Shellfish Free Caribbean Jerk-Style Compound Butter
This compound butter is a little jar of the Caribbean packed into a sliceable log — fiery scotch bonnet, warm allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh ginger, and a hit of lime zest all swirled into creamy unsalted butter. The maple syrup rounds out the heat just enough to keep things balanced rather than punishing, and the smoked paprika gives it that low, smoky backbone you'd expect from a proper jerk seasoning. Because every single ingredient here is plant-based or dairy, there's zero concern about hidden shellfish or seafood derivatives sneaking into your food — something that can be genuinely tricky with store-bought flavored butters and spice blends. Making it at home means you control exactly what goes in, and the result is far more vibrant than anything off a shelf. Rolling it into a log and chilling it means you can slice off a round whenever you need it — straight onto hot grilled chicken, flaky fish, or roasted sweet potatoes and watch it melt into something spectacular. It keeps well in the fridge and even freezes beautifully, so a little effort now pays off across multiple meals. If you've been looking for a way to bring bold, punchy flavor to weeknight cooking without any fuss, this is it.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 3 tbsp scallion greens, finely sliced (green tops only)
- 1 tsp fresh scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tsp lime zest (from about 1 lime)
- 1 tsp fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp maple syrup
- ¾ tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the softened butter, scallion greens, scotch bonnet pepper, ginger, lime zest, lime juice, and maple syrup. Beat with a fork or hand mixer until the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the butter.
- 2
Add the allspice, cinnamon, thyme, black pepper, nutmeg, smoked paprika, and salt. Beat again until the spices are fully incorporated and the butter is uniform in color with no dry pockets of spice visible. Fold in the cilantro, if using.
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