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Home » Recipes » Jamaican Jerk Sauce

Jamaican Jerk Sauce

by Mike Hultquist · Aug 25, 2023 · 73 Comments

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Jamaican Jerk Sauce Recipe

This Jamaican jerk sauce recipe is made with fiery Scotch Bonnet peppers, aromatics and spices, a must for spicy sauce lovers, great with chicken or shrimp! It's a flavor blast of the Caribbean!

Jamaican Jerk Sauce Recipe

Jamaican Jerk Sauce Recipe

We're working our way into Caribbean cuisine today, my spicy food loving friends. When it comes to spices and big flavors, the Caribbean has you covered, particularly Jamaica.

This part of the world doesn't shy away from cooking with spicy chili peppers, like the wonderfully fiery Scotch Bonnet pepper that rivals the habanero pepper in both heat and flavor.

With such a lush location and prime growing conditions, the freshest of the fresh ingredients are the norm, the hot peppers are abundant, and the spices are in bloom. I  greatly enjoy visiting the Caribbean just for the food.

Case in point - Jamaican Jerk Sauce. This is a recipe you'll like to print and keep in your back pocket for those moments when you want that flavor punch of the Caribbean.

It's a warming and rather fiery Caribbean jerk sauce, though it's also easy to customize to your own preferred levels. I'll discuss how you can do that below.

It's also key to Jamaican Jerk cooking.

What is Jerk Cooking?

Native to Jamaica, jerk cooking is a cooking method where meat is either marinated or dry-rubbed with a mixture of seasonings and ingredients referred to as Jamaican Jerk Spice. Jamaican jerk sauce is integral to authentic Jamaican jerk food.

Chicken or pork are the most common foods cooked this way, though it's great with seafood as well, just without any low and slow cooking.

Jerk sauce is so important to Jamaican cuisine that the Jamaican government wants to copyright the term "Jamaican Jerk". They say that "just as Mexico is known for its Tequila, and France for Champagne, Jamaican Jerk is protected internationally from misrepresentation."

I have my own personalized Jamaican jerk recipe that I'm sharing with you that includes a nice level of that heat and spice, as well as a number of other fresh ingredients and other components that make it one of my favorites. It's definitely the best.

For now, let's discuss how to make Jamaican jerk sauce, shall we?

Mike holding a bowl of Jamaican Jerk Sauce

Jamaican Jerk Sauce Ingredients

Jamaican jerk sauce consists of a number of ingredients that can vary from cook to cook. These are my preferred ingredients and ratios, with some ranges to consider depending on your personal tastes.

  • Scotch Bonnet Peppers. An important element for flavor and heat.
  • Other Vegetables. Red onion, garlic, scallions or green onions.
  • Liquids. Soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, olive oil. Pineapple juice is a popular addition I sometimes uses.
  • Spices. Ginger, brown sugar, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, thyme, salt and black pepper.

There are variations, of course, but these are the ingredients I use.

Jamaican Jerk Sauce ingredients

How to make Jamaican Jerk Sauce - the Recipe Method

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender - scotch bonnet peppers, red onion, garlic cloves, scallions,  soy sauce, vinegar, olive oi, lime juice, ginger, brown sugar, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, thyme, and salt and pepper. 

Blend until smooth, or until you achieve the consistency you desire.

Boom! That's it. Very easy, right? It's a great recipe. Jamaican jerk sauce is an easy recipe to make.

Use immediately.

Jamaican Jerk Sauce ready to serve

Storage and Leftovers

Store any leftover Jamaican jerk sauce in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Use within 2 weeks.

You can also freeze it in freezer containers for up to 6 months. I like to freeze it in smaller portions.

The Taste of Jamaican Jerk Sauce

This sauce is rather piquant and will certainly bring the spice. Aside from the obvious heat, the broad mixture of spices are fresh, so you'll get plenty of bite and fresh flavor.

It is quite herbal and notably Caribbean with the use of nutmeg, allspice and fiery scotch bonnets. You can cook the sauce to blend the flavors more, though they will be more mellow when merged.

Adjust Heat Factor & About the Peppers

This is a fairly hot sauce recipe. I rate it as medium-high because of the inclusion of the Scotch Bonnet peppers. Scotch Bonnet peppers offer quite a bit of heat. They range from 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU) which is anywhere from 12 to 140 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper.

