Jerk chicken is one of the most popular dishes in Jamaica! The word ‘jerk’ refers to a style of cooking, where meat (or your choice of protein) is seasoned in lots of spices and slow-cooked over a fire or grill. A jerk marinade is the perfect way to bring a burst of flavour to your BBQ or dinner.
It’s a sticky, sweet, spicy and just plain TASTY flavouring for meat - usually chicken. But you can also use it to flavour vegan alternatives if you want. It’s SO delicious but easy once you know how, making it the ultimate way to impress your friends. Serve it with some rice & peas and a bit of slaw for the perfect Caribbean-inspired dinner.
Check out Chef Collin Brown's jerk marinade recipe!
Ingredients
Everyone’s jerk marinade recipe is a little bit different so don’t be afraid to add your own personal twist, or change things up a little bit if you haven’t got all the ingredients. You don't have to worry about getting measurements exact - rough amounts are completely fine here.
- A blender or food processor
- Something delicious to marinate!
- A handful of the following, roughly chopped:
- Spring onion
- Scotch Bonnet (stems, seeds, everything!)
- Onion
- All spice (whole or ground)
- Fresh Thyme
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Then a good tablespoon or so of
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Dried basil
- Dried parsley
- Chilli powder
- Cumin
Method
- Turn up the TUNES! Cooking without music is no fun at all. Head to our Spotify for some playlists to bring your kitchen to life.
- Ok, now we’re ready. Roughly chop your fresh ingredients.
- Throw it all into a blender and fill up to the top of the ingredients with water.
- Whizz for a couple of minutes or until it’s a nice smooth consistency.
- Add your dry herbs and spices to the mix and stir!
- All that's left is to rub over chicken or your chosen food to marinate and leave for at least 3 hours so the flavours really get to work. We like to leave our chicken for 24 hours overnight in the fridge – but can you wait that long?
- How about a Reggae Rum Punch or two whilst you wait?
Cook your dish however you prefer – BBQ is best for delicious smoky flavours but if you're giving this a go during the winter months your dish will still be full of flavour baked in the oven or grilled.
If you're in need of taking your BBQ skills to the next level, check out our BBQ Tips here!
ENJOY!
Don't fancy the washing up?
If you're not feeling like washing up all the dishes, but can't stop thinking about a totally delicious, rich jerk gravy, you can leave the cooking to us!
Our talented chefs have nailed the jerk marinade recipe. Our BBQ Jerk Pit dishes are marinated for 24 hours in our aromatic spice rub, then fire-grilled & basted to bring out the unique flavours. Sounds amazing, right?
Escape to the Bay, there's something for everyone on our menu. From the totally classic Jamaican Jerk Chicken, to a delicious Vegan plant-based "chicken" breast, chargrilled and topped with our rich jerk gravy. That's not all, we've got a Jerk Salmon on the menu for those fish lovers. Plus two new additions, Jerk Lamb and Jerk Pork Belly, fire-grilled and slow-roasted to perfection using our classic jerk marinade you know and love.
