Caribbean Rice and Red Beans- Seasoned with garlic, onions and creole spice. Infused with bay leaves, thyme, Scotch bonnet and coconut milk. 
If you delight in traditional Caribbean food then you should consider making this scrumptious rice and beans. Sometimes referred to as rice and peas if made with pigeon peas or yellow peas. When making this sumptuous rice, I really do not have any preference for beans. Whatever, is in the pantry works for me. Here, I used kidney beans . 
This is 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. 
What makes this dish so enticing is coconut milk, coupled with scotch bonnet pepper (hot pepper), onions, garlic, thyme and red beans. For a more deepen flavor, I added creole spice to upped the flavor in this coconut milk rice and beans meal. If you like a more orange or reddish appearance then include the paprika. I like to leave the scotch bonnet pepper whole because it produces the right amount of heat and flavor without being too overwhelming. It is traditional served with chicken, beef or pork or pair it with this Brown stewed chicken HERE 
Enjoy Notes and Tips!
- 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 tradition 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
Watch How to Make It
Caribbean Rice and red Beans -- Seasoned with garlic, onions and creole spice. Infused with bay leaves, thyme, Scotch bonnet and coconut milk.
- 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)
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Wash rice until water runs clear. Drain water.
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Heat a saucepan with oil. Then add onions, garlic, thyme, and hot pepper, sauté for about a minute.
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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.
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Adjust for salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves You have to stir occasionally to be preventing any burns.
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Serve warm
- 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 tradition 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
I made this yesterday. It was excellent and also it also worked with Japanese short grained rice. I rinsed the rice well, used canned, drained field peas, and Sason, since I didn’t have the Caribbean salt seasoning. It came out perfect, without having to look at it constantly. By the time o remembered it, the rice was done and delicious. Your hint for the whole habanero caused it to have a perfect flavor. Thank you
Thank you for sharing those tips, Cheryle! Glad you love the flavor overall.
Hi Imma, really want to try this recipe but I’m scared. I don’t use chicken bouillon by the spoons. I use it by the cubes like Maggie. You said you used chicken broth in addition to the Creole seasoning. I’m thinking adding the bouillon might make it too salty. Did you add it to yours?
Hi Vanessa, Yes I did. You don’t have to be scared hon. You can omit it , if desired. Or cut your cube in half before adding to the pot . It works out just fine with or without it. Happy Cooking!!!!
We love this recipe with a few modifications!! I omit the coconut milk but add a 15 oz can of tomato sauce and another can of diced tomatoes. Oh and I DOUBLE the Carribian spice!! Great with Andouille sausages or w/o sausage!!
A great dinner for the two of us!!
Thank you for sharing those tips, Thom! Have a great day!
Delicious!!!! My family and I more than enjoyed it!
Great! Thanks for letting us know.
I have already made this rice dish few time. I always make Jerk chicken with it, which is spicy, therefore, I avoid adding any hot spicy to the rice, it turns out great. It’s a big hit with my family and friends.
Hurray! Thank you for letting me know, Misty! 🙂
Great recipe! I was hesitant about using kidney beans but went with it. Taste great and I went with the 2.5c of water, 1 can of coconut milk and my version of the creole spice. Thanks for sharing!
You’re most welcome! And thank you for dropping by, Leila!
Delicious !!! Thank You!
I made this tonight in combination with your Jamaican jerk seasoning recipe which I used to make jerk chicken. What can I say.. OMG so good. I sauteed boneless free range thighs with red onion and crushed garlic (used olive oil for both btw, but added a tablespoon of coconut oil to the chicken). Put in about a tablespoon per pound of your jerk seasoning, a 1/2 TBSP more brown sugar and I am now happily drowning in a bowl of Jamaican food. Your blog is lovely, easy to read, few annoying pop-ups. I will be coming back to scope more recipes! (I’m also bringing some of this to my friend at work who’s from Grenada tomorrow 🙂
Kristen
P.S. forgot to rate 5 stars!
Yowzaa!!
