Jamaican jerk seasoning is a versatile spice blend loaded with savory, spicy flavor that will perk up roasted meats, vegetables, and pasta dishes!
I love using Jamaican jerk seasoning blend as a dry rub on chicken and pork. The blend of spices will add the flavor of the Caribbean, creating amazingly delicious dishes your whole family will love.
We used our homemade jerk seasoning to make our Rastafarian Pasta. Our spice mix will create a style of cooking that will transport your friends and family to the island of Jamaica with each delicious bite.
If you enjoy making your own seasoning blends, try out Cajun seasoning and taco seasoning recipes.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our Authentic Jamaican Jerk Seasoning recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I change up the recipe?
Absolutely. One of the best things about creating your own seasoning blends is that you get to control the ingredients.
You can easily adjust the amount of cayenne pepper added to control the heat level. Add or subtract the cayenne in the spice mix to your taste preference.
We used cane sugar in our jerk spice, but you can swap it out for coconut sugar.
How to Make Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make Jamaican Jerk Seasoning in your home kitchen.
- Add the brown sugar, granulated sugar, onion powder, garlic powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, ground allspice, cumin, ginger, dry thyme, dry parsley, smoked paprika, black pepper, sea salt, red pepper flakes, and cayenne to a small bowl.
- Whisk to combine the spice mix.
Our homemade Jamaican jerk seasoning is a blend of spices that will help you create savory dishes loaded with delicious jerk flavor. Everyone will be lining up for seconds before their first plateful of deliciousness is finished!
For best results, store our jerk seasoning in a glass jar or an airtight container. If kept in a cool, dark area of the kitchen, it will last for up to 6 months.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can. To make a simple jerk sauce, add two tablespoons of olive oil, two tablespoons of soy sauce, and ¼ cup of pineapple juice to the spice blend. You can mix it by hand or puree it in a food processor for a smoother sauce.
Jerk is the term for the original style of Jamaican cooking, which involved poking holes into meat to impart more flavor.
Later, the term became associated with the particular spice rub used to season those meats, and this is how we now refer to seasoning, more than the cooking technique.
Absolutely. You can use habanero or scotch bonnet peppers instead of the cayenne pepper.
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Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1-2 teaspoon more if you like heat.
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a small mixing bowl.
- Whisk to combine.
- Store in an airtight container. Use as needed.
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