Equipment
Ingredients
Fresh Aromatics
- 100 g scallions, roughly chopped
- 15 g scotch bonnet chillies, stems removed
- 30 g garlic, peeled
- 25 g fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
- 15 g fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stems
Spices and Seasoning
- 10 g ground allspice
- 10 g salt
- 3 g black peppercorns
- 2 g ground nutmeg
- 2 g ground cinnamon
Liquids and Binders
- 45 ml lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 30 ml soy sauce
- 30 ml neutral oil
- 20 g brown sugar, packed
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 36 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 371 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 68 mg
- Calcium
- 22 mg
- Iron
- 0.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 8 mg
- Phosphorus
- 13 mg
- Zinc
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 7 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin E
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin K
- 14 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.0 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.01 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.02 mg
- Niacin
- 0.2 mg
- Folate
- 6 mcg
- Water
- 14 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Put on disposable gloves. Wash and roughly chop the scallions, garlic, ginger, and Scotch bonnet chillies. If a milder paste is desired, slice the chillies in half and scrape out the seeds and white membranes before chopping.
Place the chopped aromatics, chillies, thyme leaves, ground allspice, salt, black peppercorns, nutmeg, and cinnamon into the bowl of a food processor.
Pulse the ingredients 10 to 15 times until a coarse, chunky mixture forms. Scrape down the sides of the processor bowl with a rubber spatula.
Turn the food processor on low. Through the feed tube, slowly pour in the fresh lime juice, soy sauce, neutral oil, and brown sugar. Continue processing until it reaches a thick, slightly coarse paste consistency. It should not be completely smooth like a puree.
Transfer the jerk paste into an airtight glass jar. Allow the paste to rest in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour before using, allowing the harshness of the raw garlic and chillies to mellow and the spices to hydrate and meld.
Chef's Notes
- For marinating proteins, use approximately 50g to 60g of paste per kilogram of meat. Rub it well under the skin of poultry and allow to marinate for 12 to 24 hours for the best flavor penetration.
- While ground allspice works perfectly, using whole allspice berries (pimento) toasted lightly in a dry pan and ground fresh will elevate the aromatic profile significantly.
- If you want to mimic the traditional Jamaican smoke flavor when cooking indoors, add 5ml of high-quality liquid smoke or a pinch of smoked paprika to the paste.
- The brown sugar in this paste aids in caramelization when grilling, but monitor the heat closely as it can burn if exposed to direct, roaring flames for too long.
Storage
Refrigerator: 4 weeks — Keep in an airtight glass jar. A thin layer of oil on top helps preserve freshness.
Freezer: 6 months — Freeze in ice cube trays for easy portioning, then transfer to a freezer bag.
Troubleshooting
Paste is too watery and thin
Cause: Scallions contained too much water, or too much liquid was added at once
Fix: Pulse in more fresh scallions or ginger to bulk it up, or strain slightly through a fine mesh sieve
Prevention: Dry washed herbs and scallions thoroughly; add liquids gradually
Paste is overwhelmingly spicy
Cause: Scotch bonnet chillies were exceptionally hot or seeds were included
Fix: Dilute the batch by processing an extra batch of all other ingredients (minus chillies) and combining them. Adding a bit more brown sugar can also help balance the heat.
Prevention: Remove seeds and ribs from chillies before processing; start with fewer chillies and taste
Bitter undertaste
Cause: Old allspice or too much lime pith/zest was accidentally included
Fix: Add an extra 10g of brown sugar and 10ml of oil to mask the bitterness
Prevention: Use fresh ground spices and only the juice of the lime, avoiding the bitter white pith
Cultural Context
Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica, originating from the indigenous Taíno people and African slaves (Maroons) who escaped to the island's mountainous interior. The method originally involved pit-cooking wild boar over fragrant pimento wood to preserve meat and conceal cooking smoke. Today, the iconic flavor profile hinges on the essential pairing of local pimento (allspice) and the intensely fruity, fiery Scotch bonnet pepper.