This is super. Just finished cooking it and can’t wait to serve for dinner. I googled jasmine rice and black beans and your recipe was the second one in line. So glad I checked it out. Not sure how current this is, but I can’t wait to try MANY more .
Your presentation, photography and video are amazing. Love your website. I will pass it on to my daughters to check it out. Your visuals and written directions couldn’t be better. Blessings to you.
Awww, thank you so much for being around, Fran and welcome to the site. Can’t wait for you to try some of my other recipes. Enjoy! 🙂
Going to Make this tonight for the first time. Going to switch out the Creole seasoning with Cajun thought. Its what I have at hand lol. Looks amazing, making it with jerk chicken and a veggie.
That sounds like a plan. Happy cooking !!!!
This recipe came out very good! My husband was floored that I made this which tastes better than the peas and rice we buy from our local restaurants. Awesome recipe thank you so much!
Awesome! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
hi, how will the recipe turn up if i use just water and no milk? I always wanted to try Jamacan rice but in our family coconut milk is a delicious ingredient in deserts but a big No No in dinners. Many Thanks
It’ll be just fine. Give it a try!
Oh I can’t wait to cook the beans and rice and goat curry . Beans are still growing in the garden at the moment, a wild goat was scored recently so the goat curry will be first off the block.
Fresh beans and wild goat? YUM!
I made this tonight on such a freezing winter’s eve. It was delicious. The coconut milk provided the perfect creaminess and balanced out the heat from the pepper beautifully, while the lime cut through with a resounding zing. This will be a regular staple in my household. Thank you so much for sharing, Imma!
Hi Heather! Just love the way you describe this – makes me want to make it tonight . Thanks Girl!!!
I am making this tomorrow for a NYE dinner along with jerk pork and mango slaw. Followed by rum cake. I have lived in the caribbean for 23 yrs and home now in Ireland for the holidays..treating the family to a taste of the caribbean!
Awesome! That sounds Scrumptious ! Wishing you a fabulous New Year’s Eve Dinner! Happy Cooking Joan!
I have attempted a few rice and peas recipes and ended up with mush or bland rice.
I tried this last night and followed it to the letter and used the tip of less water.
It came out perfect. This will be my go to recipe. Thank you for adding the step by step pictures, that really helped.
I was about to give up on this dish, so I am so happy I found your recipe on line and gave it one more go 🙂
Awesome!! Glad to hear you didn’t give up. So kind of you to take the time out to let me know. Have a great weekend !
This was delicious! Didn’t have any scotch bonnets so replaced with 2 small jalapenos finely diced. Used brown basmati rice, and a whole onion. Thank you for such a tasty recipe!
Awesome! Glad to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for taking the time to share this with us.
I want to try this tonight w/the canned dark red goya beans… do I use one can or two? I am only making it really for 2 people……was not sure if I had to alter the recipe much. I am looking forward to trying it! Looks super yummy.
You use one . If you are making this for two you might have to cut the recipe in half it feeds about 5 people. You can go ahead and use the whole can of beans.
Was really good.
Thanks Girl!
What about using pinto beans
You sure can. Makes no difference.
Hi this looks great! I just want to make sure I’m on the right track since I have seen some comments about the liquid to rice ratio. So to have it turn out like the rice in the photos use 2 cups of rice, 2 cups of water or broth, and 1 3/4 cups of coconut milk?
2 1/4 cups of broth and 1 3/4 coconut milk, is the amount I used . The ratio of rice to liquid is 1 cup rice – 2 water. So 4 cups altogether. Add a little more if you want it creamier.
Turned out delicious This is probably not traditional but we had it w mahi mahi topped with spicy mango salsa and avocado on the side.
Hiya, What is Creole spice. Don’t think its available in the UK. Is there an equivalent or could I make my own?
Hi Lucy! Check out this post here .https://www.africanbites.com/creole-seasoning/ It’s my homemade version
Looks real tasty my dear pepper pot ♥♥♥
Thanks!
This has been one of our favorites since I first made it a couple of years ago. I just got an Instant Pot back in February, and this recipe converted flawlessly. For anyone else who would like to Instant Pot this, just saute everything like you normally would, and cook for 3 minutes high pressure with a natural pressure release. Perfect!
