Turn up the heat with this fiery homemade Jerk Marinade! Made with fresh ingredients, it delivers bold flavors balanced with warming spices and everyday pantry seasonings all in 10 minutes! Use this tasty marinade for chicken, shrimp, salmon, and more.
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If you're looking for a bold and tasty marinade for your protein, this jerk marinade won't disappoint! It is made by blending authentic Caribbean ingredients, such as scotch bonnets, spring onions, onions, garlic, and seasonings, with oil to create a thick and flavorful marinade. Not only is the marinade spicy, but it also has sweet notes thanks to the addition of nutmeg, sugar, and cinnamon. This marinade is bound to become a household favorite!
If you enjoy Caribbean cuisine, you'll love this Jamaican Rasta Pasta and Jerk Chicken Salad.
Why This Recipe Works
- This jerk marinade is rich with bold aromatic notes, making it the perfect option for infusing meats and seafood.
- It's easy to make and ready in just 10 minutes.
- You can easily tailor this jerk marinade to your taste by adjusting the ingredient amounts to suit your preferences, dialing up the heat, sweetness, or spice to your liking.
- Double or triple this recipe if you need to feed a larger crowd.
Jerk Marinade Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
- Thyme: Select fresh thyme sprigs or dried thyme for this recipe.
- Scotch bonnets: I use three scotch bonnets to make this jerk marinade nice and spicy, but feel free to add fewer for a milder heat.
- Garlic: Use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
- Ginger: Opt for fresh ginger or powdered ginger.
Tips and Substitutions
- Chicken pieces: For this jerk marinade recipe, I use chicken drumsticks and thighs to make Jerk Chicken because they soak up the marinade well. But feel free to use any cut of your preference, such as chicken fillets and wings.
- Texture: You have the option to blend the marinade until it is completely smooth or to leave it with a coarse texture.
- Brown sugar: If you don't have brown sugar to hand, you can swap it with honey instead.
- Add-ins: Feel free to add 1-2 tablespoons of browning to the jerk marinade to give the jerk marinade a deeper brown color and flavor.
How to Make Jerk Marinade
Step 1: Add onions, spring onions, scotch bonnets, garlic, nutmeg, cinnamon, brown sugar, ginger powder, soy sauce, lime, vinegar and olive oil to a blender or food processor.
Step 2: Blend until smooth.
Step 3: Use this jerk marinade for meat or seafood, or refrigerate for up to seven days in an air-tight container or glass jar. You may also enjoy these Spicy Suya Chicken Wings.
Recipe FAQs
Jerk marinade is a wet mixture, whereas jerk seasoning is a dry rub.
Jerk marinade recipes may differ; however, most marinades include scotch bonnets, onions, ginger, garlic, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, black pepper, and oil.
Store jerk marinade in a clean glass jar or an airtight container for up to a week. It can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to six months. Defrost it overnight in the fridge.
More Delicious Caribbean Recipes
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Jerk Marinade
Equipment
- Food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 3 sprigs of thyme or 2 tablespoon of dried thyme
- 3 spring onions
- 1 onion
- 1-3 Scotch bonnets
- 2 teaspoon of fresh ginger or ginger powder
- 1 tablespoon of soy sauce
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
- ½ lime juice
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar
- 1.5 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of black pepper
- ⅓ cup of olive oil
- 1 teaspoon of browning optional
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a food processor.
- Blend all of the ingredients until smooth.
- Use as desired!
Notes
- Marinade Texture: Blend the marinade until smooth for a smooth finish, or keep it slightly coarse for a textured kick. Both work well, it depends on your preference.
- Sweetener: A drizzle of honey makes a great substitute and adds a lovely depth of sweetness.
- Color: For a richer, darker marinade, stir in browning sauce. It deepens both the flavor and the look.
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