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Horizontal image of a light green bowl of Jamaican-Inspired Rice and Peas garnished with fresh thyme.

Jamaican-Inspired Rice and Peas

Course: Accompaniments, Side Dish
Cuisine: Afro-Caribbean, Jamaican
Keyword: beans, rice
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 12
Calories: 466kcal
Author: Marta Rivera
A vegan dish made with white rice and kidney beans. It has a subtle coconut flavor with a kiss of spice.
Prep time does not include hydrating dried beans for use (which is optional).
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • dutch oven

Ingredients

  • 1 scotch bonnet pepper
  • 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) olive oil
  • 1/2 medium (1/2 cup or 80 grams) yellow onion diced
  • 3 green onions trimmed and minced
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled and minced
  • 1 tablespoon (1 inch) ginger peeled and minced
  • 2 tablespoons (28 grams) sofrito or green sauce (epis), optional
  • 3 cups (630 grams) long grain rice rinsed and drained 3 times in cold water
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt or adobo
  • 3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 1/2 cups (625 milliliters) coconut milk
  • 1 cup (250 milliliters) water
  • 1 pound prepared(455 grams) light red kidney beans or 1 15 1/2 ounce (439 grams) can of beans, drained and rinsed
  • 3 sprigs thyme leaves
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions

Prep the Pepper

  • Prep the scotch bonnet by cutting four slits in its sides without cutting the pepper open. You want the seeds to remain contained.
    Just poke the tip of the knife into the side and drag it down a couple of centimeters. Make four slits around the pepper this way, then set it aside. *Be sure to wash your hands after handling the pepper*

Sauté the Aromatics

  • Heat the olive oil in a large caldero or dutch oven over medium-high heat.
    Once the oil in the pot begins to shimmer, add the yellow and green onions, garlic, ginger, and sofrito to the pot.
    Sauté these aromatics in the oil for 2-3 minutes or until they are fragrant and glossy.
  • Stir the rice to the pot. Follow that with the salt, ground allspice, and pepper.
    Stir the rice and seasoning into the oil and the aromatics to begin toasting the grains and coating them in the oil. 
  • After sauteeing the rice for 2 minutes, pour the coconut milk and water into the pot.
    Stir the liquid into the pot, then add the beans, sprigs of thyme, the bay leaf, and the scotch bonnet pepper.
    Bring the liquid in the pot up to a boil. 
  • Once the liquid in the pot comes to a boil, give the rice another stir.
    Allow the rice to continue bubbling until the rice is visible at the surface of the pot. 

Cover and Steam the Rice

  • Stir the rice once more and place a piece of foil over the top of the pot. Press the lid down onto the pot and reduce the stove temperature to low.
    Steam the rice over low heat from 30-35 minutes. 
  • After 30 minutes, uncover the pot and fluff the rice with your cooking spoon.
    Give the rice and peas a taste. Adjust the seasoning by adding more salt or pepper to the rice.
  • Remove the stems of thyme, the bay leaf, and the scotch bonnet from the pot. and discard.
    Enjoy the rice and peas on its own as a main course, or serve it as a side dish. 

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:

  • Replace the light red kidney beans with 1 can drained and rinsed pigeon peas. 
  • To replace the white rice with brown rice, add an additional 3/4 cup of coconut milk and steam a total of 45 minutes
  • Replace the scotch bonnet in this recipe with a habanero pepper or omit the pepper altogether if you can't find either one. 
  • You can replace the fresh coconut milk in this recipe with canned coconut milk or use water or chicken stock. Chicken stock or canned coconut milk is recommended because both add flavor. 

Tips and Techniques:

  • If you're using dried beans, they must first be soaked and par-boiled to soften them before adding to the pot with the rice. 
  • Rinsing rice grains in cold water before cooking removes excess starch from the exterior.
  • The foil method is a tried and true technique that seals the steam into the pot, cooking the rice and peas more efficiently and evenly. 
  • If your rice is still too hard after steaming it, add 1/4-cup of coconut milk (or water) to the pot, cover the pot and steam the rice for another 10-12 minutes on low.
  • This rice and peas recipe pairs well with many entrees, but exceptionally well with grilled proteins. 

Storage/Reheating Instructions:

  • Transfer leftover rice and peas to a food storage container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
  • Reheat only the portion you plan to eat in the microwave on high until warmed through.
  • To reheat a large amount of the rice and peas, add it to a pot with a 1/4-cup of water or coconut milk and reheat it on the stove over medium-low until warmed through. 

Freezer Instructions:

  1. Allow the rice and peas it cool before transferring it to a freezer-safe container.
  2. Freeze it for up to 6 months.
  3. To thaw: put it in the fridge overnight or defrost it in the microwave. Reheat per the instructions above and enjoy.

Nutrition

Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 403mg | Potassium: 713mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 51IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 5mg