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 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.
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 & 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.
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
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!
Pete says
My go to jerk marinade, love the bright flavours
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Pete!
lee says
i have not tried this recipe yet , i am looking for a good hot chilli marinade for an upcoming chilli chicken wing challenge for charity, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
Mike H. says
How about this one? Go gettem!
John Pizzi says
Used double the garlic and I added 2 Armageddon peppers I grew this year. Really, really good.
Mike Hultquist says
Outstanding! Nice and spicy!
Kent says
I just had this last night and was really good on the Traeger. My go to for Jerk marinade has always been the recipe from Food and Wine. It has the most 5 star reviews and it is very good too. The only problem with the.F&W recipe is that there is no ginger or OJ. This recipe seems more Caribbean and authentic.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Kent! Glad you like mine! I definitely prefer ginger and orange juice for extra flavor. =)
MintSauce says
An excellent recipe and one that I have used many times now for summer barbecues or just grilled/broiled indoors in colder months. Scotch bonnets are ideal for this but I initially substituted fresh chillies for a batch of homemade moruga sauce which worked perfectly.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much!
Sharpie says
great recipe so easy to follow and full of flavour so much better than the jar stuff worth the effort
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! Great to hear, Sharpie! Glad you enjoyed it.
Dean says
This is a great recipe.
I used brown sugar and i find it a little sweet. Next time I
will try honey. Any thoughts?
Mike Hultquist says
Honey is a GREAT addition for this! Absolutely.
Michele Thorsen says
So good,it has a nice fresh flavor. I'll never used botted again.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Michele. Glad you enjoyed it.
Russ says
Would there be any reason this couldn't be "canned" via the hot bath method for long term preservation?
Mike Hultquist says
You might can this, but make sure the acidity is 3.5 pH or lower.
Stephen rich says
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
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome, Stephen! Very happy you enjoy it!
Regina says
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.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Regina! Next time you make it, you can prick the chicken a bit, but all good!
Amanda says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds wonderful, Amanda!
Alex Roberts says
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
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent! Thanks, Alex! Glad you enjoyed it. =)
Jessi Dalton says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Sounds outstanding, Jessi! I love it. Glad you enjoyed it!
Alex Roberts says
Could you freeze this if you were keeping longer than a week ?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Alex, yes, you can freeze this marinade. Let me know how it turns out for you. Enjoy!
Cris says
Is there enough acid in this recipe to put in a jar and can it?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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.
Alan Marshall says
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
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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.
Angie Wilson says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Angie! Glad you enjoyed it!
Saeeda says
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
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Saeeda! Glad you enjoyed it. The marinade should last easily a week, though is best refrigerated.
Sharon says
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
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Sharon! Glad to hear it! Super happy you and your son enjoyed it.
Steve Kovacs says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Steve! Dried habaneros would be PERFECT here. Bring up the heat!
Si says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Si. WOW! That is HIGH PRAISE indeed! Very happy you enjoyed it.
Zara says
Thank you for this recipe I love it
Put the zest of the lime and orange and it works beautifully !
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
A perfect addition! Glad you enjoyed it, Zara.
Danny says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Danny! I appreciate it. Glad you enjoyed it.