We have been asked so many times for a good recipe for Jerk seasoning that we had to give in. The video is shot in collaboration with dineoutemirates, a website that has lots of video reviews of restaurants in the UAE. Watch the video then see the recipe below. Here is how we do it fresh from our kitchen… may it bring the heat of the Caribbean to yours!
5 medium-large onions
4 cups chopped scallion/green onions
8 stalks fresh thyme
9 cloves of garlic
¼ cup allspice berries/Jamaican peppercorns or 1 ½ tsp ground allspice
2 scotch bonnet peppers /habaneros (without seeds to reduce heat)
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp black peppercorns or 1 tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp grated nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
½ cup cooking oil (a plain oil like sunflower or canola)
Method for Jerk Seasoning:
Roast allspice and black peppercorns in a dry frying pan. Start from a cold frying pan and toss around until the pan starts to smoke then remove it from heat.
Grind them in a spice grinder
Combine with all other dry spices and set aside
Pour oil in blender or food processor, as well as onions, thyme, garlic, ginger, scotch bonnet, and pulse until it purées. Add the dry spices and pulse until incorporated.
Pour purée into a bowl and fold in scallion/green onions with a spatula or spoon.
Will last in refrigerator for roughly 3-4 weeks in an air-tight container.
Method for Jerking: Use seasoning to heavily coat chicken/meat and marinate for about 24 hours. Traditionally used with pork in Jamaica. You may also use less for fish and other seafood.
When barbecuing on charcoal (best for the flavour), make certain coals are white before you begin. Put chicken on skin side down and remember to turn often and cook slowly because we do not want charred meat for dinner!
Traditionally, after cooking, we chop into small pieces.
CHEF’S NOTE: You do not want to blend the scallion/green onions because they will bitter the seasoning.
May the gods of good food and health watch you forever. This is like good gold to me as a Jamaican living in Indonesia. Will try it this weekend. Thanks a lot.
Mmmm I love jerk seasoning. I always cheat and use ketchup and Worcestershire sauce in mine for the sweet and salty bits. Will give yours a go!
Herbs, Spice, Pungent….Great nutritional value, i consume all those raw (diced) and grounded (pimento, corriander seeds etc.)….Keep the vibration high ok….
This sounds great. I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing.
Jamaican jerk seasoning is one of my all-time favorites. How some restaurants get the flavoring down to the bone – mmmmm. Thanks for the Foodbuzz add!
Mike, the secret is in the marination. Jamaicans marinate meats for at least 24 hours generally
And that is why we love bones… because even the bones become tasty because the marrow becomes infused with all that goodness 
Love this
I surely will like this the moment I saw allspice berries, scotch bonnet pepper, and nutmeg.
You are our kind of cook!
This looks like a fresh blend. Thank you for sharing!
It is! And you will never want for anything else!
Let the Jerk cooking begin! My husband is always looking for a seasoning blend like this one. Thanks!
I am so going to try this! Wish me luck. I’ve never tried anything like this before. I’ve always been intimidated because some of my favorite foods are Jerk inspired!
Cheers! Shannon
Thanks for sharing, this looks great!
Wow! We’ll be back in the Caribbean, when we make this. The Caribbean is our favorite place, but we have never made our own Jerk seasoning. Now we will. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh I LOVE Jamaican Jerk seasoning!! It’s seriously one of my favorites!
Loving it… Next is Jamaica fusion dishes!!
This is the perfect Jerk! Thanks for sharing!
Very good Lij & Kari. I did not know that cinamon nutmeg, sugar (“baking”) spices were in Jerk Seasoning!
and then bake it.
I will try it on fabricated chicken
Love ABH
Sounds perfect! My husband is on a quest to master the perfect jerk marinade…this sounds like it could be it!
I sent the link to a little Jamaican friend of mine now doing a teaching stint in France and this is her response: “thanks for this site, I’m sooo LOVING the recipees mmmmmmmmmmmm…..my cooking spirit is on HIGH now..uh oh :O”
She’s a little foodie pining for her homeland. Kari & Lij – keep it up. You got the goods! pun intended
KatG
This is so lovely to hear. Much love and niceness from our kitchen to hers!
Today I am cooking Jerk chicken, rice & peas (Jamaican with a twist of Trini style), festivals and salad. thanks for the tips on the sauce!
Cher
I just watched the video again and … I “MISS YOU!”. I know you going to say you’re rusty but the basics are there and you are a natural. Oh to find another Kari or another Yvonne. ‘sigh’
I just sent your link to another Foodie (in the US). Keep it up!
hi i’m in the airforce and have a family im always looking for great recipes and i came across this one i was thinking of trying this on chicken wings for the family and friends. do you think this will be a good mix for the wings or do you recommend a different jerk mix for chicken wings?
It is great for any part of the chicken
as well as meats.
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Last time I made jerk seasoning from scratch, I used molasses. I am always in search of the best recipes I can find and I like yours but I would rather use molasses because of its iron content (which I tend to run low in). If I substitute molasses instead of brown sugar, would I use the same amount? More? Less? I know this is late but I hope you will see this and reply.
Thanks.