Jerk chicken is a popular Jamaican dish, I love it but I wanted to have some fun. I used the seasoning differently with these jerk beef meatball subs.
Recipe video:
Whenever people think of Caribbean food, the first dish they think about is jerk chicken. Although the dish is most famous in Jamaica, it has become a staple food of the West Indies. However, in this post I want to change things up and share with you guys these amazing Jerk Beef Meatball Subs.
This year, I decided to make a huge shift and share some more Caribbean inspired recipes. I didn’t want to do the things that were already being done, instead I wanted to add my twist to some of the classics. One of those classics is jerk chicken. There are tons of recipes out there and I wanted to make something fun with it.
I enjoy a good jerk chicken but I didn’t want to post yet another recipe. So after thinking long and hard, I got inspired by the subway sandwich and out came these subs. While testing them, I fell in love from the first bite because of the marriage between the jerk meatballs, coleslaw and spicy mayo.
Homemade meatballs are the best, you get to adjust the flavors. Most people think they are hard to make, but they really aren’t at all. I recommend using lean ground beef and jerk seasoning.
The meatballs are the only tedious thing in this recipe. You just need to season the ground beef, make the balls and bake them for 10 to 15 minutes. The rest of the recipe is quick.
I always love sharing things with you guys. So in order to help you with this recipe, I thought I should share some TIPS & TRICKS with you guys.
TIPS & TRICKS
- Making the meatballs: Just like the traditional homemade meatballs, these require seasoning, egg and breadcrumbs. I used my homemade dry jerk seasoning but you can definitely use the store brought stuff. to make sure the meatballs stick together you need to use an egg as a binder. The egg will act as a glue while it’s cooking. I like to add breadcrumbs to ensure the mixture isn’t too wet which can cause it to break apart.
- Bread: Typically, Italian bread is used to make a meatball sub. I used mini fresh baguettes. I wanted a little crunch, although I love the Italian bread I had to go the French way for this one. So if you want the full experience of this recipe, I would suggest going with the baguette but the Italian loaf bread is perfect also. You don’t want something too overwhelming though.
- Toppings: I kept things simple by making a simple spicy mayo and a sweet Caribbean coleslaw. If you want to dd more things some pineapple spices will give you that tropical sweetness but be careful not to add too many things, this will overwhelm the sub.
I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Now, l’et’s get into it.
Jerk Beef Meatballs
Ingredients
Jerk meatballs:
- 1 lb Lean ground beef
- 1 medium Egg
- 1/4 cup Breadcrumbs
- 4 tbsp Dry jerk seasoning
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Sweet coleslaw:
- 1 cup Red or green cabbage chopped
- 3-4 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Granulated sugar
Spicy mayo:
- 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp Hot sauce
Subs:
- French or Italian bread
Instructions
Making the meatballs:
- Preheat oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside.
- In a bowl, mix together the ground beef, jerk seasoning, worcestershire sauce and egg. Mix everything together.
- Once everything is mixed together, take some of the mixture and roll into balls using your hands. You should have at least 20-22 meatballs.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until they have browned.
Making the coleslaw:
- In a bowl, combine the cabbage, mayo and sugar. Mix everything together and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. It can be used immediately but I recommend making this the night before.
Making the spicy mayo:
- In a separate mixing bowl, mix together the mayonnaise and the sauce until everything is mixed well together.
Assembly:
- Once the meatballs are done cooking, let them cool.
- Cut the sandwich half way through then add the meatballs, top with the spicy mayo and finally the coleslaw. Repeat and enjoy!
Other Jerk recipes you may enjoy: