Recipes

Authentic Jamaican flavour. Proudly crafted. Naturally bold.

Festival-Ready Recipes

Discover easy Jamaican-inspired meals made brighter with Jamrock Harvest flavour.

From the roadside to your kitchen

Six favourites. Plenty of Jamaican flavour.

Build your plate with golden festival, bold jerk chicken, tangy escovitch fish and pepper shrimp. Open any recipe for ingredients, step-by-step cooking instructions and serving ideas.

01 / Street-side classic

Golden Jamaican Festival

Makes 12 · About 40 minutes

Lightly sweet cornmeal dumplings with a crisp golden crust and a soft centre. The perfect partner for jerk chicken and escovitch fish.

View recipe: Golden Jamaican Festival

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup fine yellow cornmeal
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons softened butter
  • ¾ cup water, plus a little extra if needed
  • Neutral vegetable oil for frying

Method

  1. Mix the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Rub in the butter until evenly distributed.
  2. Add the water gradually, mixing into a soft dough that holds together without feeling wet. Knead gently just until smooth, then cover and rest for 10 minutes.
  3. Divide into 12 pieces and roll into short, plump fingers about 10 cm long. Keep them evenly sized so the centres cook through.
  4. Heat about 5 cm of oil in a deep, sturdy pan to 170–175°C. Keep the pan less than half full. Fry in small batches for 6–8 minutes, turning, until evenly golden and cooked through.
  5. Drain on a rack or paper towel and serve warm. Reduce the heat if the outside colours before the centre cooks.

Kitchen tip: Serve with jerk chicken or escovitch fish and a little Jamrock Harvest West Indian Red Pepper Sauce on the side.

02 / The cookout favourite

Jerk Chicken & Rice and Peas

Serves 4 · About 1 hour, plus marinating

Well-seasoned chicken, coconut rice and peas, and a fresh cucumber side: a proper Jamaican festival plate.

View recipe: Jerk Chicken & Rice and Peas

Ingredients

  • 1 kg bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
  • 4 tablespoons Jamrock Harvest Jamaican Jerk Marinade, or the label-recommended amount
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 batch Coconut Rice and Peas (recipe below)
  • 1 cucumber and 2 tomatoes, sliced
  • Golden festival, optional, to serve

Method

  1. Pat the chicken dry. Mix the jerk marinade, oil and lime juice, coat the chicken, then cover and refrigerate for 2–12 hours. Follow any preparation guidance on the marinade label.
  2. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a roasting tray and roast for about 40–50 minutes, turning once.
  3. Check the thickest part of each piece with a food thermometer, avoiding the bone: the chicken must reach at least 74°C / 165°F. Larger pieces may need longer. Discard marinade that has touched raw chicken.
  4. While the chicken cooks, prepare the Coconut Rice and Peas below. Rest the cooked chicken for 5 minutes.
  5. Serve with the rice and peas, sliced cucumber and tomato. Add golden festival for a generous sharing plate.

Kitchen tip: For a milder plate, start with a smaller amount of jerk marinade and offer extra pepper sauce separately. Add salt only if needed; prepared marinades may already contain it.

03 / Coastal favourite

Escovitch Fish & Festival

Serves 4 · About 45 minutes, plus festival

Crisp fried fish topped with tangy carrot, onion, sweet pepper and pimento pickle. Serve with freshly fried festival.

View recipe: Escovitch Fish & Festival

Ingredients

  • 4 firm white-fish fillets, about 150–180 g each
  • ¾ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • Vegetable oil for shallow-frying
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 carrot, cut into thin strips
  • ½ sweet pepper, thinly sliced
  • ½ cup white vinegar and ¼ cup water
  • 6 pimento (allspice) berries and 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ¼–½ Scotch bonnet, sliced, optional
  • Golden festival (recipe above), to serve

Method

  1. Pat the fish thoroughly dry and season with the salt and black pepper. Heat a shallow layer of oil over medium-high heat.
  2. Fry the fish for roughly 3–5 minutes per side, depending on thickness, until crisp. The centre must reach 63°C / 145°F. Lift out carefully and drain.
  3. In a separate small pan, combine the vinegar, water, pimento berries and sugar. Bring to a simmer, then add the onion, carrot, sweet pepper and optional Scotch bonnet.
  4. Simmer for 2–3 minutes so the vegetables soften slightly while retaining a little crunch. Spoon the hot pickle and vegetables over the cooked fish.
  5. Serve with golden festival. Remove the whole pimento berries before eating.

