• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Vindulge

BBQ and Grilling Recipes with Wine Pairings

  • Home
  • About
    • About Mary
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work With Me
  • Cookbook
  • Wine
    • Food and Wine Pairing
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Resources
    • Fundamentals For Learning How to Grill
    • Guide to Pellet Grills – Common Q and A
    • Best Pellet Grill – MAK Two Star General – Versatile American Made Pellet Smoker
    • Blogger Resources
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Shop Wines
  • Cookbook
  • All Recipes
  • Travel
  • Wine Guides
  • Blogging Resources
  • Connect with us!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    You are here: Home » Food » Sauces and Rubs » Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Recipe (for chicken or pork)

    Jamaican Jerk Seasoning Recipe (for chicken or pork)

    January 21, 2021 By Sean Martin Leave a Comment

    Sharing is caring!

    1.7K shares
    • Facebook2
    • Twitter
    Jump to Recipe
    Jerk Seasoning Pinterest Pin
    Jerk Seasoning Pinterest Pin
    Jerk Seasoning Pinterest Pin
    Jerk Seasoning Pinterest Pin

    Jamaican Jerk Seasoning blend is a flavorful Jamaican inspired spicy dry rub with heat, savory, and herbal flavors. And it’s such an easy recipe to make yourself at home to use for a number of jerk recipes. It’s an awesome blend of spicy that’s perfect with any savory dishes on your menu.

    A mason jar full of Jerk Seasoning

    Recipe Highlights

    • Versatile spice blend historically used on chicken and wild boar and can be used as a base for a Jamaican Jerk Marinade
    • The moderately spicy blend of exotic flavors historically features spice from scotch bonnet peppers
    • If your looking for an alternative with minimal heat try our Cajun seasoning
    Jump to:
    • Recipe Highlights
    • What is Jerk Seasoning?
    • Jerk Seasoning Ingredients
    • How to Make Jerk Seasoning
    • Storing Spice Blends
    • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    • Other Grilled Chicken Recipes
    • Other Seasonings and Rubs
    • Jerk Seasoning Recipe

    What is Jerk Seasoning?

    Jerk seasoning is a combination of spices that provides a balance of sweet, heat, aromatics, and savory flavors. Authentic Jamaican Jerk may apply to mixes of jerk spice, jerk marinade, and the basic style of cooking that comes from Jamaican cuisine over historically live fire cooking with pimento wood.

    This spice blend consists of brown sugar, heat from cayenne, savory flavors like onion and garlic, and balanced with allspice (a dried berry that has been ground into a powder) and other baking spices.

    Traditional jerk technique is about grilling hot and fast over wood or charcoal using the seasoning or a jerk marinade. We have a recipe for jerk grilled chicken that is an easy way to use the seasoning.

    Jerk Seasoning Ingredients

    • Sweet – We use light brown sugar for our sweet element. Dark is fine too, but it brings a richer flavor.
    • Savory – Onion and garlic powder are the primary savory flavors. Note we use garlic powder in this (not granulated garlic), which is a more intense garlic flavor. Granulated garlic is fine as well, just adjust to taste since the grains are larger.
    • Salt – Our go-to is kosher salt for every seasoning we make.
    • Heat – We use dried cayenne pepper to bring in some heat.
    • Herbal – Dried thyme bring an herbal component.
    • Aromatics – This is one of the main components with the key being allspice, followed by ground ginger. We round that out with some ground cinnamon and cloves. This is what distinguishes a jerk inspired seasoning.
    Jamaican Jerk Seasoning in a bowl

    The flavor profile of the heat level can very depending on the dried hot peppers used. Consider substituting based on your heat tolerance. One of the best ways for a hotter spice mixture is to use dried habanero peppers or scotch bonnets. You can find the more unique dried peppers online or at a local specialty spice shop.

    How to Make Jerk Seasoning

    1. Like any spice blend, simply combine all the ingredients together in a bowl to combine.
    2. Using a funnel, place the jerk seasoning into a mason jar or other container that can be sealed tightly.
    3. Serve as needed in recipes.

    For more heat add more cayenne. We have tried this as well with red chili pepper flakes, but we did not like the larger flake consistency in the rub compared with adding more cayenne.

    We also made this same portion with 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. This does add a sweeter element to the seasoning. If you want more sweet balance with small increments of salt.

