Jamaican food isn’t just about bold flavors—it’s about memories. It’s about waking up to the sound of a bubbling pot, walking through a house heavy with thyme and curry in the air. It’s about drum pan smoke in the yard, salty hair from the beach, and an ice-cold Ting in your hand while the fish fries.
Growing up Jamaican in Florida, my childhood was a mix of boat rides with my dad, fresh-caught snapper, weekend fish fries, and family holidays packed with oxtail, brown stew, and rice and peas. And through all of that, I soaked up a love of food that runs deep. It’s not something I studied—it’s something I lived. My seasoning hand was trained by years of watching, tasting, and being in the kitchen. That’s the kind of knowledge you pass down, just like a pot of Sunday rice.
Now that I’m a mom, a military spouse, and a food blogger based in the Midwest, my kitchen is a little louder, a little fuller—but just as rooted in the culture I grew up with. These 15 Jamaican recipes are the ones I return to again and again. They’re the heart of my blog and the soul of my kitchen.
If you are interested in learning more about Jamaican cooking and culture, check out my blog post on the History of Jamaican Food and Cooking! If you’re new to Jamaican cooking or just looking to reconnect with flavors from your childhood, welcome. Let’s get cooking.
🔥 Let’s Start With the Jerk
1. Jerk Pork
Grilled to smoky, spicy perfection with dry rub and marinade. Whether on a charcoal grill or in the oven, this recipe captures the bold spirit of Jamaican street food.
→ Need a sauce for your jerk meat? Don’t miss my separate recipe for homemade jerk gravy—perfect for anything off the grill.
2. Jerk Snapper
Whole fish, boldly marinated and grilled until the skin is charred and the inside is juicy. This dish always takes me back to the beachside shacks in Jamaica, where the music is loud and the vibes are unmatched.
🍗 Chicken and Beef That Feeds the Soul
3. Brown Stew Chicken
The smell of this alone will make your neighbors jealous. Deep, savory flavor thanks to a well-developed browning sauce, fresh herbs, and a little kick of pepper.
Get the Brown Stew Chicken Recipe
4. Curry Chicken
Yellow-stained fingers are a badge of honor in a Jamaican kitchen. This curry is bold, fragrant, and comes together quickly, especially if you know how to build flavor step by step.
5. Brown Stew Beef
A slow-stewed beef dish with deep umami and a velvety finish. I call this my “grown folks” stew—rich, full-bodied, and deeply satisfying.
Get the Brown Stew Beef Recipe
🐟 My Heart Belongs to the Sea
Fun fact: I studied marine biology before becoming a food blogger. You’d think dissecting marine life would make me shy away from seafood, but it only made me love it more (except that one time I cooked octopus and had a full existential crisis). I grew up fishing with my dad every weekend, and seafood still has a special place in my kitchen.
6. Curry Shrimp
Quick, spicy, and ridiculously flavorful. Curry shrimp is that mid-week recipe that feels like a weekend celebration.
7. Escovitch Fish
A crispy fried snapper topped with pickled vegetables and fiery scotch bonnet slices. This dish is loud in flavor, in crunch, and in spirit.
8. Snow Crab Cluster Soup
A rich, coconutty soup packed with snow crab clusters and island spices. Inspired by both my Jamaican roots and a little personal flair, it’s thick, luxurious, and deeply comforting.
🍽️ Holiday Meats & Comfort Classics
9. Slow Cooker Jamaican Oxtails (Coming Soon)
I like mine with butter beans, thick gravy, and slow-cooked until the bones whisper off. It’s bubbling away in my kitchen as we speak, and the flavor? Unmatched.
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10. Jerk Turkey
Holiday bird, but make it island-style. This turkey is rubbed down with jerk seasoning and roasted to perfection—smoky, spicy, and surprisingly juicy.
🍝 Caribbean Fusion That Still Feels Like Home
11. Rasta Pasta
Creamy pasta with jerk seasoning and sweet bell peppers. Ital-inspired but full of bold flavor. Great with shrimp or on its own.
12. Arroz Con Pollo (Jamaican Style)
A fusion recipe that speaks to Jamaica’s Spanish heritage. My version uses saffron rice, island seasoning, and tender chicken—it’s what we made at home, and it always hits.
Get the Arroz Con Pollo Recipe
🍚 The Sides That Complete the Plate
13. Rice and Peas
No Sunday dinner is complete without it. Coconut milk, thyme, scallion, garlic, and kidney beans make this the essential Jamaican side dish.
→ I always use my Aroma rice cooker to get it fluffy every time.
14. Fried Plantains & Bammy
Sweet plantains, golden and caramelized. Fried Bammy, crispy on the edges and soft inside. Two iconic sides that bring out the best in any plate of fish or curry.
15. Steamed Cabbage and Vegetables (Coming Soon)
A light and savory veggie medley with carrots, cabbage, and sweet peppers. It’s a classic Jamaican side dish—humble but full of love.
Follow me on Instagram for a first look at this one!
🌍 From My Island to Your Kitchen
These recipes are more than just instructions—they’re memories. They’re moments in the yard with my cousins, afternoons fishing with my dad, and stories from my travels as a military family. I’ve lived across the U.S. and visited kitchens around the world, but nothing makes me feel more at home than the sound of a bubbling pot and the smell of jerk wafting through the house.
So if you’ve ever wondered where to start with Jamaican food, start here. Start with these 15. Let them anchor your flavor, inspire your next meal, and remind you that real food comes from the heart.
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🛒 Camille’s Must-Haves in the Kitchen (this post contains affiliate links)
Here are my go-to tools for Jamaican cooking done right:
- Copper Chef 11” Frying Pan (non-stick heaven)
- T-Fal Ingenio Removable Handle Set
- Oven-safe meat thermometer
- Pocket thermometer for quick checks
- Disposable food prep gloves
- Recommended Dutch Pot
- Walkerswood Mild Jerk Paste
- EasiSpice Dry Jerk Seasoning
- Ghee I keep on hand when it’s on sale
Thank You for Letting Me Share This With You
Whether you’re cooking your first Jamaican dish or your fiftieth, I’m honored you’re here. Keep cooking and learning. Keep loving the food that brings us all home.
From my kitchen to yours—always with flavor,
– Camille
