Charred Habanero Jerk Sauce
Time
- Prep: 10 min
- Cook: 15 min
- Total: 25 min
Servings: 16
Serving: 1 Tbsp (15 ml / ~0.5 fl oz)
Ingredients
- Scallions: 5 — whole, roots trimmed
- Habanero peppers: 3 — stems removed; adjust to taste
- Garlic: 4 — peeled
- Roma tomato: 60 g (1 small) — halved
- Fresh lime juice: 60 g (¼ cup)
- Soy sauce: 45 g (3 Tbsp) — regular or low-sodium
- Light brown sugar: 24 g (2 Tbsp) — packed
- Neutral oil: ~15 g (~1 Tbsp) — for charring
- Water: 30 g (2 Tbsp) + more as needed
Jerk-spice component
- Ground allspice: 1½ tsp
- Dried thyme: 1 tsp — or 2 tsp fresh leaves
- Ground ginger: ½ tsp — or 1 tsp grated fresh
- Black pepper: ½ tsp
- Ground cinnamon: ¼ tsp
- Ground nutmeg: ¼ tsp
- Ground clove: small pinch — optional
- Kosher salt: ½ tsp + more to taste
Instructions
1. Char the aromatics
- Heat a grill or broiler to high.
- Toss 5 scallions, 3 habanero peppers, 4 garlic, and 60 g (1 small) roma tomato with ~15 g (~1 Tbsp) neutral oil.
- Grill or broil, turning occasionally, until well blistered and lightly blackened in spots, 5–8 minutes.
2. Prep the peppers
- For less heat, slit the habaneros and scrape out some or all of the seeds and membranes.
- For maximum heat, leave the peppers intact (just remove any stems).
3. Blend the sauce
- Transfer the charred scallions, habaneros, garlic, and tomato to a blender or food processor.
- Add 60 g (¼ cup) fresh lime juice, 45 g (3 Tbsp) soy sauce, 24 g (2 Tbsp) light brown sugar, and 30 g (2 Tbsp) + more as needed water.
- Add the jerk-spice component:
- 1½ tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- small pinch ground clove (optional)
- ½ tsp + more to taste kosher salt
- Blend until mostly smooth but still slightly textured. If needed, add a splash of water at a time to help it move.
4. Briefly cook
- Pour the blended sauce into a small saucepan.
- Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat and cook 5–10 minutes, stirring often, until slightly thickened and the raw edge is gone.
- If it gets too thick, loosen with a bit more water or lime juice.
5. Adjust and cool
- Taste and adjust with more lime for brightness, more brown sugar for sweetness, more soy for salt/umami, or a pinch more allspice/thyme for jerk flavor.
- Let cool completely before transferring to a clean jar or bottle.
Notes / Make-ahead / Variations
- Yield: about 1 cup (roughly one small bottle); use about ¼ cup per pound of chicken, pork, shrimp, or vegetables as a marinade.
- Marinate proteins 1–12 hours in the refrigerator before cooking.
- For use as a finishing or hot sauce, thin with a bit of lime juice or water until pourable.
- Heat level: start with 2 habaneros for moderate heat; use 3–5 for a very hot sauce.
- Sauce keeps about 2 weeks refrigerated; for longer storage, freeze in small portions.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Full Recipe | Per Serving (1 Tbsp or 15 ml / ~0.5 fl oz) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 352 | 22 |
| Protein | 8 g | 0.5 g |
| Fat | 16 g | 1 g |
| Carbs | 52.8 g | 3.3 g |
| Fiber | 6.4 g | 0.4 g |
| Sugars | 28.8 g | 1.8 g |
| Sodium | 3040 mg | 190 mg |