Scotch Bonnet Chili Peppers

Use habanero peppers as a substitute.

If you'd like a milder version of this recipe, either reduce the amount of Scotch Bonnets used, or replace with with milder peppers. I think this is great with just about any aji chili peppers. Or, try it with the more commonly found milder banana peppers or any colorful sweet pepper.

Of course if you're looking for something even hotter and spicier, you can incorporate hotter peppers, like ghost peppers or the crazy wildly hot Carolina Reaper. Yes!

Or just add in some spicy chili flakes or powder to achieve the spice level you desire.

Safety When Handling Hot Peppers

When working with hot chili peppers, it is important to wear gloves when handling them both in raw and dried forms. The oils can get on your skin and cause burning sensations. 

Need help? How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn On Your Skin.

Also, the fumes from the chili peppers and/or the fine powders may get into the air if you are not working in a well ventilated room, so you may want to wear a mask and goggles. 

Grilled Jerk Chicken Wings Recipe

Serving Ideas for Jamaican Jerk Sauce

  • Slather this Jamaican jerk sauce on wings, or chicken of any type, pork, or seafood. Jamaican Jerk Chicken is an amazingly flavored dish, as are Jamaican Jerk Wings.
  • I love it slathered over shrimp or pretty much any whitefish. It's wonderful with mahi mahi or swordfish.
  • It's also an integral part of making a Jamaican Jerk Marinade with the addition of orange juice or pineapple juice.
  • Swirl it into soups or stews for a flavor blast. Mix it with sour cream or crema for a simple spicy dip. So many ways to use it.

That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy your jerk sauce! Keep it spicy for me! Let me know how it turns out for you.

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

  • Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
  • Caribbean Jerk Hot Sauce
  • Rasta Pasta
  • Jerk Rubbed Grilled Corn on the Cob
  • Jamaican Rice and Peas
Jamaican Jerk Sauce in a bowl, ready to serve

If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.

Jamaican Jerk Sauce Recipe
Print

Jamaican Jerk Sauce Recipe

This Jamaican jerk sauce recipe is made with fiery Scotch Bonnet peppers, aromatics and spices, a Caribbean flavor blast, great with chicken or shrimp! A must for spicy food lovers.
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course, sauce
Cuisine: American, Jamaican
Keyword: hot sauce, jamaican, sauce, scotch bonnet, spicy
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute minute
Total Time: 11 minutes minutes
Calories: 63kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 8
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 20 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 4-6 Scotch Bonnet peppers chopped
  • 1 small red onion chopped
  • 4-6 garlic cloves chopped
  • 4 stalks scallions end trimmed
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup vinegar (optional - use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, to your preference)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice from half a lime
  • 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme or use fresh, if available
  • Salt and pepper to taste I usually use 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon black pepper

Instructions

  • Add all of the ingredients to a food processor. Process until smooth, or until you achieve the consistency you desire.
  • Use immediately. Store the leftovers in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Video

Notes

Heat Level: Medium-Hot. You will get a good level of heat from Scotch Bonnets, which are very comparable to habanero peppers in both heat and flavor.
You can bring up the heat by incorporating more Scotch Bonnet peppers, or by using hotter peppers or chili flakes. Bring down the heat level by reducing the Scotch Bonnets, or by replacing them with milder peppers.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 63kcal   Carbohydrates: 6g   Protein: 1g   Fat: 3g   Sodium: 408mg   Potassium: 74mg   Sugar: 4g   Vitamin A: 105IU   Vitamin C: 9.8mg   Calcium: 21mg   Iron: 0.5mg
Jamaican Jerk Sauce Recipe
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 8/25/23 to include new information, photos, and video. It was originally published on 4/22/19.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Scott Dibble says

    May 16, 2025 at 3:12 pm

    5 stars
    Dude, I loved your TV show. It was very professional and you guys do fantastic work. I love this recipe blog I could spend all day every day twice on Sunday preparing all these recipes you put out there. I’ve been making them from time to time and they are fantastic man. I love the spices. I love the way you blend the spices together. I would’ve never guessed from watching your TV show that you were such a fantastic cook, but go ahead, brother. I’m glad I joined your community.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      May 16, 2025 at 3:45 pm

      Hey, Scott. What TV show? Do you mean my Youtube channel? I've had a number of comments where people say I look like someone else. Glad you're enjoying the recipes!

