Get a blast of Caribbean flavor with this Jamaican jerk marinade recipe made with fiery scotch bonnet peppers and a blend of piquant seasonings.
Jamaican 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?
- 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.
Process until smooth.
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.
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 this popular Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe 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.
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 & Notes
- 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 My Other Jamaican Recipes
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.
Jamaican Jerk Marinade Recipe
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
Nutrition Information
Christopher David says
trying this tonight to marinate chicken to cook in a day. I doubled and cam out a little thin. is the marinade thinner more than thicker?
Mike Hultquist says
It can be a bit thin, Christopher. You will still get great flavor from marinating. You can strain a bit if needed if you prefer a thicker marinade. I hope you enjoy it!
Chris says
I have been making Jerk marinade for years using a recipe i got from a Jamaican lady, but i'm curious to try your version to try something different, and find out which one i prefer.
I usually make large batches which i then freeze in 1 cup portions. Could you indicate approximately how much your posted recipe yields in volume?
Mike Hultquist says
Chris, this should make about 2+ cups, depending on the size of the veg. I hope you enjoy it.
Charles Pascual says
I've made this a few times now, exclusively on chicken - until last night (I didn't purposely restrict it to chicken - it just turned out that way). Last night, we had two nice snapper fillets, great grilling weather, and looking for a preparation idea. I remembered I had some extra marinade from what I made two weeks ago still in the fridge (so now we know it will keep that long). So, I brushed some on the fish while the grill was coming to temp and then basted the fillets with marinade each time I flipped them. Perfect! Thanks, Mike.
Mike Hultquist says
I love to hear it, Charles! Thanks so much!
john mcwilliams says
can this be frozen?
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, absolutely. Enjoy!
Tami Bishop says
So good, a little sweet for us….suggestions to cut it a bit? Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Tami, cut back on or omit the brown sugar.
Alex says
Lovely jerk marinade. Used it lots of times . I do a lage batch about 2 litres and freeze in 250/300 ml portions. 16 scotch bonnets went in the last one.
Mike H. says
Oh wow. That's amazing. Thanks for the review and enjoy!
Martin Schlining says
I had an abundance of habanero peppers from my garden. I made several batches of this marinade and canned them. It is the best tasting jerk marinade I’ve ever made.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Martin! Yes, great way to preserve them. I love to hear it.
Rodney says
How long can I marinate salmon in this recipe
Mike Hultquist says
1 hour is all you need, though you'll get good flavor penetration with 15-20 minutes. Enjoy!
Dee says
After use.. can & how long will leftover last jarred in the fridge?
Mike H. says
Dee, the marinade should last easily a week.
Dustin says
Quick clarifying question, the recipe calls for a red onion, but in the pictures it looks like you use a yellow onion. Can you clarify? Thank you!
Mike Hultquist says
You can use either, Dustin.
Dustin says
Thank you for the quick reply, Mike!