Combine all ingredients in a medium or large mixing bowl. Stir until thoroughly combined.
Either store in an airtight container in the fridge until ready to use as a marinade or sauce or transfer it to a shallow dish or doubled ziploc bags and add chicken to marinate overnight.
When using as a sauce (and not a marinade), transfer the contents to a saucepan and set burner to medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency and temperature has been reached. Drizzle over cooked jerk chicken or serve as a dipping sauce!
Notes
The spice in this recipe can be catered to your liking! Decrease spiciness by omitting the jalapeno peppers and cayenne pepper. To increase the spice, add habanero peppers or another spicy pepper, as well as extra black pepper and cayenne pepper to the mix.
When using as a sauce (vs a marinade), transfer the contents to a saucepan and set burner to medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until desired consistency and temperature has been reached. Drizzle over cooked jerk chicken and use the rest as a dipping sauce!
If you use this recipe as a marinade AND a sauce, pour marinade into a saucepan once you begin cooking the chicken. Bring sauce to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for up to 20 minutes before drizzling over cooked chicken.
If you know you'd like a super smooth sauce even before you begin cooking, cut the onion into chunks (vs chopping) and throw the garlic cloves in whole.
Other fresh herbs can be added to the mixture, depending on what your tastebuds are craving. Parsley, chives and basil all contribute a unique and delicious flavor.
Grated fresh ginger adds a freshness to the sauce that you'll love! Start with 1 teaspoon and increase according to your personal preferences.
Lime juice, lemon juice or a dash of orange juice will add fresh flavor to the marinade.
If using ziploc bags to store the delicious marinade in the refrigerator, be sure to double up on the plastic bag usage!