Homemade Jamaican Jerk Sauce
- Preperation Time: 20 minutes
- Servings: 8 people
About this recipe
Discover the unmistakable flavour of the Caribbean with this homemade Jamaican jerk sauce recipe. Bold, aromatic and beautifully balanced, it brings together the fiery warmth of Scotch bonnet chillies with fragrant thyme, ginger, pimento, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves.
Rich tomato paste gives the sauce body, while lemon juice and white vinegar add brightness and depth. The result is a deeply savoury, gently tangy sauce with layers of spice that build gradually rather than overpowering the food.
Use it as a marinade for chicken, pork, fish or vegetables, brush it over food while grilling, or serve it alongside your favourite Caribbean dishes. Every spoonful captures the smoky, vibrant character of Jamaican cooking and transforms simple ingredients into something memorable.
Instructions
Place the Scotch bonnet chillies, spring onions, onion, garlic, thyme and ginger into a food processor.
Add the allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, black pepper, salt and dark brown sugar.
Pour in the soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, lime juice, orange juice, vegetable oil and Worcestershire sauce. Add the tomato purée.
Blend until the mixture becomes a thick, smooth sauce. Add the water gradually until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency.
Transfer the sauce to a saucepan and bring it gently to a simmer. Cook over a low heat for approximately 10–15 minutes, stirring regularly.
Allow the sauce to cool before transferring it to a clean, sterilised bottle or airtight container.
Store in the refrigerator and use within approximately one week.
Heat Options
For a milder sauce, use one or two Scotch bonnet chillies and remove the seeds and inner membranes.
For medium heat, use three or four whole Scotch bonnet chillies.
For a very hot sauce, use five or six Scotch bonnet chillies, retaining the seeds and membranes.
How to Use It
Use the jerk sauce as:
A marinade for chicken, pork, lamb, fish or vegetables
A cooking sauce for Caribbean-inspired meals
A glaze for ribs, wings or grilled meat
A condiment served alongside rice, wraps or burgers
Allow approximately three to five tablespoons of sauce for every 500g of meat, fish or vegetables.
Ingredients
Ingredients
4–6 Scotch bonnet chillies, stalks removed
6 spring onions, roughly chopped
1 medium onion, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Juice of 2 fresh limes
Juice of 1 orange
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tomato purée
2–4 tablespoons water, as required
It should make roughly 300–400ml of sauce, enough to marinate about 1.5–2kg of meat, fish or vegetables, depending on how generously it is used.
Sauce Used
- Taste from the Ancestors
- Mild Jerk Sauce
