An explosion of flavors Caribbean Rice and Red Beans seasoned with garlic, onions and creole spice infused with bay leaves, thyme, scotch bonnet, and coconut milk. It’s a rice meal like no other!
Happy April! I would just like to say that with what the world is experiencing right now, every day should be a gratitude day. So I’m beyond thankful for this new fresh month ahead of us and for this gift of life.
And while I’ve been daydreaming on when would be my next Caribbean trip is, I guess a Caribbean food trip in my kitchen starting with this rice and beans recipe would do the trick for now. Or sometimes referred to as “rice and peas” if made with pigeon peas or yellow peas.
When making this scrumptious rice recipe, I really do not have any preference for beans. Whatever is in the pantry works for me, especially during these times. Here, I used kidney beans instead of the traditional one.
Caribbean Rice and Beans Ingredients
What makes this dish so enticing is coconut milk, coupled with scotch bonnet pepper (hot pepper), onions, garlic, thyme, and red beans.
For a deeper flavor, I added creole spice to up the flavor in this coconut milk rice and beans meal. So think of it as Caribbean rice and beans with a creole flair. No creole spice? Swap it with my homemade dry Jamaican Jerk Seasoning HERE.
If you like a more orange or reddish appearance then include the paprika. As for the heat in this dish, I like to leave the scotch bonnet pepper whole because it produces the right amount of heat and flavor without being too overwhelming. But feel free to use other types of peppers you have on hand like green chilies or bell peppers.
Can You Make This Rice and Beans Vegan?
This is a very simple, easy, cheap and nutritious dish to make in a saucepan. Why nutritious? The beans, of course, it is a good source of complete protein, especially if you are vegan. Now to make this dish completely vegan, just simply swap the chicken broth with vegetable broth or water and omit the chicken bouillon.
One of our readers has also successfully made this recipe using brown long grain rice if you want this recipe healthier.
What to Serve with Caribbean Rice and Beans?
It is traditionally served with chicken, beef or pork or pair it with this Brown Stew Chicken HERE. Below are just some of my go-to pair for this dish.
More Rice Recipes You’ll Love
Get the recipe for this Brown Stew Chicken HERE.
How To Make Rice and Beans
Watch How to Make It
Caribbean Rice and Beans
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (or canola)
- 2-3 garlic clove , minced
- ½ medium onion , diced
- 2 teaspoons creole spice Homemade recipe here
- 2 cups uncooked long grain rice
- 1 sprig fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 13.5 oz can (1 3/4 cups) coconut milk
- 15.5 oz can red kidney beans , rinsed and drained
- 2 small bay leaves
- salt and fresh ground pepper , to taste
- 2 1/4 cups chicken broth or water (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (optional)
- 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper.
- 1 teaspoons paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Wash rice until water runs clear. Drain water.
- Heat a saucepan with oil. Then add onions, garlic, thyme, and hot pepper, sauté for about a minute.
- Stir in rice to the pan, followed by beans for about 2 minutes, then add coconut milk, bay leaf, bouillon powder, creole spice, with 3 cups of water, bring to a boil reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer until rice is cooked, about 20 minutes or more. Stir occasionally from the sides to prevent burns , add more water if needed.
- Adjust for salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves You have to stir occasionally to be preventing any burns.
- Serve warm
Tips & Notes:
- This recipe has been updated with pictures and suggestions.
- For a really moist rice and beans use 3 cups of water/broth.  If you want your rice to look just like in the picture then use 2 cups water or broth
- In the recipe I used  paprika and creole salt  to enhance the flavor of the rice. It’s not traditional. If it is traditional you are after then omit paprika and in place of creole salt use regular salt.
- Feel free to switch the coconut milk with 2 cups of water.
- You can substitute scotch bonnet pepper with any other type of pepper like green chilies or bell peppers.
- Wanna make it vegan? Vegetable broth would be fine.
- If using dry pigeon peas, boil them first until tender, then replace beans with pigeon peas in the instruction. You may also use pinto beans or black beans instead.
- I use uncooked long grain rice. No need to parboil, just rinse it until water runs clear. One of our readers here have used Japanese short-grained rice and it works. Brown long grain rice works, too.
- Too much liquid and stirring would make your rice mushy.
- You may cook it ahead and refrigerate. It heats up very well the next day.
- If you don't have chicken bouillon, you may leave it out or use half of a Maggie cube and add it to the pot.
- For those who want to cook it using an Instant Pot, one of our readers shared this: just saute everything like you normally would, and cook for 3 minutes high pressure with a natural pressure release.Â
- No Creole spice? you may use my dry jerk spice HERE.
