Growing up in Jamaica, Jamaican Jerk chicken was very popular. It was sold mostly as street food, enjoyed by the locals and tourists alike.
19 years ago, I stopped eating meat so I had to resort to making my own jerk sauce to add to tofu or vegetables.
This version of Jamaican Jerk recipe is my own, I tried to make it as natural as possible using fresh ingredients.
From memory, the sauce has several variations to it. The main base ingredients are allspice, thyme, green onions, and scotch bonnet peppers.
Interestingly, I asked my hubby about how they made Jamaican jerk sauce where he lived on the island and he said he rarely ate jerk chicken so he couldn’t tell.
For this Jamaican Jerk Cauliflower recipe, I’m going to use tomato sauce and orange juice, but I have used pineapple juice and ketchup before. If you don’t like a lot of heat, feel free to leave the scotch bonnet pepper out.
Substitute your favorite sweetener as well to taste, maple syrup would taste great. While I was making this batch, I whipped up extra and added it to baked tofu and it was delicious as well.
I love to serve it with Jamaican Rice and Peas and Oven Baked Plantains.
How To Make Jamaican Jerk Cauliflower?
I baked the cauliflower florets using a slight variation one of my popular Cauliflower Nuggets recipe, you are also free to saute your florets instead. While the florets were baking,
I made the sauce using a food processor. I then cooked the sauce for 5 minutes then smothered the baked nuggets in the sauce. At this point, I served mine but you can put it back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
Jamaican Jerk Cauliflower tasted so good! Jerk Cauliflower takes me back to Jamaica, where life is laid back and as we say, “Jamaica No Problem.”
Other Amazing Cauliflower Recipes To Try:
Nutrition
(Per serving
)Cooking Time
Ingredients
- 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small florets
Batter
- 1/2 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk, (I use almond milk) or vegan mayo
- 1/2 cup brown rice flour, or other gluten-free flour
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- Pinch of turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
Jerk Sauce
- 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 6 allspice berries
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/4 Scotch Bonnet, or habanero pepperseeds removed and discarded (optional)
- 1/4 cup Bragg's liquid aminos, Tamari soy sauce (gluten-free)
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup orange juice
- 1/4 cup raw cane sugar, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 lime, juiced
- spring onions, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven 400 degrees. Lightly grease and line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside
- Combine batter ingredients in a bowl and whisk to form a loose batter, may need to add some water.
- Dip florets into batter one by one and place onto the baking sheet. Spray or brush with oil. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown and crispy, turning halfway.
- While cauliflower is baking, prepare the sauce.
- Place all the ingredients for the sauce in a high speed blender or food processor. Process until smooth.
- Pour sauce into a medium saucepan on medium heat. Cook stirring constantly until sauce thickens, about 3-5 minutes.
- Toss cauliflower florets with sauce.Delicious served with rice and peas!
Just wondering if you could use allspice powder instead of allspice berries if you can’t find them and if so what would be the amount. Thanks!!
Tracy, yes you can substitute with allspice powder. Since the powder is more concentrated, I always start with 1/4 teaspoon and work my way up after tasting.
I will definitely make this again. Shared recipe with my neighbor.
Karen, I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you for sharing!
Hi Michelle, I’m really excited to try this recipe which I’m planning to make tonight. The recipe calls for 6 allspice berries and I have ground allspice….do you know what measurement I should use?
Noella, you could use 1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice or even 1/4 teaspoon for more traditional flavor. I hope you enjoy.
Thank you for the recipe. I am trying to eat healthier and will try and surprise my wife with this one.
Greg that’s awesome, so nice of you. I hope that you and your wife enjoy it.
This is fantastic! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe. My family loved it!
Karen, I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your feedback with us.
This recipe is excellent. It’s become one of go to meals. I’ve made it with and without the batter. Obviously the cauliflower is better when batter, but I was trying to cut calories. I batch cook on the weekends and the unbattered cauliflower doesn’t get soggy. Love this!
are all allpsice berries the same as pimentos?? i have some from Jamaica and im wondering if that is the same thing. but your using a different name??
Rameca, yes they are the ones. I’m from Jamaica.
I created a new board called “Absolute Favorites” because of this recipe. I’m not kidding. I’m usually a photo nerd but this came together so effortlessly and quickly there was no time for photos. We made a bowl with the finished cauliflower nuggets and added fresh spinach greens sautéed in coconut oil, 1/4 tsp sumac, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, and a squeeze of lemon with some brown rice and the jerk sauce drizzled over top. Regarding the jerk sauce, I subbed the tomato sauce with V8 and the orange juice with pineapple juice (what I had on hand). I added the cinnamon and nutmeg too. WOW!
