Add an instant boost of bright, spicy Caribbean flavor to your kitchen with our Vegan Jamaican Jerk Marinade! It’ll put the store-bought stuff to shame and is as simple as buzzing up a few ingredients in your food processor or blender.
Trust us, you’re going to want to add this marinade to just about everything you make from now on! It’ll add the extra oomph to your vegan chicken, fried plantains or roasted vegetables. The good news is Jamaican jerk marinade is naturally vegan!
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🇯🇲 WHAT IS JERK?
Jerk is a seasoning blend that comes in the form of a dry rub or wet marinade, and its primary ingredients include allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers. Traditionally, this irresistibly fiery concoction is used to marinate meat that’s cooked low-and-slow over a fire or grill.
📚 AN ABBREVIATED HISTORY OF JAMAICA
To fully put into context what jerk is to Jamaica, we’ll need to look back at the island’s history. Anthony Bourdain suggested that “all history can be explained by what’s on your plate.” He wasn’t wrong.
Jamaican cuisine is a complex and exciting case in point. It is an amalgam of European colonialism, the transatlantic slave trade, and the cooking practices of the indigenous inhabitants of the island, as well as that of indentured Indian and Chinese laborers. Let’s take a brief step back in time, shall we?
THE TAÍNOS AND THE SPANISH COLONIAL ERA
The Taíno—an Arawak people—were the first inhabitants of Jamaica. They migrated to the island from South America between 5000 to 1000 BC. Fast forward to 1494, when douchebag of historic proportions Christopher Columbus became the first European to set foot on Jamaican sands. He claimed the island for Spain. In the ensuing 150 years, the Spanish managed to all but decimate the native Taínos through disease and enslavement. They also populated the island with slaves stolen from their homes in West Africa.
THE BRITISH COLONIAL ERA
In the mid-1600s, Oliver Cromwell and the British kicked the Spanish out of Jamaica. After that, the introduction of sugarcane to the island prompted the British to bring even more enslaved Africans to the island over the next 150 years. When the British decided they were bored of slavery, they abolished the practice in 1834. The sugar industry, however, was a labor intensive one. As a result, the British began to import laborers from Crown colonies of India and China, to do work the British would not deign to do. These laborers were brought to Jamaica under contracts of indenture. And Spoiler Alert: there isn’t a whole lot of difference between indentured servitude and slavery.
Jamaica gained its independence from Britain in 1962.
AND NOW…JERK
Jerk is probably a marriage of West African seasoning methods with Taíno cooking techniques. After the Spanish got the heave-ho from Jamaica by the British, they emancipated their African slaves. These newly freed slaves fled to the mountains to escape re-enslavement by the British. They became known as the Maroons, and their commingling with the remaining Tainos led to the absolute fire that is Jamaican jerk.
📝 INGREDIENTS
- Aromatics: onion, green onions, thyme, ginger and garlic. Green onions, thyme and ginger in particular are quintessential ingredients in Jamaican cooking.
- Spices: cinnamon, allspice, black pepper and nutmeg. Allspice is another traditional Jamaican ingredient. Together, these warming spices add depth and complexity to the jerk blend.
- Dark brown sugar: adds sweetness and a rich molasses flavor.
- Maggi liquid seasoning or soy sauce: brings the umami. A staple ingredient in Afro-Caribbean kitchens, Maggi is a savory flavor enhancer made primarily from vegetable protein and MSG. It comes in liquid and stock cube form. You can find it in the international section of your grocery store. Otherwise, it is also available online. Soy sauce makes a good substitute in a pinch.
- Vegetable bouillon cube: adds another layer of savory umami. We like to use the Edward & Sons brand.
- Fresh mango or pineapple (optional): add wonderful fruity sweetness.
- Scotch bonnet pepper: brings the heat with citrusy notes. If you can’t find Scotch bonnet peppers, habanero peppers make a great substitute.
- Lime juice: counterbalances the sweet elements in this jerk blend.
💡 RECIPE TIPS
- For the best flavor, freshly grind your cinnamon, black pepper, and nutmeg. The spices will be more aromatic and have more intense flavor.
- Customize your jerk! If you prefer a more savory jerk marinade, feel free to add less of or omit the fresh mango/pineapple.
- Storage: Store the marinade in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll keep for a 1-2 weeks. You can also freeze the marinade in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag, with as much air pressed out of it as possible, for up to six months.
🥣 HOW TO USE YOUR JERK MARINADE:
- Marinate and grill vegan chicken. Serve with our Vegan Jamaican Rice and Peas!
- Marinate and roast sweet potatoes. Serve as part of our Vegan Jamaican Bowl!
- Slather it over vegan patties and make a burger. Top with red onions, lettuce, tomato, and grilled pineapple rings.
- Brush it over sliced plantains before frying.
- Mix some into your vegan ranch dressing for a fiery kick!
❤️ WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE
- Complex
- Spicy
- Sweet
- Tangy
💕 MORE VEGAN CARIBBEAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
DID YOU MAKE OUR VEGAN JAMAICAN JERK MARINADE?
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👩🏽🍳 RECIPE
VEGAN JAMAICAN JERK MARINADE
Ingredients
- 1 small onion roughly chopped
- 3 green onions roughly chopped
- 3 tablespoon fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoon ginger roughly chopped
- 10 garlic cloves
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tablespoon dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon Maggi liquid seasoning or substitute soy sauce
- 1 vegetable bouillon cube (or substitute 1 teaspoon bouillon paste)
- ½ to 1 cup fresh mango or pineapple optional
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper or substitute habanero pepper
- Juice of 2 to 3 limes
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust ingredient and seasoning amounts to taste, and enjoy! If you prefer a spicier, more savory jerk marinade, feel free to reduce the amount or omit the fresh mango or pineapple. Store the marinade in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- For the best flavor, freshly grind your cinnamon, black pepper, and nutmeg. The spices will be more aromatic and have more intense flavor.
- Customize your jerk! If you prefer a more savory jerk marinade, feel free to add less of or omit the fresh mango/pineapple.
- Storage: Store the marinade in an airtight container in the fridge. It’ll keep for a 1-2 weeks. You can also freeze the marinade in an airtight container or zip-close freezer bag, with as much air pressed out of it as possible, for up to six months.
- How to use your jerk marinade: 1. Marinate and roast sweet potatoes. Serve as part of our Vegan Jamaican Bowl. 2. Brush it over sliced plantains before frying. 3. Marinate and grill vegan chicken. Serve with our Vegan Jamaican Rice and Peas. 4. Slather it over vegan patties and make a burger. Top with red onions, lettuce, tomato, and grilled pineapple rings. 5. Mix some into your vegan ranch dressing for a fiery kick!
The fresh fruit in this was a game changer. I used half a cup of mango because I like my jerk spicier.
Similar to my mother-in-law’s recipe. 10/10