- You may throw in your favorite cooked protein into the mix like shredded smoked turkey, diced chicken, ground meat, sausages and so on.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Zoya Vaezi says
Hey Imma i was wondering what type of coconut milk you use for this is it regular or unsweetened coconut milk
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Zoya! You can use either 🙂
Zoya says
which do you prefer
Olivia says
I absolutely love this recipe!! My partner and I make it at least one a month! To make it vegetarian I use vegetable bro instead if chicken and I add an extra can of beans to pack in more protein. This is a must try comfort food!
Immaculate Bites says
Woot! Thank you for sharing, Olivia! 🙂
Caribbean Jane says
Honestly, that does not look appetizing. I am from the Caribbean and absolutely NO island in the Caribbean uses Creole seasoning. You are creating your own version and calling things Caribbean ‘something’. It is clear you are also NOT Caribbean. At least follow an authentic recipe out of respect for the Caribbean people and their cuisine. It’s just wrong and disrespectful. If I do Jollof rice from Ghana or Nigeria or Senegal I will strive to be authentic out of respect for each country’s national cuisine. It’s also out of respect for your audience, they deserve to taste each dish as it is authentically made, not based off of your ‘spin’ on it. Shame.
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you for taking the time to comment, Jane. I do not mean any disrespect by adding creole seasoning to this recipe, as I am sure my readers, commenters, and those who have tried the recipe know well. This ingredient may be removed, I just put it in here as a personal preference 🙂
Mike says
Do you have a humble pie recipe and is it authentic?
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Mike! I don’t have a humble pie recipe yet but I’ll make sure to post once I’ve made it 🙂 Thank you!
Fusion cook says
She specifically said that the addition of creole spices was a personal take; and all good cooking is the chefs take. No shame involved. Haven’t you even heard of “fusion ” cooking? Just because it is not your grandmother’s version…. Get a grip.
Immaculate Bites says
It’s all good, Fusion cook! Thank you for your comment, I appreciate this 🙂
Beth says
Looks great! Do you by any chance have a peas and rice (or gandules and rice) recipe? I grew up in the Virgin Islands, and that is the dish from
Childhood I crave!:)
Immaculate Bites says
Hi Beth! I have a couple of recipes with peas and rice that are posted here 🙂
Pamela Hong says
So delicious! This is in regular rotation at our place. I make it with your baked plantains and jerk marinade (on tofu). My partner loves it so much he talks about it at work! Good thing it’s a big portion because he eats it next day at work for lunch. Thank you for this recipe! 🙂
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you, Pamela! 🙂
Michele H says
This recipe is so easy and delicious, and makes so much that we get multiple meals out of it! I like to serve it with chicken (seasoned with jerk seasoning from a jar and then grilled or roasted). It is so good, we make this over and over again! 🙂
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you, Michele! Glad you enjoyed this! 🙂
Claudine says
I just made this Caribbean Rice and Beans recipe and it was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS!!!! To make it vegan, I left out the chicken broth and chicken bouillon. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for sharing!!!!!!
Michelle Cheptoo says
I made this recipe today, with brown rice and red kidney beans..
love, love the result!
the coconut milk really clinches it.
also your kitchen will smell heavenly.
Denise Hamilton says
I have been cooking rice and peas (beans) since a small child
We don’t use chicken stock
We cook the beans from scratch
Season with scotch bonnet, garlic, scallions, thyme (fresh), coconut milk /coconut cream /freshly grated coconut
If you cook from scratch you get a much better tasting rice and peas my favourite
I use basmatic rice which gives long grains of rice
You recipes are lovely I try many southern recipes and your African recipes which are brilliant
Keep up the fabulous job you are doing
Michael Glen says
After spending a year at the Navy Base in Guantanamo Bay, I got accustomed to really good oxtail from Jamaicans who work at the base. This recipe is it! I really stuck to it but I did add ginger with the garlic, as that is a flavor that is something I remember tasting.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for sharing this with us . Glad to hear it worked out well for you.
Cally says
This is my new go to! I’ve made it three times now – twice with original recipe served with a Caribbean chicken curry on top, and once made vegan for my stepdaughter with a spicy black eyed peas sauce – this has been a HIT every time with the whole family. I am useless in the kitchen and this recipe has let me hold my own with my cooking friends. It is so simple and makes a huge portion that lasts all week (I’ve also frozen some and reheated it in a frying pan – just as good).
Thank you for this recipe, it is so amazingly delicious – both on its own and with something else on top.
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you for sharing this, Cally! 🙂
Liz H says
Is it possible to omit the scotch pepper and still get all the flavours? I love spice as does my 6 year old. My 10 year old is not good with spicy food at all and so I was hoping to modify it for her so that it’s not superbly spicy. My 6 year old was 10 months old when she discovered hot sauce (and I don’t mean Tabasco or Franks Red…I mean like habanero hot). She has never looked back!
ImmaculateBites says
Yes it is. If left whole you will get the flavor without the heat. Remove immediately after cooking .
Corey says
Tasted really good, and was simple to cook. Thank you!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for the feedback!
Ella says
Sooooo good! Thank you.