Rice and peas is a Jamaican side dish of coconut rice mixed with red beans, perfumed with spices, and a whisper of warmth from fresh chilli. Traditionally cooked on the stove but I find it much safer to cook in the oven as coconut milk has a tendency to catch on the base.
Excellent accompaniment with all things Jamaican, Caribbean and tropical. Or eat it straight out of the pot!
Welcome back to Jamaican week!
It’s Jamaican week here on RecipeTin Eats! A week where I’m sharing a set of recipes so you can enjoy a Jamaican-themed dinner in the comfort of your own home! Here’s the menu:
🌴 Jamaican menu 🌴
Main – Jerk Fish
Side salad – Jamaican Slaw
Side – this Jamaican Coconut Rice and Peas (beans)
Dessert – rum and raisin ice cream without an ice cream maker!
Jamaican coconut rice and peas (beans!)
Rice and peas is a staple side dish in Jamaica and much of the Caribbean. Though called rice and peas, it’s actually made with beans! The reason this name came to be is because Jamaicans call red kidney beans peas – though funnily enough, other varieties of beans are called beans.
Confused?
That’s ok. All you need to know is that this coconut rice is delicious and any day it makes an appearance on your dinner plate is a good day!
What you need for Jamaican rice and peas
Remember – Jamaican’s call this dish rice and peas but it’s made with red kidney beans, not peas. So there’s no peas in sight!!!
Rice types – Long grain works best as the grains will separate best. But you can also use basmati, jasmine and medium grain rice. Recipe will also work for sushi rice (short grain rice) but the rice will be stickier (because that’s the nature of the rice).
Rice types not suitable for this recipe – brown rice, risotto (arborio), paella or faux rice (cauliflower, quinoa).
Red kidney beans – Traditionally, dried beans are used which require overnight soaking. I’ve opted for canned for convenience.
Other beans – Black beans also works and will look similar. Other beans will work fine too but will make the end dish look different..
Scotch bonnet or habanero chilli – This adds a subtle hint of heat and flavour into this dish. Authentic! But you can skip it, if you prefer not spicy.
Scotch bonnet is traditional but hard to find here in Sydney, so Habanero makes a great sub (sold at Coles, Woolies, some Harris Farms) else use a large red cayenne pepper or 1 birds eye chilli.
Coconut milk – Not all coconut milk is created equal! Cheaper = less coconut %, more water = less coconut flavour. Aim for > 70% (I use Ayam which is 89%). Check the ingredients label. Low fat – doesn’t have as good a coconut flavour. But it will work.
Dried thyme – A commonly used dried herb in Caribbean cooking.
All spice – For beautiful warmth, another ingredient that makes a regular appearance in Caribbean food! Also used in Jerk seasoning (see Jerk Fish). Substitute with mixed spice.
Bay leaf – Earthy aromatic. Fresh is best if you can, else dried.
Garlic and onion – Essential aromatics that we sauté with butter and the spices. So good!
Butter – You can use oil if you prefer, but butter is better flavour!
Note on authenticity
(Because I got some very cranky messages about the authenticity of this recipe!)
Traditionally, rice and peas is prepared on the stove using dried beans which are soaked overnight. I choose to use canned beans for convenience, and I cook the rice in the oven rather than stove because I find it is the best fuss-free, least risky way to cook rice with coconut milk.
While coconut rice can be successfully and well cooked on the stove, it does require exactness of stove strength, a good pot and certain coconut milk quantities (thin consistency but good coconut flavour, hard to find in ordinary Western grocery stores). The oven is much easier for home cooks!
Avoid the stress. Use your oven! Trust me on this. My team and I tested coconut rice over 30 times to perfect it for my cookbook. It’s taken almost 8 months before we could face a coconut rice recipe again!!
How to make Jamaican rice and peas
This recipe starts off on the stove to sauté the aromatics then is finished in the oven so your coconut rice will come out beautifully fluffy every single time. No more mushy coconut rice, ever again!
Sauté the garlic, onion, thyme, all spice, bay leaves, scotch bonnet habanero chilli until the onion is translucent – about 3 minutes.
Liquids – Add coconut, water, kidney beans and salt.
Rice – Once it comes to a simmer, add rice then give it a quick stir. Once you see bubbles breaking the surface, immediately cover then transfer to oven.
Don’t have an ovenproof pot? Transfer to a baking dish once the liquid is simmering, cover tightly with foil and add 5 minutes to the bake time (to give it time to come up to temperature in the oven).
Bake for 40 minutes. All the liquid should be absorbed (tilt to check) though you will have some coconut cream on the surface.
If you taste the rice at this stage, most grains will still have a small amount of firmness in the middle and be wetter than ideal. This self corrects in the next step when we rest!
Rest 15 minutes – Leave the pot on the counter with the lid on for 15 minutes. During this step, the rice grains will finish cooking so they are tender all the way through, and each grain of rice will absorb the liquid sitting on the surface when you first pull it out of the oven. This is what makes rice fluffy rather than ending up with a pot of mushy rice!
Usually plain rice is rested for only 10 minutes. But for coconut rice, the extra 5 minutes makes all the difference due to the thickness of the coconut milk which takes longer to be absorbed. If you only rest for 10 minutes, the grains will be slightly firmer than ideal and the surface is stickier.
Fluff and serve! Pick out the chilli and bay leave, if you want. Fluff with a rice paddle or rubber spatula, then tumble the rice into a bowl and serve!
What to serve with Jamaican rice and peas (beans!)
Today’s recipe comes as part of a set of recipes for a Jamaican dinner menu. Jerk fish for the main, a tangy tropical Jamaican Slaw, this rice and peas and rum and raisin ice cream (without an ice cream maker) for dessert! See top of post for photo of your Jamaican dinner plate.
