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This sweet and spicy Jamaican Jerk Pork recipe is a breeze to prepare thanks to the trusty slow cooker or crockpot! This tender, juicy pork is bursting with piquant tropical flavor and finished with a simple pineapple salsa! Extremely flavorful and mostly hands off to prepare, this Caribbean pork recipe will become a highly requested family favorite!
Table of Contents
- About this recipe for jerk pork
- What is jerk pork?
- Where did Jamaican jerk pork originate?
- How to make jerk pork?
- Step-by-step photos: Making jerk pork jamaica at home
- What goes with jerk pork recipes?
- 7 sides to serve with this recipe
- Delicious veggie sides for pork
- FAQs: jamaican pork
- How to season Caribbean jerk pork?
- What temperature to cook jamaican pork recipes?
- Storing this Jamaican pork recipe
- Can I prepare this recipe in advance?
- How long will jerk pork recipe keep?
- Can you freeze Carribean pork?
- How to reheat jerk pork shoulder?
- Nutritional information
- Is this Jamaican jerk pork recipe healthy?
- How many calories in a jerk pork roast?
- More pork dinners!
- Jerk Pork Recipe
- Equipment
- Ingredients
- Pineapple Salsa: (yield about 2 cups)
- Instructions
- Notes
- Nutrition
About this recipe for jerk pork
This pork recipe is outrageously delicious and insanely easy to make!
Rubbed with a fragrant Jerk seasoning and slow cooked to perfection, this pork is bursting with savory, spicy and slightly sweet Caribbean flavors! With a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth tender interior and a delightfully crispy-edged exterior, this jerk pork is incredibly moist and loaded with succulent Caribbean flavor in every bite!
Finished with a juicy tropical salsa packed with pineapple, jalapeno, red onion and cilantro, this dish is like a warm island vacation for your tastebuds!
Mostly hands off to prepare thanks to the crockpot or slow cooker, this 5-star flavored pork is maximum in taste with minimal effort! Just throw the ingredients into the slow cooker, let it do all the work and come home to a delicious, ready to serve dinner that your whole family will love!
What is jerk pork?
Jerk is a style of cooking in which meat is rubbed or marinated with a unique hot and smoky spice mixture known as Jamaican jerk seasoning. The meat used in jerk-style cooking is traditionally pork or chicken, however fish, seafood, beef, vegetables and even fruit can be used.
Traditionally, meat is slow smoked or barbecued over pimento wood, however jerk-style food can also be cooked in the oven, slow cooker or on the stove-top.
Where did Jamaican jerk pork originate?
Jerk cuisine originated with the Taino, or Arawak Indians, who were the indigenous people of the Caribbean. They developed the cooking method and later taught it to African slaves who adapted it into jerk cooking.
Jerk cooking and jerk pork is native to Jamaica but can be found throughout the Caribbean.
How to make jerk pork?
This tropical jerk pork is so easy it practically cooks itself! All you have to do is dump the ingredients into the slow cooker and go!
- Season pork: Pat cubes of pork dry before adding to large bowl. Drizzle with oil and toss to coat. Then, sprinkle jerk seasoning and salt all over the pork. Use your hands or tongs to mix and toss the pork until thoroughly coated.
- Marinate: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.
- Add to slow cooker: Remove the pork from the refrigerator and allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while you prep the other ingredients. Then, transfer the pork to a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Next, add the onions, garlic, peppers, ginger, orange juice, lime juice, sugar and soy sauce to the crockpot.
- Cook: Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or until the pork is fork tender.
- While the pork is cooking, make the salsa: Combine all the ingredients for the salsa in a medium bowl. Toss together, then taste and adjust for seasoning before setting aside in the fridge.
- Skim and strain: Skim and discard the fat from the top of the cooking liquid in the slow cooker. Then, strain the cooking liquid into a measuring cup or bowl.
- OPTIONAL to Crisp Pork: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a large sheet pan. Arrange oven rack to the upper-middle third of the oven. Preheat the oven to BROIL.
- Add ¼ to ½ cup of the strained cooking liquid to the pork and gently toss to coat. Broil the pork for 3-5 minutes, until crisp. Remove from the oven, flip the pork and toss with another ¼ to ½ cup cooking liquid. Broil an additional 3-5 minutes.
- Serve: Transfer Caribbean jerk pork to a serving bowl and drizzle a bit of cooking liquid over the top. Serve hot with salsa in your favorite tacos or over rice! Enjoy!
Step-by-step photos: Making jerk pork jamaica at home
(Scroll down for the detailed measurements and instructions in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.)
What goes with jerk pork recipes?
