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Jamaican Jerk Shrimp Skewers

5 from 1 vote

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These Jamaican jerk shrimp skewers are perfect for a weeknight meal or a daytime lunch. They have the perfect amount of spice and zest to them.

Overhead photo of shrimp on skewers seasoned with Jamaican jerk spices.

Get some spice in your life

Jamaican Jerk seasoning is one of my favorite spice mixtures to use. It brings spice, sweet and heat all together in one bite. You won’t go wrong when you season your shrimp, chicken or fish with this blend.

What does the ‘Jerk’ in Jamaican Jerk mean?

The jerk portion of the name is referring to which type of meat you are cooking with. In this case it would be shrimp would be the jerk. The seasoning becomes a type of marinade on top of the protein. Sometimes Jamaican jerk is turned into a paste and will become the marinade for chicken, pork, beef, fish or goat.

Ingredients you will need for your skewers

  • Large shrimp (prawns); I love using large tails on prawns. They have a nice bite to them and are full of meat.
  • Lemon; add a little bit of acidity with all the spice.
  • Jamaican Jerk seasoning; a blend of spices that have a nice heat element to them.
  • Extra virgin olive oil; helps keep the seasoning on the shrimp.
  • Dill; added garnish
  • Cedar plank; medium size to your plank will do.

What spices are in Jamaican Jerk

  • Cumin
  • Nutmeg
  • Allspice
  • Smoke paprika 
  • Cinnamon
  • Red pepper flakes
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Brown sugar
  • Clove
  • Dried thyme
  • Dried parsley

How to video

How to create the shrimp skewers

  1. Heat oven to 375° F
  2. Soak Cedar planks in water for 15 minutes each side to prepare.
  3. In a medium sized bowl, add your peeled deveined shrimp. I prefer to keep the tail on. This just makes for a better look.
  4. In a medium sized bowl, season shrimp with Jamaican Jerk seasoning and olive oil.
  5. Mix together well and make sure every shrimp is coated with the seasoning.
  6. Using wood or metal skewers shrimp and lemons.
  7. For every two shrimp alternate adding lemon in between.
  8. Place on a cedar plank or a baking sheet.
  9. Bacon in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes.
  10. Once the shrimp is cooked, remove from the oven and enjoy a nice bed of sticky rice!

Pro Tips

  • Make sure that you don’t overcook your shrimp. Remember shrimp cook very quickly so 8 to 12 minutes is plenty in the oven.
  • Switch it up, if you don’t like shrimp, you can use pork, chicken or even beef for the same technique and style of cooking.

How to make Jamacian Jerk blend from scratch

Mix all spices together in a small bowl. Store the leftovers in a cool dry place.

  • 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp dried parsley
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/2 tsp. Red pepper flakes
  • 1/2 tsp. Ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp nutmeg 
  • ¼ tsp ground clove
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • 2 tsp. Brown sugar

To store, freeze and reheat

Store

The store skewers remove meat and lemons from the skewer sticks and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Freeze

To freeze, remove from skewers placed in an airtight Ziploc bag and freeze for up to one to two months.

Reheat

Reheat shrimp skewers in an oven set to 300° F. Add a little bit of water to the sheet pan so that it creates steam while they’re reheating. Cover The sheet pan lightly with foil and heat for about 10 minutes. Try not to over heat them so they do not become rubbery.

2 Shrimp Skewers stacke on top of each other with Jamacian Jerk seasoning

Jamaican Jerk Shrimp Skewers

These Jamaican jerk shrimp skewers are perfect for a weeknight meal or a daytime lunch. They have the perfect amount of spice and zest to them.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4
Calories 146 kcal

Equipment

  • Cedar Plank
  • Oven

Ingredients
  

  • 1-2 Lb Prawns deveined with tail on
  • 2 tbsp. Jamaican Jerk seasoning Savory and Spice
  • 2 tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 Lemon thinly sliced and halved
  • 2 Medium sized Cedar Planks
  • Dill for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Heat oven to 375° F
  • Soak Cedar planks in water for 15 minutes each side to prepare.
  • In a medium sized bowl, add your peeled deveined shrimp. I prefer to keep the tail on. This just makes for a better look.
  • In a medium sized bowl, season shrimp with Jamaican Jerk seasoning and olive oil.
  • Mix together well and make sure every shrimp is coated with the seasoning.
  • Using wood or metal skewers shrimp and lemons.
  • For every two shrimp alternate adding lemon in between.
  • Place on a cedar plank or a baking sheet.
  • Bacon in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes.
  • Once the shrimp is cooked, remove from the oven and enjoy a nice bed of sticky rice!

Notes

  • Make sure that you don’t overcook your shrimp. Remember shrimp cook very quickly so 8 to 12 minutes is plenty in the oven.
  • Switch it up, if you don’t like shrimp, you can use pork, chicken or even beef for the same technique and style of cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 146kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 15gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 143mgSodium: 642mgPotassium: 128mgVitamin A: 204IUCalcium: 61mgIron: 0.3mg
Keyword Meat, Quick & Easy, Quick Meal
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By on October 3rd, 2022

About thebuttababe

HI I'm Alex! Self-Taught Home Chef and Food Photographer. I am here to help you build confidence in the kitchen. We will always have laughs and fun along the way!

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1 thought on “Jamaican Jerk Shrimp Skewers”

  1. 5 stars
    This dish has the right amount of spice and doesn’t overpower your taste buds. It’s a must have for a ‘shrimp’ rotation in the kitchen.

    Reply

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