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.

Jerk Seasoning

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.

DIY Jerk Seasoning

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.

Everything you need to make Jerk Seasoning

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!

Everything you need to make Jerk Seasoning

Jerk Seasoning

A combination of sweet and spicy ingredients make up the perfect Caribbean jerk seasoning.
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1 /4 cup
Author: Hezzi-D

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

A Hezzi-D Original recipe

Homemade Jerk Seasoning

5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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