Was looking for a not-so-typical rice and beans dish online, found your recipe and tried it — absolutely delicious! Will be making this more often, it was a big hit with the whole family.
Yay!! Thanks for letting me know Amie.
OH MY GOODNESS!! I’ve made this twice in the last two nights- my husband loves it so much! As do I! Thanks for a great recipe!! I noticed in your pics you added paprika? before the milk- yes?
Yes I did! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Good tasty stuff! I was too lazy to find or make Creole seasoning. I used your dry jerk spice recipe. Seemed a bit similar to Creole, +/- a few ingredients. Blooming the spices with the onions and garlic in hot oil is a really good technique.
Yes it is Martin! Adds some extra boost of flavor to it. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Hi, im making this tonight and wanyed to know if i could use chicken stock instead of broth?
Hi Jasmine! You sure can. Happy Cooking!!!!
Hi Imma. I would like to make this along with some jerk chicken for a church group of 60 people. Can I multiply this the ingredients many times without risk of the liquids not evaporating etc?
Hey Robert! I have doubled the ingredients and it worked out just fine. Never tried more than that. When am cooking for a large crowd I cook in batches.
Can I use brown long grain rice?
You sure can.
Rice was really good but I had one problem. My rice had two much liquid in it. I used two cups of water and one can of milk. Great technique and good flavor.
Hmmmm..Double check your measurements , that’s a good amount of liquid to rice ratio.
Thanks so much for this recipe! I’m gobbling up my masterpiece right now lol. It came out perfectly, the measurements were just right. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Awesome!!! Thank you SO MUCH!
Love this recipe can I ask what kind of pot you used?
I used a 7 inch Dutch Oven(cast iron).
Hello Imma,
Thus far I have made your rice and peas with curried beef, curried goat and stewed chicken..out of sight!!! Thank you for sharing your families recipes. I will be making the one pot rice and peas with jerk chicken next girl..I’m excited. Who doesn’t love good home cooked authentic Jamaican food?? Now, I do have a question..can you please send me an easy roti recipe? I love it and haven’t gotten it right yet.. Thank for all that you do Imma..wink*
This is an amazing dish with perfect instructions. Thank you Imma. Love your posts.
I made this and it turned out so well, started on stove pot and continued in rice cooker.
My husband and I loved it and we call it “the Caribbean Wachey”
(Wachey is rice and beans in Ghanaian cuisine)
However, I am looking forward to the baked version of it, to make things easy in the future.
Awesome! I have a rice cooker version will load it up soon. It’s a lot easy to make
The Caribbean Coconut rice is fabulous! The coconut milk and creole seasoning make this recipe delicious! I will be making it over and over again! Thank you!
YASS!!! So happy to hear this. Thank you for taking the time to share this with me Tiffany.
Found this recipe ,made it for Thanksgiving and everyone loved it. The whole pot want so fast. Now everyone is requesting it for Christmas. Thank you for posting this.
My pleasure!!! Thanks for giving it a try.
We tried a different restaurant the other night and I was so excited because the flavors are supposed to be Caribbean. I expected an explosion of flavor! Oh my gosh, it was SO bland. Everything. One thing i had ordered was beans and rice and I thought, really, add some garlic or even salt and pepper, people! So today I came across your recipe and cannot wait to try it!! Looks like lots of flavor in there!
What a terrible Experience !!! This is packed full of flavor. And it’s cheaper too! Do let me know how this works out for you
Happy Cooking!!!!
I wanted to come back and tell you I made this tonight and it was SO good!! Mine looked creamy, not as pretty as yours, but it was DELISH!! Way, way better than that restaurant. Husband liked it, too! Thank you so much for a great recipe!
I tried this tonight for the first time…unbelievable! I didn’t imagine all those ingredients would turn into this glorious dish. Thank you OP for an incredible recipe.
My pleasure ! Glad you liked it.
This is the best red beans and rice recipe I have ever eaten! I can’t wait to try your other recipes. I eat a very restricted diet but I can eat most of the ingredients in your recipes. Yay!!
