Jamaican Style Sweet and Spicy Jerk Barbecue Sauce

Last Updated on July 11, 2025 by Carne Diem

Rubs, Sauces, and Accompaniments

Origin: Taste of the Islands, Jamaica

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Summer is upon us, and that means firing up the grill for those quintessential backyard barbecues. But why settle for the same old store-bought sauces this year? Today, we're taking a spicy trip to the Caribbean with a homemade Jamaican Jerk BBQ Sauce recipe that will tantalize your taste buds and transport you to a tropical paradise.

Unleash the Jerk: A Jamaican Jerk BBQ Sauce Recipe for Your Next Cookout

We fell in love with jerk flavored BBQ sauce during a recent trip to Grand Cayman.  There was a local Caribbean BBQ restaurant with the best smoked chicken served with a Caribbean inspired barbecue sauce that was to die for. It was the perfect balance of sweetness, allspice, and just a bit of heat.  While the owner of the restaurant would not give me his secret recipe, he did give me a few hints and tricks to making a similar sauce at home. 

While we have tried a number of store-bought sauces like Walkerswood Spicy Jamaican Jerk Barbecue Sauce, none of them have lived up to the sweet and spicy sauce we had at that local restaurant, so we decided to start making our own homemade version. It's a great option that captures the essence of Jamaican jerk while being sweet enough that even the kids love it.  So, ditch the boring store-bought BBQ sauces and embrace the fiery spice of the jerk with this easy and flavorful Jamaican Jerk BBQ Sauce recipe.  

Making the Homemade Jerk BBQ Sauce

Jamaican jerk is a unique cooking process that combines smoky, spicy, and savory flavors. The heart of jerk lies in the jerk seasoning, a fiery blend of spices traditionally applied to meats before grilling or smoking. While the traditional jerk seasoning paste can be quite intense, our Caribbean BBQ sauce recipe creates a mildly sweet sauce that captures the subtle blend of the famous jerk without overpowering your favorite cuts of meat.

For more inspiration, try some of our other homemade sauce recipes:

• Best Alabama White BBQ Sauce
• Carolina Gold Mustard Barbecue Sauce
• Malbec Sauce For Steak
• Zesty Pizza Sauce
• Authentic Peruvian Green Sauce: Aji Verde
• Ajvar Balkan Relish
• Spicy Palestinian Shatta: Middle Eastern Hot Pepper Sauce

Ingredients Needed for the Jerk BBQ Sauce

This recipe uses readily available ingredients to create an easy and flavorful sauce. Here's what you'll need:

Base ingredients: Tomato puree (crushed tomatoes work too!), tomato sauce and brown sugar, create a rich base for the jerk magic.

The Jerk Trinity: Scotch bonnet peppers (beware, these are fiery!), allspice berries, and ground ginger are the holy trinity of jerk seasoning, adding a smoky depth and a hint of heat. For a truly mild version, substitute jalapeños for the scotch bonnets.  If you can't find Scotch Bonnet peppers, habanero pepper makes a good substitute.

Tang and Liquid Ingredients: White vinegar adds a necessary acidic note. A little Caribbean rum adds to the flavor of the Jamaican Jerk BBQ sauce. Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce add umami notes to the homemade Caribbean BBQ sauce. Caribbean hot sauce can be used to balance the heat to your desired level.

Aromatics: White onion, garlic, and green onion form the aromatic backbone of this fiery, tropical BBQ sauce recipe.

Spices and Seasonings: To make the flavorful Caribbean inspired barbecue sauce you will need a variety of spices including Kosher salt, black pepper, chili powder, onion powder, celery salt, mustard powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger. Fresh thyme adds additional classic jerk flavor.

Making the Jamaican Style BBQ Sauce

The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity. In just a few minutes of cooking, you'll have a tasty jerk BBQ sauce that rivals any store-bought variety. Here's how to make it:

Combine the spices in a small bowl and mix to combine.

Remove the seeds and stem from the Scotch Bonnet peppers (we recommend wearing gloves). Remove the thyme leaves from the stems. Peal the onion and garlic.

Add the garlic, onions, and peppers to a food processor and process until finely chopped.

Add in the vinegar, rum, soy sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Scape the sides of the bowl, then blend for 1 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients and blend for 1 more minute.

Add the sauce to a sauce pan and bring to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Simmer the sauce for 30 minutes then remove from the heat and cool.

If desired, for a smoother consistency, you can strain the sauce through a mesh strainer.

Tips & Tricks

• Adjust the spice level to your preference. Start with less scotch bonnet pepper and add more to taste. Remember, you can always add heat, but you can't take it away!
• Let the sauce cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will stay fresh for up to two weeks.
• For a truly authentic jerk experience, use this sauce to marinate your favorite meats before grilling or smoking. Check out our other blog posts for some delicious jerk chicken recipes!
• Feeling adventurous? This sauce can also be used as a dipping sauce for vegetables, wings, or even seafood.

If you love Caribbean cooking as much as I do, then be sure to check out our other blog posts where we delve into the world of jerk cooking and explore other classic dishes from across the Caribbean:

• Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken
• Jamaican Jerk Chicken Rasta Pasta
• Jamaican Style Cast Iron Oxtail Stew
• Karni Stoba: Caribbean Beef Stew
• Spicy Trinidad Style Pepper Shrimp Recipe
• Keshi Yena: Aruban Meat Stuffed Cheese
• Roasted Chicken and Shrimp Curry Stuffed Coconuts

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