As a Jamaican staple dish that’s popular across the Caribbean, rice and peas will be a perfect accompaniment with any dish from this region. But I wouldn’t stop there! Anything tropical or with tropical(ish!) vibes, seafood and citrus flavours would be a fitting match. Think – Huli Huli Hawaiian chicken, lime chicken, Lemon garlic pork chops, steak with chimichurri sauce (yes!) garlic prawns or a beautiful piece of fresh fish with crispy skin finished with a simple squeeze of lemon.
So many possibilities! Share your suggestions for what you’d pair this Jamaican rice with! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Jamaican rice and peas
Ingredients
- 50g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter (or 2 tbsp canola or veg oil)
- 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
- 1 small onion , finely chopped
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp all spice powder (sub mixed spice)
- 2 bay leaves , preferably fresh
- 1 scotch bonnet or habanero chilli – any colour (optional), keep whole (Note 1)
- 2 x 400g / 14oz cans red kidney beans , drained (Note 2)
- 1 x 400 ml / 14oz coconut milk , full fat (Note 3)
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp cooking salt
- 2 cups long grain white rice (Note 4)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan).
- Sauté aromatics – Melt butter over medium-high heat in a medium or large ovenproof pot (Note 5). Cook garlic, onion, thyme, all spice, bay leaves, scotch bonnet until onion is translucent (~ 3 minutes).
- Add coconut milk, water, beans and salt. Once it comes to a simmer, add rice then give it a quick stir. Once you see bubbles breaking the surface, immediately cover then transfer to oven.
- Bake for 40 minutes. All liquid should be absorbed (tilt to check) though you will have some coconut cream on the surface.
- Rest – Leave the pot on the counter with the lid on for 15 minutes. Then fluff and serve!
Recipe Notes:
Life of Dozer
It’s Jamaican week. You know this had to happen…. I’m so predictable! 😂
I make rice and peas a lot as I married a Jamaican. I use pidgeon (or Congo) peas as that is the more traditional beans to use and instead of the water I use beef broth. All the rest is pretty much the same. Try it and see if you like it. Thanks for sharing this recipe. It’s still my favourite rice dish.
Hi Nagi,
I am Jamaican and I have been making your dishes every week for over a year. I just love your food. I was excited to see Jamaican week. How delightful.
I almost did a somersault when I saw the scotch bonnet! I was thinking yesssss!!!! That’s as authentic as you can get for
Jamaican food. Loved it.
Hi Nagi,
I an Jamaican and I have been making your dishes every week for over a year. I just love your food. I was excited to see Jamaican week. How delightful.
I almost did a somersault when I saw the scotch bonnet! I was thinking yesssss!!!! That’s as authentic as you can get for
Jamaican food. Loved it.
Oh this reminds me of Gallo Pinto from Costa Rica… and now I need to find a recipe to make Gallo Pinto without having to import Salsa Lizano (and while I wait, I will 100% make this Jamaican rice)
Funny … I JUST forwarded this recipe to some friends that we travelled to Costa Rica with years ago and said the same thing to them. Can’t wait to make this!
Would this work cooked in the rice cooker? Thanks!
I love my rice cooker and immediately thought about asking the same question. Let me know if you get a positive response!
Hello! Here is how I make it. Stick to sautéing the garlic, onion, veggies, spices, add coconut milk (leave the water). Boil it for 1-2 min (it will be very thick don’t worry). Wash your rice, put in the ricecooker, add the beans, pour in onion+coconut milk, add water up to your regular measurement (mine has the bar in the pot). Make sure you season well, the liquid should taste saltier than regular “broth”. Turn on the white rice mode. Hopefully it helps.
Sounds like that is directions for a hot pot. I am talking specifically a rice cooker where you put the liquid in and the rice and hit the button and it comes out perfect every time! Unless I misunderstood you?
Nope I’m certainly writing about ricecooker. 🙂
Ha, you posted this right when I was looking for a well-tested rice and peas recipe! I’m intrigued by the oven idea, also wondering if the rice cooker would work… I’m planning on serving this with some fried plantains, and maybe some jerk tofu, although the bottle of jerk sauce in the fridge is a bit spicy for my kid!
You really have taught me something here, Nagi – I thought this dish was similar to the Italian risi e bisi and did use peas !!! Since I love peapods but peas not so much, I am really looking forward to trying this ,. . . always fascinated how in the Caribbean and some S American countries one gets a spicy profile with European-style herbs suddenly included! LOVE, love, love that this is baked . . . . SOON ! Hello Dozer . . . wre they fun to hang out with 🙂 ?@
Cool Runnings!! Ya dead man? Ya we dead.
My all time favorite movie!! I was wondering if this rice dish could be made in my instant pot in the rice setting? I know it works great for your delicious mushroom rice. I think I’ll give it a go along with this amazing vibrant slaw!! Yummy Nagi!! You make me excited to cook again after being so sick for the last three 1/2 weeks!!
Hi Jana, please leave a note about how/what you do when you make it in the instant pot. I do luv my instapot!
Nagi, have you tested with any dried fruit add in this recipe? I’m specially thinking apricots or sultanas.
I’m guessing Nagi was keeping this as authentic as she could. Dried fruit in rice isn’t really Caribbean (I live on one of the islands) I would hazard a guess as say that’s more North African or Middle Eastern.
As to the peas, the island where I’m from (and I think Jamaica too) use pigeon peas. Similar in size and texture to black beans, but reddish in colour. They can be bought canned too, the water is often used in the rice as it doesn’t have the sludge in the bottom of the can that kidney beans have.
Thanks Millie, I did guess it would have more of an African taste. Can’t wait to try this