Yay! Thank you so much . Glad it fits into your diet.
These are the absolute best rice and beans! First time I tried this recipe, I was surprised by how good such a simple dish could be. Now it’s my go-to meal anytime I’m looking forward to payday, or as a delicious side for a dinner party. It has the perfect amount of heat for the average eater, but I like to double up on the peppers when it’s just me. Thanks for this awesome recipe!
YESSSS!!! Thank you for thing the time to let me know !!
Just. Yum. Subbed light coconut milk and added the optional spices you recommended. Turned out lovely. Quick and easy and delicious accompaniment to the slow cooker Jerk chicken. Thanks!
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback Jessica
My brother in law is jamaican and often made me rice and peas with chicken stew…this is identical to his recipe.
Thanks for sharing!!!
I made this last weekend. The flavor is amazing. I could not find Scotch Bonnet peppers but used a Scotch Bonnet sauce and it was amazing. I paired this with Jerk Chicken and everyone raved about how good both dishes were. As a single man I find your dishes easy to make and everyone wants to know where I find the recipes. Thanks for sharing these.
My pleasure!! So happy these recipes are working out for you. Thank you for taking the time to share this with me.
I’ve made this twice now (vegan version) and it is absolutely delicious. I serve it with saute kale and even our non-vegan friends love it. Great recipe!
Awesome!!! Glad it was a hit!!!
OMG, this dish was awesome!! I made a double size of the Caribbean beans and rice yesterday and my family and I loved it! I subbed the canola with olive oil, and in addition to the recipe ingredients, I added a bit of shredded smoked turkey, red and green bell peppers, green onion, onion powder, and a bit of of all spice. It was DEELISH! I now have a dish to take to my family reunion this weekend!!! Thanks for posting 🙂
My Pleasure!! So happy to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
I just tried your rice and red beans recipe. The results were awesome!
Thanks Bruce! Glad it worked out well for you.
is there a recipe for oxtail gravy? please respond,,quick and easy works best for me
Check out this one here https://www.africanbites.com/jamaican-oxtail-stew-2/
Really easy, fragrant and yummy! I followed recipe to the T. Except I couldn’t find scotch bonnets and subbed a habanero. TBH, instructions were unclear at certain points: to oil pan before adding chicken? Jerk or creole seasoning on chicken? When is the 2nd seasoning added? When to add scotch bonnet (my only sub-habanero)? How long to boil w all ingredients? Cover pot? Luckily, I used the other links to the rice and chicken solo recipes to answer most of these. End result was awesome but perhaps the liquid ratio was too high. My rice was realllly soggy and clumpy, hardly any individual grains. And the skin wasn’t crispy enough. But if I closed my eyes, all the flavors were spot on. I did use a Dutch cast oven instead of a traditional cast. Do you think this affected the liquid ratio/crispness of chicken? Thank you for recipe but perhaps add more detail for beginner cooks!
Hi Gabrielle,
Sorry about the mix up. Are you referring to the Jerk chicken and rice dish?
I made this tonight and it was good! I used fish sauce at the end instead of salt because I love it on rice. I also used some wursts that were waiting in the fridge, because my sister actually doesn’t like beans that much. Actually she sentenced the rice was “too spicy”, oh well, I guess rice and beans is all mine now. About that, Imma, please, do you have some rice recipes that even a picky eater with a child’s tastebuds could enjoy? I am afraid of trying new recipes because I know that in the end I will have to finish them all alone…and that’s sad after a while…Still I would like to try making her taste new things. Thank you and I can’t wait to try some meat recipes!!
I sure do. Here are a couple , . The chicken recipes would definitely do it for the household. Give them a try and let me know what you think . Thanks!
Thanks for posting this recipe, I made it with black beans last night to go with jerk chicken and mango salsa, and it was delicious. I’d used all the scotch bonnet I had in the jerk chicken marinade, so I used a couple of turns of ground ghost chillies instead which gave it just the right kick. I didn’t have creole spice mix, so I made my own with celery salt, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder and allspice. This one’s a keeper!
AWESOME! So happy you enjoyed it Steve.
