This Jamaican rice and beans recipe is a twist on the traditional Jamaican Rice and Red Peas dish. Unlike the traditional recipe, it's made with ingredients you may already have on hand in your pantry and refrigerator. It swaps out Sea Island Red Peas for kidney beans and scotch bonnets for Serrano peppers for less heat.
This is a one-pot dish that's easy to make on a weeknight with little prepping required.
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Want to make this recipe perfectly the first time? I want to help with that. So, check out this Table of Contents to see which sections of this post will help you the most.
Jump to:
- โค๏ธ Why you'll love this rice and beans recipe
- ๐ง Main Ingredients + Notes
- ๐ช Recommended Equipment
- Traditional Jamaican Rice and Red Peas
- ๐ฏ Why This Recipe Works
- โฐ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- ๐กVariation and Substitution Ideas
- ๐ง Can I make this dish ahead?
- ๐ฅฉ For the Omnivores at the Table
- Vegan Jamaican Rice and Beans (with Kidney Beans)
Rice dishes are popular in most countries around the world. This simple grain keeps for a long time in pantries, is budget-friendly, has a fairly neutral flavor that marries well with many foods, and when food is scarce, it's filling.
Mexico has Mexican red rice and Italy has a wide variety of risotto dishes like this Instant Pot Tomato Risotto. Middle Eastern countries have Mujadara, Spain has paella, and Africa has jollof rice. China, Thailand, Korea, Viet Nam, and Japan have an abundance of dishes that star rice as a key ingredient. Rice is a big business.
The Caribbean is no different. Jamaican Rice and Red Peas uses some unique ingredients popular in many dishes across the Caribbean. See the box toward the end of this post that talks more about this. I've made some substitutions for what is more readily available in my local stores.
โค๏ธ Why you'll love this rice and beans recipe
- This Jamaican rice and beans dish is perfect for both gluten-free and vegan diets. (Beans and rice combine to create a complete protein.)
- With minimal prepping required, it's ready to slide into the oven in 15 minutes.
- This one-pot meal means easy cleanup.
- It's hearty enough to only need a side salad.
๐ง Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to many dishes often lies in the ingredients. For example, some ingredients make a huge difference to the flavor and/or texture of the finished recipe. And purchasing the right ingredients can save you valuable time in the kitchen.
This list only covers ingredients that require some notes. For all of the ingredients, measurements, and directions for this Jamaican rice and beans dish, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Yellow onion - You can substitute white onion for the yellow in a pinch, but the mellow flavor of yellow onion is best.
- Dried thyme - Fresh thyme is fine, but use 2 tablespoons if you use that instead of the dried form.
- Ground allspice - This is a common spice where I live, but if you can't find it at your stores, substitute ยพ teaspoon ground cinnamon + ยผ teaspoon nutmeg + a good pinch of clove powder.
- Serrano pepper - I substituted a whole Serrano pepper for the traditional scotch bonnet pepper, coarsely chopped - including the seeds and pith. This gives heat to the dish and may make the recipe ingredients more accessible.
- Red kidney beans - Red kidney beans are often used in the States when making this dish instead of the traditional Caribbean-grown red peas.ย If you use dried kidney beans instead of canned red kidney beans, cook them before starting the recipe.ย
- Basmati riceย - Any long grain rice works well in this recipe, but I prefer the slightly nutty flavor of basmati. Jasmine rice is a little too floral. You can use either white or brown rice. Brown rice is healthier and adds more fiber to the dish.ย
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links to products and foods I use in my kitchen. This means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. To view my entire storefront of recommended kitchen tools and equipment, check out my shop on Amazon.
๐ช Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment for recipes makes prepping much easier. If you want more fuss-free prepping and cooking, check out my updated list ofย favorite kitchen tools and equipment.
- 3.5 Quart Dutch oven or large, deep skillet
- Chef's knife
Traditional Jamaican Rice and Red Peas
This a popular dish throughout the Caribbean and likely came over from Africa with the slaves. There are a few ingredients that make this rice and peas recipe dish unique from the rice and beans dishes of Latin America:
- Red Peasย -ย Red peas look a little like small kidney beans but are a cousin to black eyed peas and are grown only only Carolina Sea Islands in the Caribbean. Sometimes they're referred to as cowpeas, red gram, and pigeon peas. Goย here to purchase heirloom red peas. (Note:ย The Foodocracyย is one of the places I like to purchase dried beans and grains as they support small farms.)
