
this marinade is AWESOME!!!! I've tried it and my Husband loved it and my 2 girls 8 and 3, thanks for sharing I love your food and will be back to this site often.
thanks for the recipe i am wondering how long this marinade will stay in the fridge before developing a distasteful taste? I have it made and will be waiting to thaw out my chicken then apply the marinade this evening to sit for 6 hours … does that sound ok? or should i use it within the next 12 hours? thanks so much
My husband asked me to make "something Caribbean" this week, and I stumbled upon your site. You have so many awesome recipes! I decided to try something 'safe' like jerk pork for the first time trying Caribbean cooking and this absolutely did not disappoint! My husband and I devoured it and our exchange student from China thought it was amazing! Then, my twin 22 month olds BOTH ate it AND asked for seconds! This never happens! so thanks for a great meal that the entire family loved!
im going to give this a whirl tomoz
This was absolutely delicious!! The entire family loved it…they loved the flavors so much that now they want me to make jerk chicken wontons!!! lol…..gonna make them tonight 🙂
This recipe looks so yummy! I've never had jerk chicken so I'm quite anxious to try it. I think I'll use the full marinade recipe (3 cups) on two whole chickens (cut up). Hope it works out well 🙂
I just tried this today for the first time . I ‘m sensitive to salt so I find the soy sauce a little overpowering. Has anyone tried this without the soy sauce? Was it good?
Why not just try low sodium soy sauce? Just an idea, hope it helps.
This recipe was absolutely the BOMB! Terrific; I made it for a huge gathering of people (toned down the hot; put it had a KICK!); they loved it and I made a hotter batch for myself as well as passing your site on to both my sisters. I'll look out for more recipes.
Thanks for the recipe; however, my years in Jamaica and being married to a Jamaican I don’t remember the jerk seasoning quite so liquidy. Nor as sweet as yours…usually is a bit thicker and much more peppery. This is a nice variation from the traditional one though. Thanks for the recipe.
they dont have scotch bonnet peppers at my local fry's can I use Habanero?
oh yes; that is what I used. There was a "pepper" guide at the grocers that said scotch bonnets were comparable to habaneros.
Asain supermarkets usually carry scotch bonnet peppers – they have a very distinct taste that isn't found in any other hot pepper. They are a must for real jerk flavour!
I returned to my fave inn in Jamaica after ~10 years and they no longer barbecue authentic jerk–they use a canned sauce and add it afterward to the chicken, and no more pork. So I told my boyfriend I'd look it up and make it right at home. Your recipe worked great!!! Thanks!
Hi Chris,
I must let you know that the Jerk Chicken I made this evening came out perfect. I also made the Bajan Rice and Peas and a Cole Slaw to go with it. My Dinner couldn't be any better! Thanks again for the recipes.
Hi Chris,
I must say that Ms Angela is an idiot and have no manners whatsoever. She should be very grateful for the wonderful recipes that you're giving us. I came here to get that recipe today because I'm going to make Jerk Chicken, Bajan Rice and Peas and a lovely Cole Slaw. Thanks again for all your great recipes Chris, God bless!
Great recipes!!! Whenever I cook, I alwz look at ur recipes first. They’re gr8! Especially wit that trini flavor combination. Keep up d good work! I depend on u wen I cook!
YUM YUM!!
I’m going to try this with beef. I’ll keep you posted.I cant wait
mine came out brownish yellow (kinda like curry)??
Did you forget or measure short on the soy sauce?_
If you add a little bit of Browning liquid to the marinade you'll get it darker. If you've not seen this before a lot of stores that stock Caribbean ingredients will have it as it is used quite a bit for getting meat that dark colour; it's flavourless and works just like food colouring. Beware though as a little of this stuff goes a long way. Add too much and your marinade will come out almost black (but it'll still be super tasty!)
Um, does anyone know how to print a recipe?
ate this last night and it was amazing, so moreish. I completely forgot to add the orange juice to the marinade, but then just squeezed some over the chicken just before putting it in the oven and it still came out great. definate standby recipe.
Gracias Christ, tu eres el mejor!!!!!!
This recipe is terrific, I love it. Thanks so much. I told my brother about this recipe and he can’t get enough either. Thanks again.
HOW COME HERE THE MARINADE LOOKS BROWN AND ON THE OTHE RPAGE ITS BRIGHT RED THE FUCK. THE COLOR IS THE ONLY THING THAT BROUGHT ME HERE SO…
Lovely use of language ms. The final color you see is after it's been in the oven. Take a look at the ingredients of this and/or any jerk marinade and tell me where the 'red" would come from. That's the natural color after roasting in the oven..
WOW!!! Angela! What's with the hatin'? What's with the language?
Is your vocabulary so poor that you have to use such language?
Ah! I thinks it's the scallions! Don't blend the scallions — they bitter the marinade right up… just chop them and fold them into the other blended ingredients…
Do you use the stalks of the fresh thyme? My marinade is coming out heaps bitter…
I think it is the allspice. Mine came out bitter too but still good. Better than store bought with a bitter aftertaste.
I will try out some of your ideas and recipes…stay tuned! "One Dish One Love" Las Vegas!
Yum looks good!
I am definately going to try this recipe for the Jerk Marinade and when I do I will get back to you . Smile
man i am so grreatful for this recipe. what is in the supermarket has msg. i prefer the local touch. Thanks fior the recipe .
FYI You should of taken of skinned ur chicken!
Ha ha. I have just served this up to my daughter and she devoured it and wants seconds. She said "No offence dad but it tastes nothing like the Jerk that we buy in our favourite takeaway but it is still delicious" I will work on it and tweak until I come to the taste that suits me.
Can hardly wait to see your Ultimate Oven Jerk Chicken Recipe – please post it SOON!!!!!
Jum ah thought ,pimento is the secret ,according to the youtube vid .
his name is bobby flay eh plz don't go callin d man bobby flaw keep up th great recipes btw!!!!!!
Very similar to my recipe but I use a lot more scotch bonnets =0