Give Thanks the Caribbean Way: 15 Thanksgiving and Friendsgiving Recipes

Brithany NeathNovember 2, 2026

Blessings, family! Thanksgiving is coming and Friendsgiving tables are filling up, so here is our whole spread in one place. As Psalm 136:1 says, “Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.” (NKJV)

Here are 15 of our best turkey and main dishes, sides, desserts and drinks, from baked turkey legs and mac and cheese to rum butter cornbread, Oreo sweet potato pie and pumpkin punch. Every photo is from our own kitchen. Pick your plates, invite your people and let YAH bless the table.

Turkey and Main Dishes

1. Maple Jerk Cornish Hen

Maple jerk Cornish hen, crispy and juicy in a sweet-heat maple glaze. A holiday dinner with real Jamaican flavor.

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2. Jamaican Style Baked Turkey Legs

Jamaican style baked turkey legs, oven-baked until tender then glazed in a rich island sauce with jerk seasoning, BBQ and herbs.

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3. Air Fryer Jerk Turkey Wings

Juicy air fryer jerk turkey wings with bold Jamaican seasoning and crispy skin. Quick, easy and full of heat for a weeknight win.

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4. Jamaican Brown Stew Turkey Wings

Turkey wings browned and stewed down with onion, carrot, sweet pepper and thyme until the gravy is thick. Serve over rice and peas.

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5. Jamaican Barb Fried Chicken Sliders

Crispy, juicy Jamaican Barb Fried Chicken Sliders topped with sweet-spicy Scotch bonnet Barb sauce & slaw. The ultimate party or dinner recipe!

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Sides for the Table

6. Baked Mac and Cheese

Creamy baked mac and cheese with a sharp cheddar sauce and a buttery breadcrumb top that actually stays crunchy. A holiday-table regular.

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7. Rum Butter Cornbread

Moist sweet cornbread brushed with a warm Appleton rum butter glaze. A simple Jamaican twist for holidays or Sunday dinner.

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8. Creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Mash Potatoes are the perfect side dish for almost every meal. Creamy, and super delicious this mash deserve a spot on your table year-round

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9. Creamy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Creamy mashed sweet potatoes with mixed vegetables. A simple, colorful side that pairs well with chicken, steak or roast meats.

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10. Jamaican Callaloo Rice

Enjoy a flavorful one-pot Jamaican Callaloo Rice made with coconut milk, herbs, and spices. Easy, vegan-friendly, and full of authentic island taste!

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Desserts

11. Oreo Sweet Potato Pie

Sweet potato pie is a richer in flavor and dense but incredibly creamy texture. If you’ve never had sweet potato pie, you are in for a treat

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12. Hummingbird Cake (Doctor Bird Cake)

Hummingbird Cake is a heavenly tropical dessert that combines the flavors of bananas, pineapples, and pecans.

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Drinks

13. How to Make Jamaican Pumpkin Punch

Learn how to make authentic Jamaican pumpkin punch with coconut milk, a creamy spiced island drink perfect for gatherings and holidays.

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14. Jamaican Sorrel (Hibiscus Drink)

Authentic Jamaican sorrel made with dried hibiscus, ginger, cloves, allspice and orange peel. Steep overnight, serve cold, with or without rum.

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15. Jamaican Carrot Punch

Learn how to make creamy Jamaican Carrot Punch with fresh coconut milk, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon – a tropical, sweet, and traditional Caribbean drink.

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A Word of Wisdom

Jesus Christ is all we need in this life. As He said, He is the tree and we are the branches. If a branch is broken off the tree, it no longer lives but starts to die and dry out. An what do we do with dead branches? We burn them for fire. This is what will happen to anyone that is not attached to Jesus. The end of that persons fate is hell fire. But if we abide in Him, or stay attached to Jesus, we will have eternal life. He lives forever, He has already been immortalized, and He promises this to us believers.

So how do we abide in Him? By keeping His words in us. He is the Word of God that became flesh. All the words that He spoke come from our Father in heaven Yah. Jesus is Yah in the flesh. God is a Spirit. So in order for us to know Him, He came as a human being through Jesus, and called Him His only Son. Jesus is in Yah and Yah is in Him. All His words bring life. For man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Yah.

Every single word that Jesus spoke came from Yah. If we abide in what Jesus told us, we shall never die, but we will all live. Love Him and keep His commandments. Keep His sayings. Hold on to His words of life. His parables, everything we read in the gospels, keep them in your memory, to the point where you start to speak just like Him. An as He said, out of your belly shall flow living waters. Why? Because the words you will start to speak will be His words of life, for us to share to others as well.

Abide in Jesus, He will manifest Himself to you and bless you with the Holy Spirit, that seals us with His promises and gives us the power to overcome death unto eternal life.

Brithany Neath

Brithany Neath is the cook, recipe developer and voice behind Jerk Tavern, the Jamaican and Caribbean food blog she runs with her husband Rackesh from their Florida kitchen. Over five years they have published more than 300 original recipes — jerk chicken, oxtail, curry goat, rice and peas, homemade sauces from scratch and Caribbean fusion dishes — every one cooked, photographed and written by the two of them. Their work has been featured in the Jamaican Gleaner and Jamaican Eats Magazine, and Brithany is a Pinterest Golden Recipe winner with Food52.