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Home » Jerk Marinade - Bold Jamaican Flavor

Jerk Marinade - Bold Jamaican Flavor

by Mike Hultquist · Apr 29, 2019 · 38 Comments

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Get a blast of Caribbean flavor with this Jamaican jerk marinade recipe made with fiery scotch bonnet peppers and a blend of piquant seasonings.

Jerk Marinade Recipe

When it comes to flavors of the Caribbean, Jamaica brings it. Jamaican cuisine is filled with so many wonderful and piquant spices that combine to make big and bold dishes.

And the chili peppers! Jamaicans love their scotch bonnet peppers, which offer a spicy heat on the same level as the habanero pepper. It's definitely a cuisine to satisfy the cravings of my spicy food loving friends. Which is a big reason I love it so much.

Spicy and big on flavor.

This particular recipe encapsulates everything that Caribbean flavor is about. We're talking Jerk Marinade, my friends, and it's absolutely in your spicy food loving wheelhouse. It's super easy to make. I love easy.

Let's discuss!

The Benefits of a Good Marinade

Marinating is all about building flavor. A good marinade, such as this popular Jamaica jerk marinade, will add flavor above and beyond the food you are marinating. It also helps to add moisture as well as tenderize tough cuts of meat.

Popular foods for marinades include thin cuts of steak, pork, chicken, and many seafood items. You don't need to limit yourself to marinating only meats, however. Vegetables can also benefit from a flavorful marinade.

Plus, many marinades can be turned into a sauce to finish your meal, though it is important that you do not try to make a sauce out of USED marinade. To make a sauce, take half of your unused remaining marinade and heat it in a pan. Bring it to a quick boil, then simmer it until it reduces to your preferred thickness.

Once your meal is done, use this sauce as an additional flavor enhancer.

You'll see that this jerk marinade is, in fact, very similar to this Jamaican Jerk Sauce Recipe.

What Ingredients Are in Jerk Marinade?

Jerk Marinade Ingredients

  • Scotch Bonnet peppers
  • Red onion
  • Garlic
  • Scallions 
  • Soy sauce
  • Vinegar
  • Olive oil
  • Orange juice
  • Lime juice
  • Ginger
  • Brown sugar
  • Nutmeg
  • Allspice
  • Cinnamon
  • Thyme
  • Salt and pepper

There are other possible ingredients and variations, of course, depending on the cook. These are my preferred ingredients.

How to Make Jerk Marinade

Add all of the ingredients to a food processor or blender.

Jerk Marinade Ingredients in a food processor

Process until smooth.

Jerk Marinade processed in a food processor

Use immediately to marinate your chicken, pork, seafood or vegetables.

Jerk seasoning is essential to making a great Jamaican jerk chicken, so be sure to keep this recipe in your back pocket, my friends.

Jerk Chicken marinating in a bowl

How to Use Jerk Marinade

To use the marinade, simply toss your meat or vegetables with the jerk marinade to cover as much of it as possible. It is best to coat the food completely. Cover and refrigerate to let the flavors permeate.

Marinating time will vary based on what you are marinating. Light seafood such as flaky white fish or shrimp, and most vegetables, will only need 1 hour or less to benefit from the marinade flavor. Tougher cuts of meat will need several hours and can even be left overnight to optimize flavor.

Making Jerk Chicken

Use this marinade to make the popular jerk chicken by rubbing down and submerging the chicken in your jerk marinade. Get as much of the chicken covered as possible. Keep it in a large bowl or a plastic bag.

Cover and refrigerate the chicken for at least 4 hours, though overnight is best for maximum flavor. You can use any type of chicken for this, either bone-in or boneless chicken.

When you're ready to cook, remove the chicken and discard the marinade. Then, cook the chicken through either on the grill or in the oven per your recipe.

Jerk Chicken Recipe

Try this Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe.

WHY IS IT CALLED “JERK”?

Jerk refers to the style of original Jamaican cooking. It is the process of poking holes into meat so it can be permeated with more flavor. This is called “jerking”.

“Jerk” became associated with the particular spice rub used to spice up those meats, and the name stands today. Jerk can refer to jerk spice blends, jerk marinade, and the cooking technique in general.

Recipe Tips

  • If you are unable to find scotch bonnet peppers, use habanero peppers instead.
  • If you prefer a milder jerk marinade, dial back on the scotch bonnet peppers, or core them out and remove the innards.
  • Wear gloves when handling hot chili peppers to avoid the dreaded chili pepper skin burn from the oils. If you do experience burning skin, see How to Stop the Chili Pepper Burn.

