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

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Recipes
5 minutes
4.43 from 412 votes
78 Comments

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

Jump to RecipePrint RecipeJump to Video
  • 1114
by: Joanna Cismaru

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

This Jamaican Jerk Seasoning blend is made right at home. Save your money and make your own with a kick from a blend of spices such as cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg to name a few.

jerk spice blend spilling out of a glass jar with a small wooden spoon

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

Today I have something different to share with you, a spice blend recipe. Jamaican jerk is such a versatile spice blend to have in your cupboard. It adds heat, dimension, and complexity to many a dish. This is my favorite particular little mix but it’s completely customizable!

Packed full of aromatics, sweet yet smokey notes, complex nutmeg, and spices from across the globe, this seasoning is famous for a reason. We’re thankful it made its way across the ocean because it tastes so good on just about anything! So let’s get into it shall we?

What Is Jamaican Jerk Seasoning?

Today’s spice blend is a dry Jamaican Jerk seasoning or spice blend which is amazing. It actually refers to a style of cooking that just involves rubbing a hot spice blend over your choice of meat. I decided to dial down the heat today, as a lot of jerk seasoning you’ll find in the store includes powdered habanero.

So thank me later.

Ingredients In Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

  • Aromatics – Powdered onion and garlic.
  • Spices – Cumin, nutmeg, allspice, smoked paprika, cinnamon.
  • Heat – Red pepper flakes and cayenne pepper.
  • Sugar – Just some brown sugar for a well rounded depth of flavor.
  • Seasoning – Salt and pepper.
  • Herbs – Dried parsley and thyme.
jerk seasoning blend in a bowl with a small wooden spoon

How To Make Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

  1. Make the spice blend: Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Recipe will yield about 1/2 cup. Store in a spice jar in your spice cabinet.

What Can I Use Jamaican Jerk Seasoning On?

There’s so many ways you can use this delicious spice blend! Feel free to play around with it.

  • Prawns
  • Jerk chicken
  • Jamaican Jerk Chicken Lettuce Wraps
  • Fish, any nice white fish or even salmon!
  • Pork chops
  • Toss Air Fryer Chicken Wings in this seasoning after it’s done cooking
  • Cauliflower – drizzle an entire head with olive oil and rub this spice blend in. Bake it in the oven and believe me you’ll have to resist eating the entire thing!

How To Tell If Your Spices Are Still Fresh

We all know spice blends can last a while, but they do go stale eventually. If you want to ensure both the spices you add to your seasoning and your seasoning itself is fresh just keep an eye on the color. If the pigment starts to fade and the spices begin to look dull, your blend may be starting to go stale.

How Long Can I Store Jamaican Jerk Seasoning?

Jerk seasoning can be safely kept in your pantry, if stored properly for about 1 to 2 years.

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning coming out of a jar

More Spice Blends To Add To Your Pantry

  • Moroccan Spice Blend
  • Fajita Seasoning
  • Taco Seasoning
  • Emeril’s Essence
  • Cajun Seasoning

Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

a jar of jamaican jerk seasoning laying on its side with seasoning spilling out

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

4.43 from 412 votes
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 0 mins
Total: 5 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 8
Print Pin Rate
This Jamaican Jerk Seasoning blend is made right at home. Save your money and make your own with a kick from a blend of spices such as cayenne pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg to name a few.

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoon smoked paprika (regular paprika is fine)
  • 1 teaspoon allspice ground
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper ground
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • ½ teaspoon cumin ground
  • ½ teaspoon nutmeg ground
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon thyme dried
  • 1 tablespoon parsley dried
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Recipe will yield about 1/2 cup. Store in a spice jar in your spice cabinet.

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. You can adjust the salt to your preference, or completely omit it from this recipe.
  2. Keep spices and herbs away from heat and moisture. Although spices and herbs will keep for a long time if stored properly (4 years), they will lose their strength. 
  3. To tell if your spices are still fresh, just look at their color and if the color has faded, their flavor probably has faded as well.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 8gCalories: 19kcal (1%)Carbohydrates: 4.27g (1%)Protein: 0.53g (1%)Fat: 0.29gSaturated Fat: 0.08g (1%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.103gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.054gSodium: 584mg (25%)Potassium: 60mg (2%)Fiber: 0.9g (4%)Sugar: 1.58g (2%)Vitamin A: 1050IU (21%)Vitamin C: 0.8mg (1%)Calcium: 10mg (1%)Iron: 0.5mg (3%)
Course:Spice
Cuisine:Jamaican
Keyword:jamaican jerk seasoning, spice
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!
  • 1114
  • 2

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

baked lemon pepper salmon with a piece being flaked by a fork
Previous Post
Baked Lemon Pepper Salmon
close up shot of a drunken jerk prawn
Next Post
Drunken Jerk Prawns

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate Recipe Cancel reply

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




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

Comments

  1. Ronda Wise says

    July 28, 2021 at 6:07 pm

    5 stars
    I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!! I’ve made it about 10 times in the past 5 months 🥰

    Reply
  2. Rata f says

    July 20, 2021 at 2:25 am

    This recipe is amazing! We have it at least once a week and I’ve made it as a gift for multiple people. Could not recommend it enough, thank you for sharing!

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team AMJ says

      July 20, 2021 at 8:59 am

      We’re so happy you love this recipe so much!

      Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…
cover for the big book of jo's quick and easy meals.

My Cookbook

Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Favorites

black pepper chicken on a bed of rice on a black plate.

Black Pepper Chicken

a slice of pastitsio on a black plate.

Pastitsio (Greek Lasagna)

side view shot of a piece of eggplant parmesan with marinara sauce in a white plate garnished with parsley and a piece cut out and held by a fork

Eggplant Parmesan

side view shot chicken souvlaki skewers with a little tzatziki on a plate

Chicken Souvlaki

yakisoba noodles with chicken and vegetables in a large serving platter.

Yakisoba

pouring lemon sauce over fried chicken.

Chinese Lemon Chicken

a chicken gyro wrapped in paper and topped with lots of tzatziki sauce with another gyro in the background

Chicken Gyros

homemade hamburger helper lasagna from scratch in a skillet.

One Pot Hamburger Helper Lasagna

Air Fryer Recipes

a roasted chicken on a serving platter along some roasted root veggies.

Air Fryer Whole Chicken

apple pie bombs on a white plate with the top one cut in half.

Air Fryer Apple Pie Bombs

3 cooked chicken breasts on a cutting board.

Air Fryer Chicken Breast

air fried chicken drumsticks in a basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Drumsticks

cooked chicken thighs in the basket of an air fryer.

Air Fryer Chicken Thighs

eggs inside an air fryer basket.

Air Fryer Hard Boiled Eggs

lobster tails on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Lobster Tails

hands pulling apart a mozzarella stick with the rest in the background

Air Fryer Mozzarella Sticks

freshly made bread in air fryer on a cutting board cut into slices.

Air Fryer No Knead Bread

bacon wrapped water chestnuts on a white serving platter.

Air Fryer Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
asian green beans in a wok.

Asian

overhead shot of a spoon taking a bite of italian meatball soup

Italian

freshly made pozole rojo in a dutch oven.

Mexican

mititei on a plate with mustard and french fries.

Romanian

a stack of roti wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.

Indian

freshly made hummus drizzled with olive oil and garnished with tomatoes cucumbers and olives.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

roast chicken with roast potatoes on a roaster.

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
lifehack logo.
buzzfeed logo.
mashable logo.
woman's day logo.
health logo.
better homes & gardens logo.
delish logo.
healthline logo.
nbc news logo.
blogloving logo.
university of washington logo.
shape logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2022 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!