Jamaican Jerk Sauce is a spicy sauce that can be used as a marinade or to spice up any dish. If you want to bring a taste of the islands to your dish, this recipe is a must try!
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In my journey to cook food from countries around the world, hardly ANY country has gathered more collective attention than when I cooked Jamaica.
Jamaicans are proud of their Jamaican cuisine, and they love to show it! And there’s a good reason why. Every dish I made from Jamaica, from Ackee and Saltfish to this Jamaican Sweet Potato Recipe to my Jamaican Curry Chicken, were full of unique cooking techniques and blends that make the flavors soar!
I can’t wait for you to try this Jamaican Jerk Sauce! I have tested it a few times now, and finally have the flavors perfect for you to make this recipe at home. Luckily, I had help from a local Jamaican friend,Deepeeter from @cultureful_catering and Cultureful Treats, who helped me make sure that this recipe was perfectly authentic for you all to make!
What is Jamaican Jerk Sauce?
Jamaican Jerk Sauce is a staple in Jamaican cuisine. It is spicy, with hints of sweet and salty. This unique mixture of scotch bonnet peppers, pimento, garlic cloves, peppers, soy sauce and onions is so authentically Jamaican it is often considered Jamaica in a bottle.
It’s more than just a marinade for chicken breast or your choice of meat. A spoonful of Jamaican Jerk Marinade can be used to add flavor to vegetables, tofu, quinoa, Jamaican rice, or even as a spread on sandwiches.
If you are a fan of spicy food and bold flavors, you cannot go wrong with making up a big bowl of this Jamaican Jerk Sauce recipe. Once your taste buds give these complex flavors a try, you’ll understand why it has become a favorite dish across the islands.
Ingredients to Make Jamaican Jerk Sauce
Ingredients
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Fresh Thyme: If you need to substitute dried thyme, be sure to use a bit less than the recipe calls for.
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper: I only used one but you can add more if you like extra spice. You could also use habanero peppers if you cannot find scotch bonnet peppers. Make sure to read this article on Scotch Bonnet vs Habaneros to learn how it will change your recipe.
- Onions: Use yellow onions but you can sub white if necessary. You will also need green onions.
- Garlic
- All Purpose Chicken Seasoning
- Bell Pepper
- Scallions
- Allspice/Pimento Berries: This ingredient goes by different names in Jamaica vs the United States. In Jamaica, the key ingredient in jerk is referred to as pimento. However, if you are shopping in the US, you should buy “allspice”. They mean the same thing.
- Salt
- Soy Sauce: This ingredient isn’t used by everyone that makes jerk sauce, though it can be common in Jamaican-American homes. Many Jamaicans will use an ingredient called “Browning” to achieve a similar effect.
- Ginger
- Water: You can omit this if you want a “sauce” to dip your chicken in instead of a marinade.
Tools
- Food Processor
Adaptations
Not everyone makes their jerk sauce exactly the same. In fact, there are SO many ways that teach How to Make Jamaican Jerk Sauce. Check out these adaptations below. If your family does anything different, feel free to leave me a comment on this post so I can add it to the list!
- Thicker Sauce: If you want a thicker sauce, reduce or omit the water. This texture is good for a marinade for jerk chicken, but reducing the water will make it more of a dry rub texture.
- Omit the Lime Juice: The lime juice is optional. Some chefs like to add a little bit of orange juice or pineapple juice for a little extra island flavor. You could substitute the lime juice with either of these.
- Adjust the Seasonings: The chicken seasoning added into the sauce is optional as well depending on what you are using the sauce for. If you are making jerk chicken, you can omit the seasoning from the sauce and instead sprinkle it directly on the chicken.
How to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Blend it up
Add all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor.
Put the lid on the food processor and run to combine, until the marinade is smooth.
Working with Scotch Bonnet Peppers
Here are some tips about working with Scotch Bonnet Peppers to keep in mind:
- Use Caution!: Be careful when working with Scotch Bonnet peppers as they are very hot. Use proper care when cutting scotch bonnets. Wear gloves, as these spicy peppers may leave a burning feeling behind if they touch your skin. If you forget to wear gloves while working with your scotch bonnets, do not touch your eyes or face as they will burn for hours. Also use caution when you are blending and when you open your food processor after processing the jerk sauce. Opening my food processors after making the sauce made me cough quite a bit!