    Storing Spice Blends

    To preserve the jerk chicken seasoning spice blend, store in mason jars (or any airtight container) in a cool dark part of the pantry. This prevents light from hitting the jar causing heat or any liquid to dilute the spice over time. This seasoning will last up to three months properly stored.

    A good way to tell if your spices are beginning to go stale is to keep an eye on the color. If you notice the pigment of your blending starting to fade then this can indicate it to be stale.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

    Is Jerk Seasoning Healthy?

    The health benefits of jerk seasoning results from the nutrients consisted in the herbs and spices. Important minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium are found in abundance within most spices. Our spice blend is also a very good source of manganese.

    Jerk seasoning can have a positive effect on your daily energy production, new blood cell formation, sleep better, and improve brain functioning. It has also been found to keep your skin and hair strong and healthy, including fighting infection in your body.

    Ideal Jerk Seasoning Substitute?

    There might not be a suitable substitute for jerk chicken seasoning at your local grocery store, so your best choice is to make sure you’re using this recipe. That being said, if you can’t find those particular ingredients, try to get as near as possible.

    In any other case, just try using one of the following ingredients right down below that might get you fairly close.

    Other Grilled Chicken Recipes

    • Jerk Grilled Chicken
    • Marinated Jerk Chicken
    • How to Grill Chicken
    • Grilled Chicken Lollipops With BBQ Sauce Glaze

    Other Seasonings and Rubs

    • Ultimate Dry Rub For Pork and Chicken
    • Beef Seasoning
    • Chicken Seasoning
    • Seafood Seasoning

    Jerk Seasoning Recipe

    A blend of herbal and baking spices combined with heat for the perfect blend of flavors. A great Jamaican Jerk Seasoning for pork or chicken.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate Save Saved!
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Calories: 189kcal
    Author: Mary Cressler | Vindulge
    Cost: $5.00

    Equipment

    • 8-Ounce Mason Jar (for storage)

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar Dark works as well
    • 1 tablespoon kosher salt
    • 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon onion powder
    • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
    • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
    • 2 teaspoons dried thyme
    • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
    • 1 teaspoon ground allspice
    • ½ teaspoon ground cloves
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix together.
    • Using a large funnel or spoon, transfer the rub into a small 8-ounce mason jar. Seal and store in a cool, dry part of your pantry. Will last for 2 months before clumping. Use on grilled chicken or pork.

    Notes

    For more heat consider using more cayenne. We tested with red chili pepper flakes and the grain size difference from the red chili flakes versus the rest of the rub was not a pleasant texture.
    If all you have is granulated garlic (versus garlic powder) use 1 ½ tablespoons. The granulated garlic has larger grains and won’t be as intense.
    Find the perfect wine pairing at the Vindulge Wine Shop

    Nutrition

    Calories: 189kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 7000mg | Potassium: 420mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 1781IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 156mg | Iron: 5mg
    Tried this recipe? We would love to see!Mention @vindulge or use the hashtag #vindulge

    « Grilled Buffalo Chicken Meatball Sliders
    Grilled Salmon Salad Recipe with Citrus Vinaigrette »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Mary-Cressler-Sept-2015-smI'm Mary, a wine/food/travel writer, Certified Sommelier, mom of twins, former vegetarian turned BBQ fanatic, runner, and founder of Vindulge and author of Fire + Wine cookbook.  Thanks for stopping by!

    Learn More...

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

    Fire and Wine Cookbook Cover.

    Get Ready for Summer

    Smoked Brisket

    What’s on our Grill

    Smoked Beef Ribs on butcher paper

    Easy Smoked Beef Ribs Recipe – From Plate Ribs to Chuck Ribs

    Vegetarian pizza on a pizza peel with hot honey drizzle.

    Vegetarian Pizza Recipe with Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms

    Shredded Beef Quesadilla on a cutting board.

    Pulled Beef Quesadillas – Great Leftover Pulled Beef Recipe

    Grilled Pork Chops with Maple and Soy Marinade

    More

    As Seen On

    Products we love

    taking the temperature of a porchetta roast on the grill
    We use Thermoworks Signals BBQ Alarm to monitor the internal temperature of the meat while it’s cooking, then double check with an instant read thermometer, like the Thermapen One.

    Vindulge Wine Club

    join the wine club side bar

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Portfolio
    • TV Appearances
    • Work with Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2021 Vindulge

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
    viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
    Functional
    Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
    Performance
    Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    1.7K shares
    • 2