Jamaica Recipes

Island cooking with a fire all its own. Not sure what to eat in Jamaica? Start with Curry Goat, Jamaican Beef Patty, Sweet Potato Pudding and Ackee and Saltfish. Here are 9 authentic Jamaica recipes, each from a specific region, with cultural context and dietary substitutions for every table.
9 recipes
Jerk ChickenKingston (Surrey), Jamaica · medium · 3 h 5 minChicken marinated in scallion, thyme, allspice, and Scotch bonnet, grilled low and smoky.
Curry GoatKingston (Surrey), Jamaica · medium · 4 hBone-in goat marinated in Jamaican curry and green seasoning, then braised slow with allspice, thyme, and Scotch bonnet until it falls from the bone.
Escovitch FishKingston (Surrey), Jamaica · easy · 45 minWhole snapper fried crisp, then drenched in a hot vinegar pickle of onion, carrot, Scotch bonnet, and pimento.
Ackee and SaltfishKingston (Surrey), Jamaica · medium · 35 minJamaica's national dish for breakfast: silky ackee sautéed with flaked salt cod, peppers, onion, and Scotch bonnet, eaten with fried dumplings.
Jamaican Beef PattyKingston (Surrey), Jamaica · medium · 1 h 10 minA golden turmeric-tinted pastry turnover filled with spiced, peppery ground beef, Jamaica's handheld lunch.
Sweet Potato PuddingKingston (Surrey), Jamaica · easy · 1 h 35 minA dense, spiced pudding of grated sweet potato and coconut, known for its soft top and firmer base.
Festival (Jamaican Sweet Fried Dumplings)Kingston (Surrey), Jamaica · easy · 35 minA lightly sweet dough of flour and fine cornmeal rolled into fingers and deep-fried until golden, crisp outside and soft inside, served with escovitch fish and jerk.
Solomon Gundy (Jamaican Smoked Herring Pâté)Kingston (Surrey), Jamaica · easy · 40 minSmoked red herring boiled to draw out the salt, then blended with vinegar, onion, scallion, Scotch bonnet, thyme and pimento into a spicy, tangy paste for spreading on crackers.
Pepper Shrimp (Jamaican Spicy Shell-On Shrimp)Kingston (Surrey), Jamaica · easy · 50 minShell-on shrimp cooked fast in a fiery broth of Scotch bonnet, garlic, pimento, thyme and vinegar until bright red, eaten warm from a bag and peeled with the fingers.
📋 Teaching Jamaica?A free, printable Country of the Week guide for the classroom: geography, a kid-friendly recipe, and discussion prompts.
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