Hey I was wondering if you could use lentils with this recipe. Sounds awesome and I want to try it now!! Lol
You sure can. But you have to cook the lentils first for about 15-25 minutes depending on the lentil before adding to the mixture. Let me know if you do make it and how it turns out for you.
I made this rice and beans recipe along with your brown chicken stew. My Guyanese husband gobbled it up, and I loved it as well. (I dont usually like the combination of beans and rice.) Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe.
Yay! Glad it was a hit with the family.
Mine looks like crap, but tasted like heaven. So far I made the best Caribbean cream with rice and beans ever!! Aside the fact that I can eat it with a straw, the taste is very good. If i can convince people to eat it they wont regret it.
Hi Daniel! What happened did you add more cream? Happy to hear it tasted really good.
Oh man… 🙁 I wish you wrote to cover the pot in the instructions. Mine came out really creamy and thick, it taste great but I wish it would have come out like in your photos. I followed all the instructions and used measuring cups for everything, also to note I cooked it in a Le Creuset dutch oven pot.
So sorry Sueann. Will update recipe.
I made this rice today and oh my God, it was wonderful. I followed the directions to a “T” and it came out fantastic.
Yay!! Glad it worked out well for you.Thanks for taking the time to comment.
Just discovered your blog through pinterest, the whole family loved this caribbean rice and beans recipe which I paired with jerk chicken. I can’t wait to try jamaican brown stew chicken and curried goat stew! Thanks!
Hi Lauren! Glad to hear it was a hit with the family. Those are some of my favorites you are going to enjoy them too!!
Hi i need to make this recipe for 25 to 30 ppl, big portions can you give me the correct t of ingredients
Just triple or quadruple the recipe.
Hi Imma,
I am confused…….in your instructions for Caribbean Beans & Rice, you stated it is necessary to stir the rice to keep it from sticking and then in your post you stated that you should not stir the rice. My finished product looked liked rice pudding. This recipe was a waste of my resources. Which one it is stir or not stir???
Your response would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Hi Karen! So sorry to hear about this. Now here is what I do. When I add the rice and other ingredients I stir. Then when it’s time to let it simmer. I don’t stir as much and if I do. It’s from the sides, to prevent any burns. If you use a non-stick cookware, you should simmer without stirring . Hope this helps. Thanks for the feedback! And do let me know if you have any more questions
Wishing you a Happy New Year!
Had the exact same experience, my rice making involves leaving it completely alone. Also, is it just me or is a full can of coconut milk AND more than 3 cups of water an awful lot of liquid for 2-cups of rice?? Caveat: I can successfully make plain white rice on a regular, but any time I try anything like this, it ends up like it did tonight, a big mushy mess. I know it’s me, but even with following rice & beans recipes exactly, it never works out. Please note that I’m pretty freaking good in the kitchen, too. Despite this constant and rather humbling failure.
Hi stina! After reading your comment I decided to give this rice and beans a go, several times using different methods…trying to make it as easy as possible. You are right 3 cups would be too much for cover and forget. I would really urge you to try out again this time with 2 1/4 cups rice. Will update recipe shortly with pictures and variations. So sorry it didn’t work out well for you the first time.
Caribbean Rice and Beans
Really glad I found this site, I can’t wait to try the Caribbean Rice and Beans. One question though, how do you treat the whole Scotch bonnet pepper? Do you need to scorch and peel it first (like a Hatch green pepper) or just use it skin on? Thanks!
William
No need for scorching, you just use it with skin on. If you want more heat prick with toothpick and use. Or just leave it whole.
Just made this tonight for supper. It was DELICIOUS! The only thing I would change is putting the lid on the pan next time, I did have to simmer it for 10 minutes longer. No big deal. Thank you for a wonderful recipe! It is so creamy and stick-to-your-sides tasty.
Hi Kelly,So glad to hear it worked out well for you. Thanks for the feedback!
Hi Immaculate;
I find your recipes easy. However, I never make rice and peas/beans by sautéing vegetables first unless I am making pilaf.
