Add some flavor to your plate with these delicious traditional Jamaican recipes. From breakfast to mains, drinks and sides, these recipes are always super popular! Learn how to cook with Jamaican ingredients and methods for dishes full of flavor and soul. These island recipes are sure to brighten your day!
These Jamaican recipes are ones that I grew up with, that my Mother would make me, and my go to’s when I want some comfort food. Jamaican food is full of bright and vibrant flavors that I just can’t get enough of.
A lot of these recipes use traditional cooking techniques, but I’ve also included some air fryer and Instant Pot recipes as well. Find quick and simple recipes that are easy to make after a busy day at work, and rich and tasty slow-cooked stews that are perfect for the weekend.
Enjoy a taste of the Caribbean!
My Forking Life Jamaican Recipes
Discover new and vibrant flavors with my favorite and most popular Jamaican recipes. Try something new, you'll find lots of inspiration here!
Ackee and saltfish is Jamaica’s national dish. It’s typically served for breakfast on the weekends but can be eaten any time of the day. This recipe is a staple in the Caribbean kitchen.
Cooking the most delicious plantains has never been easier than in the air fryer! Quick and easy to cook and prep, they make for one tasty appetizer or serve up as a side with your favorite Caribbean dishes.
Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge is smooth, creamy, and comforting. A popular breakfast dish in Jamaica, this porridge is the perfect recipe to start the day. This porridge is the breakfast of champions! It’s so comforting and it’ll keep you full and ready to tackle your day.
This Jamaican Callaloo and Saltfish recipe is the perfect main course or side dish for any meal. Generally eaten for breakfast in Jamaica, this delicious dish can be served at any time of the day.
These Banana Fritters are a delicious way to use up your ripe bananas. Fried to golden perfection, they are full of flavor and perfect for any meal.
These Jamaican saltfish fritters are a common snack or appetizer. Made with salted cod, and seasoned with fresh scallion, thyme, and scotch bonnet pepper. These fritters are delicious!
This Jamaican Festival recipe is a homemade version of the popular Jamaican snack. Made with a few simple ingredients, this delicious fried sweet dough is the perfect side dish for your favorite Jamaican recipes.
Jamaican Fried Dumplings are the perfect side dish when it comes to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This classic and easy recipe is perfect for any Jamaican meal.
This Jamaican Oxtails Recipe is fall off the bone tender and full of amazing flavor. It can be made in about an hour with your pressure cooker or cook it low and slow in a slow cooker.
This Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken is full of Caribbean flavor and a perfect main dish for any day of the week. It’s the perfect stewed chicken dish when you want to have a taste of the islands.
This authentic and traditional Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe is the perfect combination of rich flavors in one plate. This is the Caribbean dish to make when you want a taste of the islands. Curry chicken was a weeknight meal for us growing up and my mom makes some of the best curry chicken ever!
This Jamaican Curry Goat recipe is a flavorful, succulent dish made with Jamaican curry, goat pieces, and other spices. It’s a traditional Jamaican dish that you and your family will love.
This Jamaican Curry Shrimp is made with Jamaican curry powder, large succulent shrimp, bell peppers, and coconut milk. It’s a quick and easy curry recipe that’s perfect any day of the week.
This classic Jamaican Escovitch Fish recipe is a delicious Caribbean staple. Made with red snapper fish and a colorful pepper and vinegar-based sauce, this is one dish you must make!
This Jamaican Stew Peas recipe is pure comfort in a bowl. Made with red kidney beans and flavored with herbs, spices, coconut milk, and stewing meat. This hearty stew is packed with so much flavor.
This Jamaican Instant Pot Rice and Beans recipe is generally called “rice and peas” on the island. It’s made with red kidney beans, coconut milk, and added spices. Make it in your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker for perfect results.
This Jamaican Spice Bun is usually served with cheese and served during the Easter holiday. I eat it year round, don’t judge me. It’s a delicious bread recipe that is a part of the Jamaican Culture and can easily be made at home.