Laura, that’s awesome to hear. I’m so happy you enjoy the recipe and love your adjustments, yum! Thank you for your feedback.
This looks so amazing!! I want to make this soon! I’m wondering is there a store bought jerk sauce you would recommend for those of us who aren’t able to gather the sauce ingredients? Thanks in advance!
Hello Jen, thank you. I have used Walkerswood brand and didn’t like it at all. It is sold at Walmart here in the US. My fresh sauce tastes way better.
This was amazing!!! Thanks!
That’s wonderful Michelle, I’m so happy you enjoyed it, thank you very much for your feedback.
OMG!!! This is SO delicious!! Thankyou for sharing. I’ve never tried all these flavors together but they are so good!
You are welcome Amber, I’m so happy you enjoy it. Thank you for your feedback.
I can’t seem to get my cauliflower crispy..help please. It comes out gooy before I put jerk sauce on it
Four things you could do are, bake the cauliflower longer, deep fry the nuggets to crisp them up, make a thinner sauce by adding veggie broth, or use the recipe for my cauliflower nuggets as your base https://healthiersteps.com/recipe/cauliflower-nuggets-vegan-gluten-free/
Looks incredible. I have to make this soon. Is the tomato sauce fresh or ketchup? Thanks
Idris, thank you. I used a store bought tomato sauce from a jar but ketchup would work.
Great. Thank you! I think I’ll use passata and see how I go.
Very easy to make & delicious
Thank you Kimberley, I happy you enjoyed it.
I must say I really, really enjoyed this. Being Jamaican, means if you don’t eat good any other day you eat well on Sundays. With that in mind I was not sure if I made this as the main dish that I was going to enjoy it , but my oh my was I wrong! I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for the recipe.
Kandie, thank you for my feedback you made my day. I’m so happy you enjoyed it. Yes, Sunday dinner was a big deal growing up. Nowadays it’s not so huge in my home because traditionally dinner would be already cooked and I didn’t even start preparing it as yet, lol
What would I substitute the nutritional yeast? I am not vegan but the recipe looks great. I just don’t have any nutritional yeast and want to make sure I get the flavors right!
I have not had it before but I have read Parmesan cheese is a substitute for it, but not sure if that would work in this recipe
Hello Kate it will be fine if you omit the nutritional yeast flakes, hope you enjoy it.
Flavors really hit the spot! I made the rice in the picture as well and it creates such a tasty dinner bowl. Can’t wait to try out more recipes!
Kate, I’m so happy you enjoyed it and I love how you made the rice and peas as well. Thank you for your feedback.
Made this for a client today! Came out great. YUM. Thanks for the delicious recipe :)
Thank you for the great news, I’m happy you are satisfied.
This looks incredible. Please come to my house and cook this for me! ?
Hahaha, thank you Debbie!
I’ll have to put this through the myfitnesspal app to see how much sodium it contains. I’d like it to be low and this sounds amazing. Perhaps, avoiding the salt will be enough. This looks like such an explosion of tastes that I don’t think the salt will be missed
Sounds like a wonderful idea Kate, please enjoy!
Hi, Can I make this ahead of time and reheat it ?
Rosemary, personally I prefer to make this recipe the day of. I love the idea of the cauliflower itself being on the firm side by just having the sauce poured on the baked cauliflower florets right before serving. It will be soft and soggy when reheated after the cauliflower have been soaking in the sauce overnight.
Absolutely delicious! Will definitely make again. Really loved the flavor, thanks so much for creating and sharing this wonderful recipe!
I”m happy you enjoyed it Anne, you are welcome.
If I could give This a 6th star, I would! This recipe was AMAZINGGGG!!!! I know a recipe is good when I start dancing while eating and I was DANCINGGG! THANK YOU!!!
Deanna you make my day, thank you very much for your feedback. I love that you are dancing, a great way to burn calories.
Hello
I’m sorry but how do you make the batter?
Sha, I have edited the recipe and added the section for the batter.
URGENT! Hey, me again – just wanna point out that you haven’t specified which ingredients are the batter ingredients and which are the sauce ones! We are making this tomorrow – can you please tell us! Adele :)
So sorry Adele, just seeing this. Will edit now!
Hey!! Can you please tell me how many serving this makes?
Thank you
Adele
Adele, going through the recipe I realize that I didn’t transcribe the method properly so I’m going to revisit it today and make an update after I’m finished making it and reshooting photos. Myfitnesspal is a great app to use for nutritional info but this recipe. A 2 lb head of cauliflower is about 6 servings.
I’m going to make these for my hubby tonight!:) Thanks so much for this recipe! I’ll have to substitute some of the ingredients, but i’m looking forward to making it. Thanks again!
This is a great idea, a new recipe for cauliflower!
Awesome Tamara, hope you enjoyed it!