Get exported straight to the beach with this Jamaican Jerk Marinade! Loaded full of tropical flavors such as pineapple, lime and vibrant Jamaican Jerk seasoning. This is the perfect marinade to add fun flares of flavor to your chicken, pork, seafood, beef or vegetables!
What KJ Loves about this Recipe
Not to be biased, but this may be one of my favorite marinades! I love how easy it is to infuse such fun, tropical flavor into whatever I’m cooking. Marinate some chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or veggies and then toss them on the grill to get that wonderful char that accompanies the Jamaican Jerk flavors so well. It’s one of our favorite ways to amp up a weeknight meal!
Ingredients Needed
All you need is a few simple ingredients to bring this Jamaican Jerk Marinade to life:
- Pineapple juice – I love to buy it in this little cans because it’s perfectly portioned every time!
- Limes – adds a bright, acidic citrus flavor to the marinade. Fresh lime juice is preferred.
- Jamaican Jerk seasoning – store bought or a homemade blend can be used.
- Salt – easily adds loads of flavor to the marinade!
- Brown sugar – adds the perfect hint of caramel-y sweetness.
- Oil – use a light oil for this such as avocado oil or light olive oil.
How to Use Jamaican Jerk Marinade
After you have the marinade whipped up, there are endless ways that you can use it! From different meats, veggies, to different cooking applications. Let’s break down all the ways you can use this Jamaican Jerk Marinade:
Meats:
- Chicken: breasts, tenders, thighs, legs or a whole chicken! Marinate the chicken, or sauté it in the sauce! The marinated chicken is also perfect on the grill or roasted in the oven.
- Steak: skirt steak or flank steak love marinades! Grill or pan-sear it afterwards.
- Beef: roasts glazed and roasted in the marinade.
- Pork: pork chops, pork tenderloin or thinly sliced pork marinated and then sautéd or grilled.
- Seafood: shrimp, cod, salmon or halibut. Instead of marinating the seafood, sauté or glaze the seafood with the marinade while cooking!
Vegetables:
- Roasted or grilled vegetables: zucchini, broccoli, green beans, potatoes, carrots, onions, asparagus and more!
- Portabella mushrooms: glaze with the marinade before grilling.
Cooking Methods:
- Sauté – add the marinated meat into a large skillet and sauté, or don’t marinate the meat and use the marinade as a sauce that you pour into the skillet instead (use about half of the sauce).
- Grill – add the marinated meat or vegetables straight onto the grill, discarding the leftover marinade.
- Roast – add the marinated meat into a baking dish and roast, or don’t marinate the meat and use the marinade as a sauce that you pour over the meats/vegetables in the dish and roast instead.
- Slow Cooker – pour the marinade over the meat in the slow cooker and cook low and slow.This would be great with shredded pork or chicken.
- Smoke – add the marinated meat straight from the marinade on to the smoker, discarding the leftover marinade.
Marinade FAQ’s
How long should I marinate chicken or steak?
A general rule of thumb, don’t go over 24 hours. Anywhere from 1 hour to 8 hours is prime marinating time! Another thing to keep in mind is the toughness of the meat you are marinating. Chicken will marinate faster than a flank steak since it is not as dense and tough as a flank steak.
What do I do with the leftover marinade from the meat?
Unfortunately, it will need to be discarded. Since it has been infusing with the meat and vice versa, you don’t want to risk any cross-contamination issues.
How do I sauté with a marinade and use it as a sauce?
If you are wanting to use the marinade more as a sauce, then skip the whole marinating process. Here’s an example of how you can do this: cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders into 1-inch pieces, sauté the chicken until golden brown and then add in about half of the marinade to create a saucy, Jamaican Jerk chicken recipe. This application can be applied to shrimp, or thinly sliced pork and steak as well.
How long does the marinade last in the refrigerator?
Un-used marinade will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days in an air-tight container. The olive oil may harden and thats ok. Lightly shake it and bring it to room temperature to help this if necessary.
Looking for other Marinade Recipes? Check these out!
Tequila Lime Marinade
Honey Sesame Marinade
Fajita Marinade
Share the love!
If you make this recipe and love it as much as I do, I’d love to hear from you! Comment below, rate the recipe, or share a picture tagging @kjandcompany or using #kjandcompany so that I can see your fun pictures 🙂
Thanks for following and cooking along with me!
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FAQs
Blend green onions, peanut oil, vinegar, allspice, habanero chile peppers, ginger, garlic, lime juice, brown sugar, thyme, soy sauce, ketchup, peppercorns, and cinnamon in a blender until smooth.