Wondering what to serve with your juicy, succulent jerk pulled pork? Jamaican pork goes well with a variety of side dishes, but keep in mind that jerk is on the spicy side. It will pair best with a fresh, slightly sweet or tangy side to tame the heat!
7 sides to serve with this recipe
- White Rice
- Coconut Rice
- Rice and Peas
- Black Beans Cuban Style
- Ranchero Beans
- Tropical Salsa
- Fresh Fruit
- Fried Plantains
Delicious veggie sides for pork
- Caribbean Corn or Fresh Corn Salsa
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Mashed Butternut Squash
- Jamaican Callaloo or Collard Greens
- Coleslaw
- Caribbean Seasoned Grilled Vegetables (peppers, onions, zucchini, squash or zucchini)
FAQs: jamaican pork
How to season Caribbean jerk pork?
For the best flavor, you should season pork with Jamaican jerk spice mix. The piquant, hot spice mixture gives pork a uniquely delicious Caribbean flavor.
Jerk seasoning can be found as a dry-rub or wet marinade and traditionally consists of all spice and chili peppers. Other ingredients used to season jerk pork may include cinnamon, nutmeg, thyme, garlic, scallions, brown sugar, ginger and salt.
What temperature to cook jamaican pork recipes?
Traditionally jerk-style pork is smoked or grilled over medium-low indirect heat. While you won’t be getting any smoke flavor in this slow cooker method, you will still be getting incredibly tender, fall-apart meat by braising low and slow. This recipe for Caribbean pork cooks the jerk pork at the low temperature setting on a slow cooker for 6 to 7 hours.
Storing this Jamaican pork recipe
Can I prepare this recipe in advance?
You can marinate this Caribbean pork recipeup to 24 hours in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Either store pork in a zip-closure bag or place pork in a dish covered tightly with plastic wrap.
How long will jerk pork recipe keep?
Allow leftover jerk pulled pork to cool to room temperature. Transfer to a zip-closure bag or air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days.
Can you freeze Carribean pork?
Jamaican jerk pulled pork freezes beautifully!
Pork in its marinade can be frozen, in a freezer-safe zip-closure bag, for up to 1 month. When ready to use, allow pork to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Pro-tip: When thawing, place the bag of pork in a large bowl to catch any leaks.
Alternatively, cooked jerk pork can be frozen. To freeze, allow pork to cool completely before transferring to freezer-safe zip-closure bags. Frozen pork will keep for up to 2 to 3 months. When ready to eat, allow pork to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Pro-tip: Package and freeze pork in small, individual servings to have on hand for quick and easy meals!
How to reheat jerk pork shoulder?
Leftover caribbean pork is perfect for quick lunches and dinners! Or, you can shred the Jamaican pork and add it to tacos, stir it into rice, or use it to as a protein topping for slaw!
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Place the pork into a baking dish along with any accumulated juices. If pork seems dry, add a couple splashed of orange juice, stock or broth. Cover tightly with foil.
- Reheat until the pork is heated throughout and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
Nutritional information
Is this Jamaican jerk pork recipe healthy?
This pork recipe utilizes a boneless pork butt. While this cut of pork does contain protein and beneficial essential vitamins and minerals, it also has a good amount of calories and fat. You can reduce the fat content by trimming any hard, visible fat from the pork before cooking. Also, make sure you skim and discard any the fat from the top of the cooking liquid. However, pork butt should not be consumed daily as part of a healthy diet.
For a healthier Caribbean jerk pork recipe, substitute boneless pork loin (also referred to as pork roast or center cut pork roast). Pork loin is leaner and has less saturated fat than pork butt.
How many calories in a jerk pork roast?
The exact number of calories and carbohydrates will depend upon the precise measurement and ingredients used. This easy Jamaican Jerk Pork recipe serves six and has approximately 384 calories and 10 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
This dump and go carribean pork requires minimal prep beforehand – simply throw it in the crockpot, walk away and come home to an utterly delicious meal you and your family will love!
Until next time, friends, cheers – to lazy weeknight dinners!
Cheyanne
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More pork dinners!
- Easy Carolina Pulled Pork
- Pork with Apricot Sauce
- Garlic Herb Pork Chops
- Ginger Honey Glazed Pork Chops
- Cinnamon Pork Chops with Apples
The best Caribbean pork recipe recipe👇
Jerk Pork Recipe
5 from 5 votes
Author: Cheyanne Holzworth
Total Time: 6 hours hrs 15 minutes mins
Prep Time: 15 minutes mins
Cook Time: 6 hours hrs
Servings: 6 people
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Sweet and spicy Jamaican Jerk Pork is incredibly easy to make thanks to the trusty slow cooker or crockpot! This tender, juicy pork is bursting with piquant Caribbean flavor and finished with a simple tropical pineapple salsa! Extremely flavorful and mostly hands off to prepare, this recipe will become a highly requested family favorite!
Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Equipment
Large Bowl
Slow Cooker or Crockpot
Large Rimmed Sheet Pan (optional)
Ingredients
- 3 Pound Boneless Pork Butt – trimmed of fat & cut into 2-inch chunks
- 2 TBS Neutral Oil – such as canola or vegetable (SEE NOTES)
- 4 TBS Jerk Seasoning – homemade or store-bought (SEE NOTES)
- Kosher Salt - to taste
- 1 Bunch Green Onion – cut into 3-inch pieces
- 3 Cloves Garlic – smashed & peeled
- 1-2 Jalapeno or Habanero Peppers – stemmed & roughly chopped (SEE NOTES)
- ½-inch Piece Fresh Ginger – peeled and sliced
- ¾ Cup Fresh Orange Juice - (from about 4 oranges)
- ¼ Cup Fresh Lime Juice – (from about 2 limes)
- 1 TBS EACH: Dark Brown Sugar and Low Sodium-Soy Sauce
Pineapple Salsa: (yield about 2 cups)
- 1 ½ Cups Fresh Diced Pineapple
- 1 Jalapeno – stemmed, seeded & finely diced
- ¼ Red Onion – finely diced
- 2-3 TBS Cilantro Leaves – chopped
- 2-3 TBS Fresh Lime Juice
- 1 tsp Honey
- Optional Garnishes: Sliced Scallions, Micro greens, Fresh Thyme
- Serving Suggestions: Lime Wedges, Sliced Avocado, Rice or Slaw
Instructions
Season pork: On a clean work surface, pat cubes of pork dry with paper towels. Transfer pork to a large bowl and drizzle with oil (SEE NOTES). Toss to coat. Sprinkle the pork with jerk seasoning. Season with salt to taste. Use your hands or tongs to mix and toss the pork until thoroughly coated.
(NOTE: You may want to wear gloves as the mixture will be spicy. Don’t touch your face or eyes until after you wash your hands!)
Marinate: Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer to a large zip-closure bag and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or preferably overnight.
Add to slow cooker: Remove the pork from the refrigerator and allow the meat to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes while you prep the other ingredients. Transfer pork to the bowl of a 5-6 quart slow cooker. Add the onions, garlic, peppers, ginger, orange juice, lime juice, sugar and soy sauce.
Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours, or until the pork is fork tender and falls apart easily.
While the pork is cooking, make the salsa: Combine all the ingredients for the salsa in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Skim fat & strain liquid: Skim and discard the fat from the top of the cooking liquid in the slow cooker. Strain the cooking liquid into a measuring cup or bowl.
OPTIONAL to Crisp Pork: Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pork to a large rimmed sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Arrange oven rack to the upper-middle third of the oven. Preheat the oven to BROIL.
OPTIONAL - Broil: Add ¼ to ½ cup of the strained cooking liquid to the pork and gently toss to coat. Broil 3-5 minutes or until crisp. Remove from the oven, flip the pork and toss with another ¼ to ½ cup cooking liquid. Broil and additional 3-5 minutes. NOTE: Watch the oven carefully as pork can go from golden brown and crispy to burned very quickly!
Serve: Transfer pork to a serving bowl and drizzle a bit of cooking liquid over the top. Serve hot with salsa in your favorite tacos or over rice! Enjoy!
Notes
- While I prefer to make my own seasoning, you can use prepackaged. If using store-bought recommend either the brands Walkerswood or Grace wet Jerk Seasoning which has a paste-like consistency. If using a paste or marinade jerk seasoning, omit using the neutral oil. For recipe to homemade jerk seasoning click HERE.
- If you don’t like a lot of heat, use 1 jalapeno pepper. Make sure you remove the seeds and ribs from the pepper before proceeding with the recipe instructions. If you like mild heat, use 2 jalapenos and leave the seeds in the pepper. If you like medium heat, try using a habanero pepper, you can either discard the seeds for a mild to medium heat or leave the seeds for a spicier medium heat. If you like things spicy, use 2 habanero peppers.
Nutritional information is an estimate based upon 6 servings and does not include salsa.
Nutrition
Calories: 384kcal Carbohydrates: 10g Protein: 44g Fat: 18g Saturated Fat: 5g Cholesterol: 136mg Sodium: 237mg Potassium: 964mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 5g Vitamin A: 1708IU Vitamin C: 23mg Calcium: 58mg Iron: 4mg
Course: entree, main
Cuisine: Fusion, Jamaican
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