This quick and easy Corned Beef & Cabbage Recipe, Jamaican style, is our go to recipe for busy weeknights. It’s a flavorful and quick traditional recipe.
Add some flavor to your dinner with this delicious Jamaican jerk chicken recipe. It takes minutes to prep and can be cooked in the air fryer, oven, or grill for a delicious bite to suit any occasion.
This Air Fried Jamaican Jerk Pork Recipe has amazing flavor and can be made right in your air fryer. A great way to travel to the Caribbean in your very own home.
This Jamaican Style Carrot Juice Recipe is a refreshing yet sweet treat. One of my favorite drinks when growing up in Jamaica.
This Jamaican Rum Punch Recipe is the perfect drink for the summer. It’s delicious and refreshing and the perfect drink to bring you to the Caribbean.
This Jamaican sorrel drink is a traditional Caribbean beverage made with the sepals of the Roselle plant, a species of the hibiscus flower. This drink is served over ice and it’s traditionally served during the Christmas Holiday. It’s refreshing, easy to make, and full of flavor.
Mannish Water is an irresistibly delicious Jamaican soup brimming with flavors and textures. Packed full of tender goat meat, aromatic herbs, vegetables and an irresistibly complex blend of spices, it guarantees to tantalize any adventurous palate!
Boiled green bananas are a delicious staple of Caribbean cuisine, offering a hearty yet starchy texture similar to potatoes with an inexhaustibly sweet note. When served alongside proteins such as fish or jerk chicken, they make for an outstandingly balanced side dish, soaking up sauces like those found in Jamaican cuisine for an enjoyable and filling meal.
Boiled dumplings are a delicious yet effortless meal, made from dough crafted with flour, salt, and water, then cooked until they achieve the perfect soft doughy texture. Perfect as an accompaniment to stews, soups, or gravies alike.
Mackerel Rundown is a classic Jamaican dish of flaked mackerel simmered in a flavorful coconut milk-based sauce with vibrant spices for an irresistibly satisfying island-style meal. Enjoyed best when served alongside rice, boiled dumplings, or green bananas; its unique and satisfying flavors make this delicious seafood meal truly enjoyable.
Kay
Monday 17th of June 2024
Made the Banana Porridge today and it turned out exactly how my mom makes it ! Thank you for this page. going to make more meals as well.
Tanya
Tuesday 18th of June 2024
Thanks so much, Kay! So happy you liked the porridge.
Diane
Friday 29th of December 2023
Hi Tanya, I found your page while looking for an authentic Jamaican porridge and your site is perfect! Are you still making videos? Thank you so much for the amazing recipes!
Tanya
Tuesday 2nd of January 2024
Thanks so much, Diane! I am still making videos, just on a little break right now. Hoping to get back on Youtube soon.
Eli
Thursday 11th of May 2023
As a 2nd generation Jamaican, I definitely didn't watch my dad and grandma as much as I should have in the kitchen. I want to pass these recipes down to my children so I cant express how much I appreciate you sharing your Jamaican recipes!
Tanya
Thursday 11th of May 2023
Thanks Eli! That means a lot. I'm so happy I can share the recipes.
Dee
Wednesday 22nd of February 2023
You have no idea how much I appreciate you for sharing these Jamaican recipes! My Dad passed away and he was a proud Jamaican. He spoiled my family by cooking everything and I didn’t learn as much as I should’ve. However when I made the porridge for breakfast and brown stew chicken for lunch it felt like I was gone again! So thank you, thank you, THANK YOU❤️🇯🇲
Tanya
Thursday 23rd of February 2023
Thank you Dee! So glad you liked the recipes and happy I can share.
Mai Cong
Tuesday 6th of September 2022
Thank you for sharing your recipes with us! My family and i love them so much!
Tanya
Tuesday 6th of September 2022
Thanks Mai!