Try Some of These Other Marinades

  • Spicy BBQ Chicken Marinade
  • Jacked Up Steak Marinade
  • London Broil Marinade
  • Sweet and Spicy Teriyaki Marinade
  • Carne Asada Marinade
  • Zingy Pork Chop Marinade
  • Pork Tenderloin Marinade
  • Shrimp Marinade

Try Some of My Other Jamaican Recipes

  • Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
  • Jamaican Jerk Sauce
  • Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe
  • Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings
  • Jerk Salmon
  • Jerk Rubbed Grilled Corn on the Cob
  • Jamaican Curry Powder
  • Jamaican Rice and Peas

Jerk Marinade Recipe

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't
forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Jerk Marinade Recipe
Print

Jamaican Jerk Marinade Recipe

Get a blast of Caribbean flavor with this Jamaican jerk marinade recipe made with fiery scotch bonnet peppers and a blend of piquant seasonings.
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course, sauce
Cuisine: American
Keyword: jamaican, marinade, scotch bonnet, spicy
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 1 minute
Total Time: 11 minutes
Calories: 63kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 8
Tap or hover to scale
5 from 13 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 (use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to your preference)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Juice from 1 large orange about ¾ cup (orange juice)
  • Juice from half a lime lime juice
  • 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.
  • Use immediately to marinate your chicken, pork, seafood or vegetables.

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
Jerk Marinade 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.

Categories: Jamaican Tags: Chili Pepper Madness, chili pepper recipe, jamaican, scotch bonnet

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Sharpie says

    December 28, 2022 at 9:54 am

    5 stars
    great recipe so easy to follow and full of flavour so much better than the jar stuff worth the effort

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      December 28, 2022 at 12:13 pm

      Nice! Great to hear, Sharpie! Glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  2. Dean says

    October 25, 2022 at 6:43 pm

    This is a great recipe.
    I used brown sugar and i find it a little sweet. Next time I
    will try honey. Any thoughts?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      October 26, 2022 at 2:59 pm

      Honey is a GREAT addition for this! Absolutely.

      Reply
  3. Michele Thorsen says

    September 17, 2022 at 4:28 pm

    5 stars
    So good,it has a nice fresh flavor. I'll never used botted again.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      September 17, 2022 at 10:28 pm

      Thanks, Michele. Glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  4. Russ says

    August 23, 2022 at 5:36 pm

    5 stars
    Would there be any reason this couldn't be "canned" via the hot bath method for long term preservation?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      August 24, 2022 at 8:08 am

      You might can this, but make sure the acidity is 3.5 pH or lower.

      Reply
  5. Stephen rich says

    July 29, 2022 at 10:18 am

    5 stars
    I've just made a batch of this and had a finger taste, it is absolutely bangin, so much better than wet marinade out of the jar it's delicious I stuck to the recipe but used two chocolate habaneros a peach habenero and a red one, I've yet to try it on the chicken as its marinating for tomorrow and will be done on the barbecue, I can't wait

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 29, 2022 at 10:55 am

      Awesome, Stephen! Very happy you enjoy it!

      Reply
  6. Regina says

    July 09, 2022 at 11:21 am

    I made the marinade, but didn’t read all the way through. I wish I would have because I would’ve pricked the chicken with a fork so the seasoning could really get down in there. Hopefully it will still be flavorful. Thanks for sharing it really taste good and spicy. I used Serrano peppers! I plan to bake in oven and enjoy with some traditional peas and rice with cucumbers and tomato salad.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 10, 2022 at 1:00 pm

      Thanks, Regina! Next time you make it, you can prick the chicken a bit, but all good!

      Reply
  7. Amanda says

    November 16, 2021 at 3:30 am

    5 stars
    This is absolutely amazing and so simple! I marinated tinned jackfruit for 24hours then cooked on high heat in a cast iron pan. Served in steamed bao buns with carrot, cucumber, spring onion, coriander and kewpie mayo. I will definitely make this marinade time and time again. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      November 16, 2021 at 6:35 am

      Sounds wonderful, Amanda!

      Reply
  8. Alex Roberts says

    November 03, 2021 at 10:39 am

    Turned out great . I have made this multiple times now . I use 12 scotch bonnets and make a double batch . Free the unused marinade in portions . Lovely

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      November 03, 2021 at 11:22 am

      Excellent! Thanks, Alex! Glad you enjoyed it. =)

      Reply
  9. Jessi Dalton says

    January 25, 2021 at 12:48 pm

    5 stars
    My partner and I made this marinade and it was amazing!! We used 4 red habanero peppers (they were extra hot) and after tasting the final product we added about 2 tbsp of brown sugar since he likes sweet heat. I was able to marinade a whole spatchcocked chicken and 12 wings in a gallon ziplock and still reserve about 1/2-3/4 cup of the marinade. I marinated the chicken for 2 days, turning it and massaging the marinade into it several times. I took the remaining marinade and heated it up and added a cornstarch slurry to turn it into a thicker sauce. We have tried a ton of jerk recipes in the past 5 years. This is the best jerk recipe to date!!! We are pretty sure we would have to get on a plane to get better Jamaican jerk chicken. Thanks for this awesome recipe!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 25, 2021 at 2:02 pm

      Sounds outstanding, Jessi! I love it. Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  10. Alex Roberts says

    January 11, 2021 at 4:04 am

    Could you freeze this if you were keeping longer than a week ?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 11, 2021 at 7:17 am

      Alex, yes, you can freeze this marinade. Let me know how it turns out for you. Enjoy!

