Soy 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 bright hit of lime zest all folded 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. Melted over a piece of hot grilled chicken or a fillet of fish, it transforms a weeknight dinner into something that tastes genuinely special. Many store-bought flavored butters and jerk sauces sneak in soy-based emulsifiers or fillers, so making your own from scratch means you know exactly what's going into it — every single ingredient here is straightforwardly soy-free. The technique is as simple as it gets: beat everything together, roll it into a log, and let the fridge do the rest. Keep a roll in the freezer and you're always one slice away from turning roasted vegetables, corn on the cob, or a seared steak into something with serious island flavor.
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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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