Homemade Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
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Don’t have jerk seasoning on hand? Make your own spicy Jamaican Jerk Seasoning with spices that are already in your pantry.
I have a few recipes that call for Jamaican Jerk Seasoning but I make them so infrequently that it isn’t something I keep on hand. I could easily keep a jar of it in my spice cupboard but I’ve tried to clean it out and really only keep the spices I need. So whenever I need jerk seasoning I simply mix up a batch of my own. This batch makes close to 1/4 cup of the seasoning so it’s usually good for two recipes. You can store this seasoning in an air tight container for up to 1 year.
So what do you put in homemade Jamaican jerk seasoning? That’s a great question. I’ve looked up several recipes and while some of the ingredients stay the same there are definitely some differences in them. Plus, I like to find a recipe where I already have all of the ingredients so I don’t have to go buy anything extra.
Jerk seasoning is native to Jamaica and it’s usually made with a spicy rub or marinade. From what I’ve found it usually contains allspice and some type of pepper for sure and then it’s a combination of brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, and other spices. It’s hard to pinpoint an exact recipe because there are so many different variations.
I didn’t have allspice in the cupboard but since people say it tastes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and black pepper I started with those spices. Then I added in plenty of garlic powder because you can never have too much garlic. Next I added cayenne to give it the heat and brown sugar for a bit of sweetness. The other ingredients I used were onion powder, thyme, parsley, salt, and paprika. At the end of the day is was a sweet and spicy rub that smelled amazing.
I used it on chicken but it’s great on shrimp, pork, or even fish. I know people sprinkle it on vegetables to give them a little heat. However you use it, simple make a batch of this jerk seasoning and store it in an air tight container for a burst of flavor from the Caribbean any time you want!
Jerk Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons dried parsley
- 1 teaspoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoons paprika
- 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine.
- Store in an air tight container for up to 1 year.
Notes