      Reply
  2. Holly says

    December 17, 2024 at 5:28 pm

    Hi there, I’m going to try this tomorrow on drumsticks. Would I baste them while cooking?

    Looks amazing

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      December 17, 2024 at 6:45 pm

      Thanks, Holly. You can follow my Jerk Chicken Recipe if you'd like: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/jamaican-jerk-chicken/. You CAN baste if that's what you're used to. I didn't with this recipe and it came our perfect for me!

      Reply
  3. Steve L says

    September 21, 2024 at 4:00 pm

    5 stars
    Initial foray. Didn’t include the brown sugar. Normally don’t but also didn’t have it on hand. Easy to make. Looks really good. Thanks.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      September 21, 2024 at 6:09 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it, Steve! Definitely customizable. I appreciate the comments!

      Reply
  4. Brenda B says

    July 14, 2024 at 2:51 pm

    5 stars
    closest I've come to the real thing, a wonderful recipe. Thankyou very very much!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 14, 2024 at 9:06 pm

      Awesome! Thanks, Brenda!

      Reply
  5. Rhonda Laird says

    May 19, 2024 at 11:56 am

    5 stars
    I am horrible at leaving comments after trying a recipe but THIS ONE!! This is so good. Flavorful and super easy to make. I have made it a bunch of times and we love it EXACTLY as written. I have tried several of your recipes and I always know they will be good. Keep them coming!!

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      May 19, 2024 at 5:03 pm

      Thank you for taking the time to leave this comment, Rhonda. I really appreciate it!

      Reply
  6. Steve says

    May 18, 2024 at 7:41 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you. Really nice recipe. Just like in yard. I used 4 “super hots” and is fiery—just like Jamaica!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      May 18, 2024 at 7:42 pm

      Boom! Thanks, Steve! Fire it up!

      Reply
  7. Brenda B says

    March 20, 2024 at 11:57 am

    5 stars
    I have made this sauce several times now, love it! I use this one both as a marinade and save some to use as a sauce. So far with chicken thighs. Beautiful, flavorful sauce that I'd been searching for.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      March 20, 2024 at 12:28 pm

      I appreciate the comments, Brenda! Glad you like it! I make this one often, as we both love it as well. Making jerk chicken again very soon!

      Reply
  8. Rhonda Laird says

    January 06, 2024 at 2:31 pm

    we have made this several times. it's great on chicken, pork or fish. I double the recipe so we can marinate it and use it as a sauce.

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      January 08, 2024 at 4:25 am

      Love hearing it, Rhonda - sounds great!

      Reply
  9. Neena Choeltte says

    December 09, 2023 at 12:53 pm

    The 1/4 cup vinegar/apple cider vinegar shows as optional here, do you add this in order to water-bath can the marinade?

    For your jerk sauce, the vinegar/apple cider vinegar does NOT show as optional.

    Why the difference between the 2 recipes?

    Thanks Mike - love your recipes!!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      December 09, 2023 at 1:12 pm

      Neena, they're super close to being the same, with the amount of liquid making them different. I like the flavor of the vinegar. I just had many requests for a marinade, I decided to make them 2 separate recipes to make them easier to find. I appreciate it.

      Reply
  10. Shawn says

    September 27, 2023 at 1:14 am

    Do you put it on the wings before or after they are cooked?

    Reply
  11. Alexandria Scott Kling says

    August 27, 2023 at 4:54 am

    5 stars
    OK,I have always just bought Jamaican jerk,and I must say that Scotch bonnet isn't the easiest ingredient to find in the middle of the Black Forest but........People,well worth it!
    As a vegan,probably tastes are even more important than for 'real people',if you know what.
    This takes a puppy to a whole different universe!
    Thankyou and take care...Alexandria
    Do you reckon it would be freezer friendly?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      August 27, 2023 at 8:53 am

      Thanks, Alexandria! Yes, this is definitely great for freezing.

      Reply
  12. Jim says

    August 25, 2023 at 4:04 pm

    I'd like to make this into a marinade, how much orange juice would you recommend?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      August 26, 2023 at 7:25 am

      Jim, use 3/4 cup. Check out my Jamaican Jerk Marinade Recipe here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/recipes/jerk-marinade/

      Reply
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