Grandpa’s Table: 34 Jamaican & Caribbean Recipes from a First-Generation Brooklyn Kitchen

Every summer, I packed a bag and flew to Jamaica.

No complaints. No hesitation. That was just what we did.

My grandfather’s house was the center of everything — the smells, the sounds, the food coming out of that kitchen from the moment the sun came up. I enjoyed the best rice and peas in the world. I tasted jerk chicken the way it’s supposed to taste — smoke and scotch bonnet and patience. I learned that food isn’t just fuel. It’s how you say I love you without saying a word.

Then I came home to Brooklyn where I lived full time — specifically to a neighborhood where Caribbean culture wasn’t something you had to go looking for. It was in the music from open windows, the patty shops on the corner, the smell of curry that hit you half a block before you got to the door. Growing up first-generation American meant holding two worlds at once, and the kitchen was always where they met.

Now I’m the one in the kitchen. And these are the recipes I make when I want my kids to know where they come from.

This is my complete collection of Jamaican and Caribbean recipes — 34 dishes and drinks covering everything from the jerk chicken my grandfather would recognize to the island cocktails that make a Brooklyn Friday night feel like a vacation. Some are deeply traditional. Some have a Brooklyn spin. All of them are made with love and tested in my real home kitchen.

Find your section below and let’s cook.

Jerk & Classic Jamaican Chicken

The recipes that started it all. These are the dishes that make people stop and ask “wait, did you make this yourself?”

• The Best Authentic Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe
• The Best Jamaican Jerk Sauce Recipe
• Authentic Jamaican Curry Chicken Recipe
• Easy Authentic Jamaican Stew Chicken
• Easy Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken Thighs

Rice, Sides & The Essentials

Every Jamaican meal has a foundation. Rice and peas, steamed cabbage, festival — these are the non-negotiables.

• Delicious Authentic Jamaican Rice And Peas Recipe
• Easy Jamaican Steamed Cabbage Recipe
• Easy Jamaican Festival Sweet Dumplings Recipe
• The Best Jamaican Rasta Pasta Recipe

Caribbean-Style Mains

Beyond Jamaica — island-inspired dishes from across the Caribbean that belong on the same table.

• Air Fryer Sweet Plantains
• Chicken Wings 3 Ways Dry Rub Buffalo Caribbean Style
• Slow Cooker Cuban Ropa Vieja
• Air Fryer Beef Empanadas
• Air Fryer Coconut Chicken Tenders
• Easy Instant Pot Kalua Pork Recipe
• The Most Delicious Cuban Dinner Ideas

Tropical Sides, Salads & Extras

The dishes that round out the meal — bright, fresh, and full of island flavor.

• Easy Pineapple Mango Salsa Recipe
• Key Lime Black Bean Salad
• Blackstone Sweet And Tangy Pineapple Bowls Recipe

Island Desserts

Sweet endings with a tropical twist.

• Homemade Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream
• Coconut Pound Cake

Island Cocktails & Drinks

Because no Caribbean spread is complete without a drink in your hand. Cocktails, mocktails, and everything in between.

• Easy Captain Morgan Rum Pineapple Cocktail
• Tropical Coconut Rum Jello Shots
• Easy Classic Mojito Cocktail Recipe
• Strawberry Mojito Cocktail
• Refreshing Watermelon Mojito Cocktail Drink
• The Best Virgin Mojito Mocktail
• Strawberry Pina Colada Lava Flow Mocktail
• How To Make Delish Pina Colada Mimosa Cocktails
• Pineapple Screwdrivers
• Amazing Mango Pineapple Punch Cocktail Recipe
• Super Easy Frozen Mango Margaritas Recipe
• Easy Pineapple Margaritas
• Easy Tropical Pineapple Jello Shots Recipe

Food has always been how my family kept culture alive across an ocean. These recipes are my way of making sure that doesn’t stop with me.

If you make one of these dishes — whether it’s the jerk chicken, the rice and peas, or the curry your whole apartment building will smell — I want to hear about it. Leave a comment, tag me on Instagram, or send me a message. There is nothing better than knowing these recipes are finding their way into new kitchens and feeding new families.