Jamaican-Inspired Jerk BBQ Sauce Recipe
Inspired by Jamaica's famous spice blend, this jerk BBQ sauce gives your favorite grilled meats and vegetables a touch of Caribbean flavor. This BBQ sauce shows off a blend of rich, complex spices with just the right heat kick that you can adjust to suit your taste.
How to Make the Best Jamaican-Inspired Jerk BBQ Sauce
Transport your taste buds to the Caribbean with this Jamaican-Inspired Jerk BBQ Sauce. This isn’t your average backyard barbecue condiment—it’s a complex, aromatic blend that brings the bold flavors of Jamaica’s famous jerk seasoning to your grilled meats and vegetables. The combination of warm spices like cinnamon, allspice, and five-spice creates a rich depth of flavor that’s perfectly balanced with the heat of scotch bonnet peppers and the subtle sweetness of molasses and honey.
What makes this sauce truly special is how quickly it comes together—you can have this homemade, restaurant-quality BBQ sauce ready in under 30 minutes. The tomato base provides the classic barbecue foundation, while the garlic, ginger, and Caribbean spices elevate it to something completely unique. Unlike store-bought versions loaded with preservatives and artificial flavors, this from-scratch sauce gives you control over the heat level and lets you taste every complex layer of spice.
Whether you’re glazing ribs, basting chicken, or coating roasted vegetables, this jerk BBQ sauce will become your go-to condiment for summer cookouts and beyond. The flavors actually deepen and meld together as it sits, so it’s even better the next day—proof that the best things in life are worth the extra time.
Jamaican-Inspired Jerk BBQ Sauce
Inspired by Jamaica's famous spice blend, this jerk BBQ sauce gives your favorite grilled meats and vegetables a touch of Caribbean flavor. This BBQ sauce shows off a blend of rich, complex spices with just the right heat kick that you can adjust to suit your taste.
Ingredients
Base
Aromatics & Heat
Spices
Instructions
Preparation
- In a medium saucepan, stir together the tomato sauce and paste until it becomes one cohesive mixture.
- Stir in the garlic, scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, apple cider vinegar, molasses, honey, dark brown sugar and all the spices.
Cooking
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat.
- Continue to simmer until the mixture slightly thickens, stirring often to prevent burning. If necessary, turn down the heat but maintain a simmer. Cooking time generally takes about 15-20 minutes.
- Turn off heat. Cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
- For a milder sauce, use just 1 scotch bonnet pepper and remove the seeds completely.
- For extra heat, leave the seeds in the peppers or use 2 full peppers.
- The sauce will thicken more as it cools. If it becomes too thick, you can thin it with a bit of apple cider vinegar.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container.