Jamaican Pepper Shrimp Recipe – Fiery Street Food

Difficulty:

2/5

Serves:

4 PEOPLE

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Jamaican Pepper Shrimp Recipe

Jamaican Pepper Shrimp features jumbo shrimp marinated in a fiery blend of scotch bonnet peppers, garlic, thyme, and annatto, then pan-cooked to perfection. Bursting with bold Caribbean flavors, this vibrant seafood dish is ideal as a spicy appetizer or main course.

Shell-on jumbo shrimp explode with scotch bonnet fire, annatto color, and pimento allspice in Jamaica’s addictive beach snack. Crispy shells hide tender, fiery flesh—crack open to suck aromatic juices. The quickest way to authentic island heat.

The Inspiration

Jamaican Pepper Shrimp traces its roots to Port Antonio’s fishing villages, where roadside “pepper shrimp ladies” have served this fiery snack from coal pots since the 1960s. What started as fishermen’s fuel became Jamaica’s iconic beach food—sold steaming hot from colorful stalls lining Boston Bay. The genius? Shell-on shrimp trap pulverized scotch bonnet marinade, creating crispy, flavor-packed pods you crack open with your teeth. Devan Rajkumar honors this tradition on Global Street Eats episode 1007, using authentic annatto powder for the signature burnt-orange stain and head-on jumbo shrimp that demand the full finger-licking ritual. This isn’t dinner—it’s an experience that captures Jamaica’s unapologetic heat-first food culture.

Ingredients

1 lb jumbo deveined shell-on shrimp, ideally head-on
3 red scotch bonnet peppers, seeds removed
½ red bell pepper, stem and seeds removed and rough chopped
½ yellow onion, rough chopped
2 tsp (9.9ml) fresh thyme leaves
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp (29.6ml) annatto powder
½ tsp (2.5ml) onion powder
½ tsp (2.5ml) garlic powder
1 tsp (4.9ml) allspice
3 tsp (14.8ml) salt
¼ cup (60ml) neutral oil such as vegetable oil
Juice of 3 limes, plus lime wedges for serving
2 sliced scallions for garnish

Methods

Add the scotch bonnets, red bell pepper, onion, thyme leaves, garlic, annatto powder, onion powder, allspice, salt, lime juice, and oil to a food processor and blend to form a paste.
If the shrimp are not already deveined, cut them lengthwise down the back of the shell to expose the vein. Pull the vein out of the shrimp and discard, leaving the rest of the shell intact.
Add the shrimp and spice paste to a bowl and toss to combine. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes or overnight.
Add the shrimp and marinade to a large skillet over medium heat and cook for 3-4 minutes. Flip the shrimp, cover with a lid, and cook another 3-4 minutes more, or until the shrimp are cooked through.
Garnish with sliced scallions and serve with lime wedges.

Serving Suggestions

Serve authentic Jamaican Pepper Shrimp street-style by piling the steaming hot shrimp onto newspaper-lined trays with lime wedges, pickled peppers, and ice-cold Ting or Red Stripe for beach picnics, rum parties, or backyard cookouts. As a party appetizer, present them in foil containers alongside festival bread (sweet fried dumplings), bammy (cassava flatbread), or plantain chips, with communal lime halves and cold kola champagne to encourage the messy, finger-licking ritual. For a full meal upgrade, pile the fiery shrimp over coconut rice with grilled pineapple slices and avocado to balance the scotch bonnet heat. Perfect for game days, summer BBQs, beach trips, or spontaneous midnight cravings, this dish comes together in under an hour making it ideal for effortless entertaining.

Final Thoughts

This Jamaican Pepper Shrimp recipe is a celebration of island street food genius—maximum flavor from minimum effort. Devan Rajkumar’s Global Street Eats version captures Port Antonio’s coal-pot magic with accessible ingredients and foolproof technique. Whether you’re cracking shells beachside or serving party-style, it’s addictive heat that converts skeptics. Experiment with heat levels, but never skip the shells—that’s where the soul lives.

Find more recipes from Global Street Eats here!