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Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning is a traditional Jamaican recipe for a classic smoky spice blend that's an essential component of Jamaican jerked meat or vegetables. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Jamaican version of: Jamaican Jerk Seasoning.

prep time

5 minutes

cook time

5 minutes

Total Time:

10 minutes

Makes:

1 small jar

Rating:

Tags : CurryVegetarian RecipesSpice RecipesHerb RecipesJamaica Recipes

This is the classic Jamaican spice blend and should contain allspice (pimenton) and dried hot chillies (Scotch Bonnet and/or habanero to be authentic).

In terms of the origin of the word, Jerking is a traditional Jamaican way of spicing or marinading meat (depending on whether you are using a dry or ‘wet’ mix) prior to cooking. Originally the process of ‘jerking’ was that of poking holes in the meat so that the marinade could penetrate further, providing more flavour to the meat. Eventually the term ‘jerk’ came to refer to the particular spice/marinade blend that was typically used for the meat (always containing hot chillies and the native allspice [pimenton] berry).

We grow our own Scotch Bonnet chillies, based on a very hot but flavoursome Cote d’Ivoire pepper. However, in KwaZulu-Natal the typical hot chilli is the habanero, as the waxy skin performs better in the humid climate. I dry these and make my own single varietal hot chilli powder from them. I love allspice, so the quantity here may be greater than in other blend. I also like a smoky note to my jerk seasoning. That way I get a barbecue flavour without the barbecue. As a result, my jerk spice blend contains smoked chipotle flakes as well as smoked paprika.

Recently I was able to procure some ghost chilli powder (bhut jolokia). I normally add a pinch of this to the ingredients below to lift both the heat and the flavour.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp garlic powder
4 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tsp sea salt
4 tsp ground black pepper
4 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried sage
3 tsp demerara sugar
3 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp smoked chipotle flakes
1 tsp Scotch Bonnet or Habanero powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground cumin

Method:

Simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl, mix well then store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.

If you want to make a quick marinade from the spice blend above then add 3 tbsp of the spice blend in a blender with the juice of 1 orange and 1 lime, 1 small onion, chopped, 3 garlic cloves and 2 chillies of your choice. Pour over your meat of choice (chicken, pork and fish, typically) marinade and then cook.