In the Caribbean, coconut milk is used. Boiled first, then beans added, seasoning and allspice can be added (delicious), additional water. Bring to boil, add washed rice. Bring to boil, cover and cook on low 20 mins or so. My mum has used plain milk in the past. I have added coconut extract because I had no coconut milk.
In your instructions, you mention to stir the rice from the sides to prevent burning. Not necessary. Just cook on the lowest flame covered. If there is burn at the bottom…even better. We LOVE the burn 🙂
Thanks for sharing.
Hi Arlene, I hear you and thanks for sharing another way of making this tasty rice. I like to sauté the onions first and stir the rice because it really adds flavor to the overall dish.
I made this dish for the second time, the first time it came out too mushy, so I reduced the total liquid (inclusive of the coconut milk) to that of what was called for for the rice and it came out great…we spend much time in the Caribbean and love beans and rice.
Awesome! Glad to hear it worked out well for you !
Hi Lee! So sorry to hear about this. A couple of things you need to keep in mind when making this dish, is the liquid ratio. If you over do it will result in a mess. In addition, refrain from stirring the pot , cover tightly with a fitting lid and let it simmer for about 18-20 minutes . Hope this helps for next time.
Hi. I’m a terrible cook so this doesn’t surprise me but my rice came out very creamy and rice is not done? The flavor is great but milky. Its simmering for 40 min. Looks like rice pudding. What did I do wrong?
Can you do what you need to then transfer to rice cooker to finish?
Yes, you can.
An Englishman here who recently traveled to the carribbean. We left absolutely in love with the food! You dish is just as good as the best rice dishes we had there. Thank you so much for the delicious recipe.
Woops. One other comment. I didn’t have any kidney beans, so I used fresh peas. Tasted great. I look forward to trying it with beans next time.
Love your version of rices and beans. Goes great with some Jamaican Jerk chicken.
http://caribbeanfood.com/recipes/jamaican-jerk-chicken-recipe-a-deliciously-hot-treat
Wow. Made this and it was awesome. This is truly the first rice and beans dish I have ever had that is faaar from boring. Thanks again. And oh… love your name 🙂
Hi Donavan! Thanks! Totally agree not your boring rice and beans. Thanks again for the feedback
Is this super spicy? Wondering if my kids will be able to enjoy!
Hi Amanda! No, it is not! However, you can leave out the pepper just to be on the safe side.
Wow! Thanks for the detailed feedback- you have just made my job easier. I am going to try it using the rice cooker. Can’t wait . FYI, I do have a curried goat here https://africanbites.com/?p=3707. Check it out!
This process seems similar to making jollof sans meat. Can I use a rice cooker or bake in foil pan? I will let you know the answer, haha. Ive perfected jollof using the brown rice setting. I loathe cooking rice on the stovetop.
I can’t wait to hear the outcome- please be so kind as to share this with us. Pretty please.
Girl it came out perfect!
Using the rice cooker I tweeked it a bit:
I used the sauteé pan to prepare the onions and other things in that mix. I changed the rice and added coconut milk the same level as I’d use water. I added the salt After the milk. Then mixed in the sauteed spices and plopped the pepper in On white rice setting.
It was better than the restaurant. They’ve lost a customer. I paired it with the Jamaican Browning chicken stew… Which I followed the recipe with no alterations. Added plantain and a salad.
Husband loved it, so it’s a keeper!
I’m going to try the jerk slow cooker chicken Sunday :).
Oxtails later n the week.
I wish you had a recipe for curry goat too.
Thanks I loved it!
may try this. just so I’m clear, you put the red beans in with the rice in the rice cooker while it was cooking?
Yes I did! It goes in with the rice cooker.
This looks delicious! I am printing it off and adding it to my menu. Always looking for some new rice/bean dishes and the coconut milk sounds awesome.
http://myeverydayoasis.com
Thanks Mary. You are going to enjoy this!!!
Do I have to wash the rice and do I need coconut milk I’m allergic. What can I substitute?
Donny yes you do wash the rice first and you can replace the coconut milk with chicken broth or water.
Plain unsweetened almond milk is a nice substitute for coconut milk if you have an allergy..
Another fantastic rice dish to make at short notice.