      Reply
  11. Cris says

    September 24, 2020 at 11:30 am

    Is there enough acid in this recipe to put in a jar and can it?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      September 24, 2020 at 1:16 pm

      Cris, you might need to add vinegar to get the pH down to 3.5 or lower for home canning/jarring, unless you use a pressure canner.

      Reply
  12. Alan Marshall says

    August 19, 2020 at 1:17 pm

    I want to make your jerk seasoning recipe and then use it on some of your recipes. But no where on your site do you talk about how much of the dry jerk season to use in place of making a marinade. Also do you still add all the "wet" stuff such as green onion, orange and lime juice etc? Or do I just assume to omit all the dry goods in your recipes and add a couple of tablespoons of the dry jerk mix to any recipe? Please help and thanks in advance. Alan

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      August 25, 2020 at 7:09 am

      Alan, you really can do both ways, if you'd like. You can keep it simple and use a couple tablespoons of jerk seasoning (or more) mixed with vinegar, water, citrus, whatever liquid you'd prefer, then marinate. You can also include some other "wet" stuff, such as pureed onion, garlic, peppers, for additional flavor. I hope this helps.

      Reply
  13. Angie Wilson says

    August 15, 2020 at 10:21 am

    5 stars
    Wow! I love the flavor here. Years ago I was given a jar of Jerk Seasoning from a Jamaican friend who imported it. I was so hooked but after I used the whole jar I searched and searched for a recipe that brought me those flavors to no avail! I found this recipe the other day and very glad I did! Jerk shrimp on the Barbie today!!! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      August 15, 2020 at 11:48 am

      Excellent, Angie! Glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  14. Saeeda says

    August 06, 2020 at 1:04 pm

    5 stars
    this recipe is so flavoursome. I used it for chicken quarters with skin on. I let it marinate overnight in the fridge .Then cooked it in the oven and grilled for last 5 mins. Nice n juicy inside n crispy skin. Yummiest.please advise how long this marinade can keep in fridge our outside in a glass jar. I would love to make a big batch x

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      August 06, 2020 at 2:47 pm

      Excellent, Saeeda! Glad you enjoyed it. The marinade should last easily a week, though is best refrigerated.

      Reply
  15. Sharon says

    May 18, 2020 at 12:47 pm

    5 stars
    Used this recipe for chicken last month. Nice, bold flavors. My son really enjoyed. Substituted habanero for the scotch bonnet. I will definitely make again. Thanks

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      May 18, 2020 at 1:08 pm

      Thanks, Sharon! Glad to hear it! Super happy you and your son enjoyed it.

      Reply
  16. Steve Kovacs says

    March 23, 2020 at 10:35 am

    5 stars
    Works great as a marinade or toss the chicken after grilling. I think next time I'm going to use dried habeneros of which I have an abundance!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      March 23, 2020 at 10:58 am

      Thanks, Steve! Dried habaneros would be PERFECT here. Bring up the heat!

      Reply
  17. Si says

    February 02, 2020 at 2:41 pm

    5 stars
    Awesome recipe, thank you. Cooked jerk pork tonight using this marinade recipe as a guide. My partner (first generation London/Jamaican) said it was as good as her mums’ jerk pork.... can’t get better praise than that!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      February 02, 2020 at 3:16 pm

      Thanks, Si. WOW! That is HIGH PRAISE indeed! Very happy you enjoyed it.

      Reply
  18. Zara says

    January 03, 2020 at 5:46 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe I love it
    Put the zest of the lime and orange and it works beautifully !

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      January 04, 2020 at 9:44 am

      A perfect addition! Glad you enjoyed it, Zara.

      Reply
  19. Danny says

    May 02, 2019 at 5:21 pm

    5 stars
    Thank you. Great recipe used it on chicken thighs turned out perfect. Love the website everything i need to know about chillies is here. I am growing some cayenne chillies this year all coming on well however england isnt the greatest place to cultivate!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      May 02, 2019 at 10:56 pm

      Excellent, Danny! I appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed it.

      Reply

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