- For More Spice: If you like a spicier jerk sauce, feel free to add as many scotch bonnet peppers as you want for heat. You might decide you want to use just one the first time and as more as you go to adjust the heat level.
- For a More Mild Version: Use only a single scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, or even half of one if you prefer.
Expert Tips `
- Some recipes call for sauteing or simmering their jerk sauce. I do not do this, but feel free to try it out if you’d like!
- Use a high powered blender that will get your jerk blend very smooth.
- Fresh ingredients do make a difference! If possible, use fresh herbs and spices.
- The longer your jerk sauce sits, the more flavor it will develop! Try making it a day ahead of time for ultimate flavor.
How to Use Jerk Sauce
Jerk Sauce can be used in so many different ways. The obvious Jerk Chicken is a must, but the options of how else to use this blend are endless. Try out any of these options:
- Jerk Chicken
- Marinade for other meats or vegetables
- Adding flavor to rice
- A spread on your sandwich
- Burgers
- Tacos
- This list of What to Eat with Jerk Chicken will give you some great ideas!
FAQs
Yes, your Jerk sauce can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight jar or container for several days. The flavors of the sauce may become stronger if it has time to sit, even until the next day. If you don’t need to use it right away, let it rest in the refrigerator overnight.
Jerk Sauce and Jerk Seasoning have very similar flavor profiles, but they are used in different situations. Jerk Sauce is a wet marinade made using soy sauce, water, etc. This is great for if you need to soak meat or vegetables in a liquid marinade before cooking.
Jerk Seasoning is a dry rub blend that is made using dry spices. This is best for sprinkling on meat or vegetables before cooking.
At first I had a hard time figuring out the difference between Jerk Sauce and Jerk Marinade. While the words are used interchangeably sometimes, the addition of water makes this Jerk Sauce closer to a Jerk Marinade. However, simply omit the water and you have a perfect jerk sauce ready for dipping your Jerk Chicken Recipe in!
Did you enjoy this article on How to Make Jamaican Jerk Sauce? If so, check out these other posts I picked out just for you:
If you tried this Jerk Sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Jamaican Jerk Sauce
Equipment
- Food Processor
- Citrus Juicer
Ingredients
- 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, more to taste
- 2 small yellow onions, or 1 medium one
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp all purpose chicken seasoning
- ½ orange bell pepper
- 2 scallions
- 1 tbsp allspice, or pimento berries
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp lime juice, optional
- 6 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 inch ginger, piece of
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Add all of the marinade ingredients in a food processor. Put the lid on the food processor and run to combine, until the marinade is smooth.
- The water added makes this a marinade instead of a sauce. If you would like a smooth sauce consistency, reduce the water to 2 tbsp + add 2 tbsp white vinegar. Blend to make a sauce.
Video
Notes
- Fresh Thyme: If you need to substitute dried thyme, be sure to use a bit less than the recipe calls for
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper: I only used one but you can add more if you like extra spice. You could also use habanero peppers if you cannot find scotch bonnet peppers
- Onions: Use yellow onions but you can sub white if necessary. You will also need green onions.
- Allspice/Pimento Berries: This ingredient goes by different names in Jamaica vs the United States. In Jamaica, the key ingredient in jerk is referred to as pimento. However, if you are shopping in the US, you should buy “allspice”. They mean the same thing.
- Soy Sauce: This ingredient isn’t used by everyone that makes jerk sauce, though it can be common in Jamaican-American homes. Many Jamaicans will use an ingredient called “Browning” to achieve a similar effect.
- Some recipes call for sauteing or simmering their jerk sauce. I do not do this, but feel free to try it out if you’d like!
- Use a high powered blender that will get your jerk blend very smooth.
- Fresh ingredients do make a difference! If possible, use fresh herbs and spices.
Damini says
Looks and seems like a flawless work to me Alexandria. Love from Jamaica for this.
Alexandria Drzazgowski says
Thank you Damini, I am always happy when a local from the country I am cooking tells me it is done perfectly! Your feedback means a lot 🙂 Have a great day!