Thanks.
Sorry, but you DON”T put coconut milk in Jamaican rice. I tried it and got gooey globbed rice. And where did your brown coloring come from? Nothing in your recipe would have added the brown color that this rice usually has. Most recipes use Pickapeppa Sauce to give it some color and flavor.
Jim, sorry to hear this recipe didn’t work out for you. As you can see the reviews above , a lot of people have successfully made and enjoyed this rice.
I agree some recipes do not have coconut milk but most do, it is a matter of preference.
It is clearly stated above that, to achieve this orange/brownish color I added cajun salt and paprika. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
I’ve personally never saw this recipe without coconut milk as the liquid base…
The correct way would be to soak beans overnight to soften, the tin beans really do this dish no justice. Then boiling the Beans (peas) in water when cooking so it is this deep burgundy colour (which is the colour the rice ends up taking), adding the seasoning like scallion (spring onions) and a scotch bonnet to help season to preferred taste before adding the rice and coconut milk.
Enid Donaldson is the best reference for authentic Jamaican dishes so could help with any references.
LOVE so many of your recipes.
Thank you so much for sharing!!! Glad to hear you are enjoying the recipes.
Sorry but I used the bar and 4 cups of water to compenate for the milk as per box instructions(add 2 c water to the box bar) and this turned out a goopy rice. tasty but goopy, I agree with the above writer.
Sorry to hear this . Have you tried it with coconut milk? It might work out if you go with the suggested ratio .
Jim, I think it’s your rice cooking techniques rather than the recipe. The traditional JAMAICAN rice and peas recipe DOES contain coconut unless for personal choice you decide to leave it out. Your rice probably turned gloopy because there was too much liquid content or you stirred the rice toomany time, and probably with a spoon. Instead of using the canned milk which can (with too much water content) make your rice gloopy, opt for using solid creamed coconut which uou can buy in bars. 1/3 would work well with this recipe. Also cooking the beans the traditional way (dried) would give the rice it’s brownish colour. And finally always stir your rice with a folk!
Thank you so much Foodlover. These are great suggestions.
Oh my, got to have the coconut for flavor. I lived in Jamaica for 5 years and they all use coconut milk. I’m in/from KY and can’t get all the exact ingredients like jamaican escallion (have to use green onions here. ugh). But Jamaicans and rest of people who’ve eaten my rice n peas say yummy. I use Jasmine rice, like 3 cups, I get Grace coconut powder online, mix it in blender with water, like 4 1/2 cups) and a bit of sugar (seems to bring out flavor), a can of dark red kidney beans (scrape the red from bottom of can), salt, thyme, and rather than just throw the green onions in I chop them about an inch long, 3 stalks. To me the key was just the right amount of water and heat and don’t stir very much, cook hard till waters going then at end of cooking turn heat way down and stem till the rice doesn’t stick together. If appears goopy, leave top off while steaming. Jamaicans have told me mine tastes like the real deal. 45 minutes.
Awesome! Thanks for sharing your tips with us Bruce
I am terrified of cooking dry beans. The one time I did they came out just awful. Can this be done with canned beans also? It looks so delicious!
Absolutely girl. That is what I use on weeknights when I need to whip up this rice and beans. Please let me know how it works for you.
Beans are not a complete protien. The only foods that have all of the amino acids necessary for them to be considered complete are animal products. Dairy is often a complete protien choice for many vegetarians. That being said beans are still a good source of protien.
The combination of rice and beans together form a nutritionally perfect protein. That is why so many low income cultures or vegans consume this for a nutritionally healthy diet.
Preparing this recipe tonight with leftover grilled chicken that was marinated in a fruity/hot pepper marinade before grilling. Then will top with scallion/parsley and coconut shrimp. Cooked greens will be a side. Know it will be great. Thanks,
Thanks for sharing -I would love to be at your dinner table – your menu sounds really good!
This is true. Many legumes combined with rice do create what is considered to a “perfect” (aka complete) protein. And quinoa is a complete vegetal source of protein all by itself. Meat is not the only complete protein (containing all the necessary amino acids) It’s good to verify your nutritional facts before posting- as there are many rumors out there.