Kitchen tip: Control the pepper to suit your guests. For a Jamrock Harvest twist, leave out the Scotch bonnet and stir a small dash of West Indian Red Pepper Sauce into the finished pickle.

04 / Roadside-inspired

Jamaican Pepper Shrimp

Serves 4 as a starter · About 20 minutes

Juicy shrimp tossed with garlic, thyme and a lively pepper finish. Delicious with festival for soaking up the pan juices.

View recipe: Jamaican Pepper Shrimp

Ingredients

  • 450 g raw shrimp, deveined; shells on or off
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 2 scallions, sliced
  • 2 thyme sprigs
  • ¼ teaspoon ground pimento (allspice)
  • 1 teaspoon paprika, optional
  • 2–3 teaspoons Jamrock Harvest West Indian Red Pepper Sauce, to taste
  • ¼ cup water and 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • Salt, only if needed

Method

  1. Pat the shrimp dry. Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic, scallions and thyme; stir for about 1 minute without browning the garlic.
  2. Stir in the pimento, optional paprika, water and 2 teaspoons of pepper sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  3. Add the shrimp and cook for about 3–5 minutes, turning, until the flesh is opaque throughout. Shell-on or larger shrimp may take longer.
  4. Stir in the lime juice. Taste the cooked sauce and adjust the pepper sauce and salt. Remove the thyme stems.
  5. Serve immediately with golden festival or plain rice. Peel shell-on shrimp before eating.

Kitchen tip: Start gently with the pepper sauce and let guests add more at the table. Paprika adds colour without the intense heat of extra Scotch bonnet.

05 / Made for sharing

Oven-Roasted Jerk Wings

Serves 4 · About 55 minutes, plus marinating

Sticky-edged, oven-roasted wings with bold jerk seasoning: an easy crowd-pleaser for a backyard lime or family gathering.

View recipe: Oven-Roasted Jerk Wings

Ingredients

  • 1 kg chicken wings, separated at the joints
  • 3–4 tablespoons Jamrock Harvest Jamaican Jerk Marinade, or the label-recommended amount
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon honey, optional
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • Golden festival and cucumber sticks, to serve

Method

  1. Pat the wings dry. Toss with the jerk marinade and oil. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight, following the marinade label guidance.
  2. Heat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Spread the wings on a lightly oiled rack set over a lined baking tray, leaving space between them.
  3. Roast for 40–45 minutes, turning halfway. If using honey, mix it with the lime juice in a clean bowl and brush on during the final 5 minutes; otherwise add lime juice after cooking.
  4. Check several of the largest wings with a food thermometer, away from bone. They must reach at least 74°C / 165°F; cook longer if required. Discard any leftover raw-chicken marinade.
  5. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve with festival and cucumber sticks.

Kitchen tip: Keep the wings in one layer so they roast evenly. For extra heat, add a few drops of West Indian Red Pepper Sauce after cooking.

06 / Complete your plate

Coconut Rice and Peas

Serves 4–6 · About 45 minutes

Aromatic rice with red kidney beans, coconut milk, scallion, thyme and pimento. A comforting side for jerk chicken or fish.

View recipe: Coconut Rice and Peas

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
  • 1 can cooked red kidney beans (about 400 g), drained and rinsed
  • 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (400 ml)
  • 350 ml water, plus a little extra if needed
  • 2 scallions, bruised
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3 thyme sprigs and 4 pimento (allspice) berries
  • 1 whole, uncut Scotch bonnet, optional
  • ¾ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Method

  1. Put the coconut milk, water, cooked beans, scallions, garlic, thyme, pimento and salt in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. Stir in the drained rice once. Lay the whole Scotch bonnet on top if using; keep it intact for a gentler flavour.
  3. Bring back to a simmer, cover tightly and reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 18–22 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Avoid repeated stirring.
  4. If the rice is still firm and the pot is dry, add 2–3 tablespoons of hot water, cover and cook for a few more minutes.
  5. Remove from the heat and rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the Scotch bonnet, thyme stems, scallions and pimento berries, then fluff with a fork.

Kitchen tip: This version uses fully cooked canned beans for convenience. Keep the Scotch bonnet whole and remove it gently before serving.

Make it a Jamrock Harvest meal. Use Jamaican Jerk Marinade to season your chicken, and serve West Indian Red Pepper Sauce alongside fish, shrimp and festival. Start with a little and build the heat to taste.

Explore our sauces & marinade →

Times are approximate and vary with your cooker and ingredient size. Use a food thermometer for chicken and fish. Check product labels for ingredients, allergens and preparation guidance. Festival contains wheat and butter; the seafood recipes contain fish or shellfish. Cooking temperature guidance.