- Scotch bonnet pepper - Also known as a Caribbean red pepper, is closely related to the habanero pepper. The two peppers have a similar level of heat, although the scotch bonnet is a little sweeter. Scotch bonnets are used primarily in Caribbean and West African dishes and are a key ingredients to a number of Jamaican dishes. They can be red, yellow, or orange.
- Allspice - This spice is one of the most important ingredients in Jamaican cuisine and is also called Jamaican pepper. It combines the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves but contrary to popular belief, it is not a spice mixture. It's readily available whole in small balls and ground, as pictured below.
Riceย - Caribbean rice is a long-grain rice and is found in many local dishes. Any long-grain rice is completely acceptable when cooking dishes that originated in this region of the world.ย
Thyme - This herb is popular in many countries around the world is one of the signature flavors of the traditional Jamaican Rice and Red Peas.
Coconut milk - The rice and beans simmer in coconut milk and water. Surprisingly, because of the herbs and spices, the finished flavor is a subtle coconut flavor instead of a strong one.
๐ฏ Why This Recipe Works
- Rice and beans are always a great combination, but cooking the rice in coconut milk adds some Island flavor with the allspice and softens the heat from the pepper.
- While you can cook this dish on the stovetop, moving it to the oven surrounds the entire pot in heat and allows for an even cooking. It's a wonderful way to cook any grain.
โฐ Tips to Simplify and Save Time
- Use canned beans.
๐กVariation and Substitution Ideas
- If you don't care for kidney beans, or don't have them on hand, you can substitute black beans or pinto beans.
- If you have scotch bonnet peppers or habanero peppers, I've included instructions in the recipe card for using them instead of the Serrano pepper.
- If you don't have allspice, substitute ยพ teaspoon ground cinnamon + ยผ teaspoon nutmeg + a good pinch of clove powder.
๐ง Can I make this dish ahead?
Yes. This Jamaican rice and beans recipe is a dish that can be made ahead and stored in either the refrigerator or freezer. Be sure the dish has completely cooled to room temperature before storing.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 - 5 days.
- Freeze in a freezer safe container for 2 - 3 months.
๐ฅฉ For the Omnivores at the Table
Jerk chicken is the obvious choice here. Essentially it's chicken rubbed with jerk seasoning and then then roasted or grilled. For them, this rice dish is an easy side dish.ย
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Vegan Jamaican Rice and Beans (with Kidney Beans)
Equipment
- 3.5 Quart Dutch oven or a large deep skillet used for braising
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onion ยฝ large onion
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 chopped Serrano pepper include the pith and seeds for more heat
- 2 large garlic cloves, minced
- 28 ounces canned kidney beans or dry kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 14 ounces coconut milk full fat
- 1 cup water
- 1 ยฝ teaspoons kosher salt
- ยฝ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups basmati rice (either white rice or brown)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400หF.
- If using dried kidney beans or dried red peas, cook them before beginning the recipe.
- Warm the olive oil in an oven-proof Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion, thyme, allspice, and Serrano pepper and sautรฉ until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute.Note: if using a whole scotch bonnet pepper or habanero pepper, add it to the pot instead of the Serrano pepper.ย It's important to leave the pepper whole. The pepper stays in the pot through the entire cooking process.
- Add the coconut milk, water, rinsed beans, salt, and black pepper, stir together using a wooden spoon, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the rice and bring back to a simmer. Cover the pot and immediately transfer it to the oven.
- Bakeย for 40 minutes until all liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender. If you use brown rice, the cooking time will be an additional 10 minutes.
- Set the pot back on the stovetop with the lid on for 5-10 minutes to rest without any heat. This is to allow the rice to fully absorb the steam and any last bit of water. Fluff rice and serve.
Nutrition
Author: Susan Pridmore
Owner, The Wimpy Vegetarian
Professional Recipe Developer
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