You are right, that animal proteins are the most complete. They are already connected and structurally sound. However, our bodies have to spend a lot of extra energy to break them all down to use the single amino acids. Our bodies have to borrow proteins and calcium from our muscles and our bones in order to break them down, thus causing some damage. However, when we eat plant foods, we get all of the singular amino acids that the body can use right away. It is important to have a variety of plant foods to provide a variety of amino acids. Thank you so much for this great recipe!
My Pleasure! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
I’m making this for the second time this month! My husband loved it the first time I made it. I’ve had my share of rice and bean attempts! I can’t wait to prepare it for my mother in law, she’s Guyanese.
Ashley , I know she will love it as much as your husband loves it. Let me know how it goes.
This is one of the best rice dishes I have ever made. Perfect recipe! Thank you 🙂
Aww, thank you Sabina. So happy to hear this.
The coconut milk seems like something that might be done in Trinidad. It looks awesome and I want this right now. Too bad I only have dried beans in the pantry.
You can do this with dried beans! Just soak and cook them first with a bay leaf and a few garlic cloves. That’s the way my husbands family makes this and the way I was taught (by him)
Thanks for sharing !!!
Is there a reason you use canola oil and not vegetable oil?
Canola oil is much better heart friendly choice than vegetable oil- according to various reports. It does not affect taste.
Canola oil is rapeseed oil, and is unfortunately through its industry – reported as heart healthy, but is in reality associated with heart lesions. It is a genetically modified product, so no one knows for sure its true effects on humans over time.
It also is said to be “heart healthy” due to a reported high omega 3 content. If high in omega 3’s, it would need to be refrigerated, or have preservatives added to avoid risk of cancer-causing free radicals which develop quickly in unprotected oil. Just had to add what unbiased research shows.
Love your blog.
Thanks for sharing!
I have to comment on the Caribbean rice & beans – That receipe should be called Jamaican rice & beans. Most of the other Caribbean Islands do not use coconut milk in their rice & beans receipe. It is just called Red Beans & rice.
Thanks for sharing!
Well they eat it all over the Caribbean side of Costa Rica, and I love it! Since I’m living here right now- but in the mountains instead of on that coast- I’m glad I can get my fix whenever I want with your recipe.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts with us Ann.
Or you could use coconut oil even better.
You sure can!
I used olive oil and made it for a potluck at our church easter egg hunt…
It was gone and quick Thank you for sharing this recipe !!!
My pleasure! Thanks for letting me know.
Thank you for saying that!! I’m so sick and tired of th food industry claiming canola oil is good for us. It is a food abomination and should be yreated as such.
How about no oil. I make rice and beans. With no oil and it still delicious. Oil is a hyper concentrated fat that increase Glucose intolerance, elevated blood sugar and is the cause of type 2 diabetes.
Some readers have experience success without oil .So it works without it
Canola oil, corn oil, vegetable oil, soybean oil, etc., (a/k/a Frankenstein industrial oils) are not heart friendly. Those oils have a high omega 6 profile which is not good for your heart and turn rancid when exposed to high heat converting them into trans fats. I would use either coconut oil, thee or butter from grass fed cows. The latter have a high heat tolerance and are excellent sources of vitamin D.
Thanks for sharing !!!!
Hi Registered Dietitian here – I’d like to clarify that canola oil has a high smoke point and will not convert to trans fat when heated. The only way any type of oil is converted to a trans fat is through hydrogenation,adding extra hydrogen to convert a liquid oil to a solid fat. Also many people cannot afford high priced oils that are deemed “non-gmo” and have to make due where they can to select heart healthy oils. Coconut oil is not cheap and is basically all saturated fat, so I recommend to not replace all cooking fat with coconut oil. Yes, coconut oil is absorbed through a different route than most other fats because it has medium chain fatty acids, but that does not make it more healthy. Same goes for butter – everything in moderation. Saturated fat content contributes the most to heart disease. I’ve got the jerk chicken thighs that go with this recipe in my crockpot now! Can’t wait to try it!