Perfectly balanced homemade Jamaican jerk seasoning with easy-to-find ingredients! A spicy, savory, salty, sweet dry rub perfect for chicken, tofu, veggies, and more. Ready in 5 minutes!
Add all spices to a small jar (or bowl) and shake (or stir) to combine, breaking up any stubborn clumps of brown sugar.
Taste and adjust as needed, adding more cayenne if it's not noticeably spicy. It should taste sweet, salty, and quite spicy. Flavor will vary with the freshness and heat level* of your spices, so feel free to adjust further to taste (we added the full amount of cayenne)! Will keep at room temperature for several months.
Enjoy as a dry spice rub or turn it into a marinade (see notes section for marinade instructions). It’s delicious for seasoning chickpeas, cauliflower (recipe coming soon!), tofu, oyster mushrooms, roasted vegetables, chicken, and more!
Notes
*Recipe as written makes ~1/2 cup seasoning. *Brown sugar is traditionally used in jerk seasoning. We tested with coconut sugar, and while it worked, it covered up some of the nuance of the spices, and we preferred the more neutral taste of brown sugar. *The cayenne we used was 35,000 heat units and we added the full amount. Adjust up or down depending on personal preference and how spicy your cayenne is! *To make a marinade, combine 1/2 cup of the dry spice rub with 1/4 cup olive oil (or your neutral oil of choice), 1/4 cup tamari (low sodium for less saltiness), and 2 Tbsp maple syrup. Whisk/stir until smooth. The marinade works well for seasoning chicken and is delicious tossed with crumbled tofu, shredded oyster mushrooms, or sliced plantains roasted on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 425 degrees F (218 C) until tender with crisp edges. *Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with the lesser amount of cayenne.