What is the difference between jerk seasoning and jerk marinade? ›
What is the difference between jerk seasoning and jerk marinade? Jerk seasoning is a dry spice blend and a jerk marinade comes in a liquid form. The spice blend is meant to be rubbed into your meat of choice and left in the fridge overnight before grilling. The marinade is a quicker version of the spice blend.
How long can I marinate jerk chicken? ›
For best results, marinate the chicken overnight. The marinade is also great on beef, pork, or shrimp (although for shrimp, marinate for only 30 minutes to 1 hour), so feel free to double and freeze it for other uses.
What is the best meat for Jamaican jerk? ›
In Jamaica, jerk chicken or pork is a late-night favorite and is often served in foil with bread or festivals—a slightly sweet, cylinder-like shaped johnnycake (or dumpling.) The critical base for Jerk Chicken or pork is to use plenty of salt, scotch bonnet peppers, and allspice.
What is a mixture that gives you a jerk flavor? ›
Jerk seasoning principally consists of allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers. Other ingredients may include cloves, cinnamon, scallions, nutmeg, thyme, garlic, brown sugar, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, and salt.
What does Caribbean style jerk marinade taste like? ›
Its authentic spicy island flavors are complemented by hints of garlic, onion, lime, and sweetness.
Can you buy jerk chicken marinade? ›
Jerk Chicken Marinade 500ml - Chicken Sauce - Meat Marinade - Chicken Sauce Marinade. We feature offers with an Add to Basket button when an offer meets our high quality standards for: Price, Delivery option, and.
Can you eat jerk marinade raw? ›
Marinades are great to use on meats and vegetables, making them juicy and flavorful. However, you may be wondering if you can use the marinade as a sauce too. It's true that once marinade comes into contact with raw meat, it's no longer safe to consume.
What is the secret in jerk chicken? ›
The Real Deal: How Jerk Chicken Is Traditionally Prepared
The process starts with pieces of chicken that are soaked overnight in a heavily seasoned marinade flavored with fiery Scotch bonnet peppers and allspice—the dried berries native to Jamaica that give jerked foods their characteristic warm spice aroma.
Should jerk marinade be refrigerated? ›
In our experience if you refrigerate the marinade, the heat from the peppers rapidly diminishes within a month or so. If you 'd prefer a flavorful, but mild, jerk marinade then by all means refrigerate. Otherwise, just keep the bottle at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. It will keep for several months.
Health benefits of the Jamaican jerk chicken
Cinnamon is used in the recipe helping to relieve arthritis pain. Your body experiences less inflammation, due to its anti-inflammatory properties. The habanero – is 100 times spicier than jalapeno – can kill cancer cells. It speeds up your body metabolism.
Can you reuse jerk marinade? ›
More Marinating Tips:
Never reuse uncooked marinade. Oil and sugars in marinades help create a sear once you place the meat on the grill, which forms a caramelized, flavorful crust that seals in juices and prevents sticking.
Is jerk chicken African or Caribbean? ›
Jerk chicken is believed to have been conceived when the Maroons introduced African meat cooking techniques to Jamaica which were combined with native Jamaican ingredients and seasonings used by the Arawak Indians.
Is jerk chicken Jamaican or Haitian? ›
Jerk is a cooking method native to Jamaica that is steeped in the nation's history. Jamaican food reflects the history of nations which have settled on the island. Jamaican food and culture is reflective of the array of nations who have settled on the island over centuries.
Why does jerk chicken taste so good? ›
Jerk chicken gets its distinguishable flavor from spices that are native to the island of Jamaica. Spices like the scotch bonnet pepper give jerk chicken its spicy kick. Other spices that are incorporated into a jerk recipe are allspice, ginger, garlic and thyme.
Is jerk sauce healthy? ›
Jerk sauce contains paprika and allspice for antioxidants, cayenne pepper for reducing blood pressure, garlic for immune boosting, nutmeg to aid in digestion and sleep, cinnamon for lowering blood sugar and cholesterol, vitamin C from citrus plus many more!
Why is it called jerk sauce? ›
The word jerk reportedly stems from the Spanish charqui, meaning dried strips of meat similar to the modern-day jerky. In Jamaica, jerk chicken is famous for its pungent marinade, marked by allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers, which are similar to habanero chili peppers.
What flavor is Jamaican jerk chicken? ›
Jerk chicken gets its distinguishable flavor from spices that are native to the island of Jamaica. Spices like the scotch bonnet pepper give jerk chicken its spicy kick. Other spices that are incorporated into a jerk recipe are allspice, ginger, garlic and thyme.
Is Jamaican jerk food spicy? ›
It's wonderfully spicy, smoky, and fragrant — everything you want jerk chicken to be. But what puts this one above all others? The key is including five-spice powder in the marinade, a Chinese spice blend made of cinnamon, fennel seed, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, and star anise.
