Get exported straight to the beach with this Jamaican Jerk Marinade! Loaded full of tropical flavors such as pineapple, lime and vibrant Jamaican Jerk seasoning. This is the perfect marinade to add fun flares of flavor to your chicken, pork, seafood, beef or vegetables!
What KJ Loves about this Recipe
Not to be biased, but this may be one of my favorite marinades! I love how easy it is to infuse such fun, tropical flavor into whatever I’m cooking. Marinate some chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or veggies and then toss them on the grill to get that wonderful char that accompanies the Jamaican Jerk flavors so well. It’s one of our favorite ways to amp up a weeknight meal!
Ingredients Needed
All you need is a few simple ingredients to bring this Jamaican Jerk Marinade to life:
- Pineapple juice – I love to buy it in this little cans because it’s perfectly portioned every time!
- Limes – adds a bright, acidic citrus flavor to the marinade. Fresh lime juice is preferred.
- Jamaican Jerk seasoning – store bought or a homemade blend can be used.
- Salt – easily adds loads of flavor to the marinade!
- Brown sugar – adds the perfect hint of caramel-y sweetness.
- Oil – use a light oil for this such as avocado oil or light olive oil.
How to Use Jamaican Jerk Marinade
After you have the marinade whipped up, there are endless ways that you can use it! From different meats, veggies, to different cooking applications. Let’s break down all the ways you can use this Jamaican Jerk Marinade:
Meats:
- Chicken: breasts, tenders, thighs, legs or a whole chicken! Marinate the chicken, or sauté it in the sauce! The marinated chicken is also perfect on the grill or roasted in the oven.
- Steak: skirt steak or flank steak love marinades! Grill or pan-sear it afterwards.
- Beef: roasts glazed and roasted in the marinade.
- Pork: pork chops, pork tenderloin or thinly sliced pork marinated and then sautéd or grilled.
- Seafood: shrimp, cod, salmon or halibut. Instead of marinating the seafood, sauté or glaze the seafood with the marinade while cooking!
Vegetables:
- Roasted or grilled vegetables: zucchini, broccoli, green beans, potatoes, carrots, onions, asparagus and more!
- Portabella mushrooms: glaze with the marinade before grilling.
Cooking Methods:
- Sauté – add the marinated meat into a large skillet and sauté, or don’t marinate the meat and use the marinade as a sauce that you pour into the skillet instead (use about half of the sauce).
- Grill – add the marinated meat or vegetables straight onto the grill, discarding the leftover marinade.
- Roast – add the marinated meat into a baking dish and roast, or don’t marinate the meat and use the marinade as a sauce that you pour over the meats/vegetables in the dish and roast instead.
- Slow Cooker – pour the marinade over the meat in the slow cooker and cook low and slow.This would be great with shredded pork or chicken.
- Smoke – add the marinated meat straight from the marinade on to the smoker, discarding the leftover marinade.
Marinade FAQ’s
How long should I marinate chicken or steak?
A general rule of thumb, don’t go over 24 hours. Anywhere from 1 hour to 8 hours is prime marinating time! Another thing to keep in mind is the toughness of the meat you are marinating. Chicken will marinate faster than a flank steak since it is not as dense and tough as a flank steak.
What do I do with the leftover marinade from the meat?
Unfortunately, it will need to be discarded. Since it has been infusing with the meat and vice versa, you don’t want to risk any cross-contamination issues.
How do I sauté with a marinade and use it as a sauce?
If you are wanting to use the marinade more as a sauce, then skip the whole marinating process. Here’s an example of how you can do this: cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenders into 1-inch pieces, sauté the chicken until golden brown and then add in about half of the marinade to create a saucy, Jamaican Jerk chicken recipe. This application can be applied to shrimp, or thinly sliced pork and steak as well.
How long does the marinade last in the refrigerator?
Un-used marinade will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days in an air-tight container. The olive oil may harden and thats ok. Lightly shake it and bring it to room temperature to help this if necessary.
Looking for other Marinade Recipes? Check these out!
Tequila Lime Marinade
Honey Sesame Marinade
Fajita Marinade
Share the love!
If you make this recipe and love it as much as I do, I’d love to hear from you! Comment below, rate the recipe, or share a picture tagging @kjandcompany or using #kjandcompany so that I can see your fun pictures 🙂
Thanks for following and cooking along with me!
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