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 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)
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
I have made this now a dozen times. It always comes out spectacularly. It is so easy and do very good. Have turned several friends on to it. Thanks for posting such an amazing recipe.
I can imagine this with all its flavours is amazing, mine however ended up with mushy rice. Can you point me in the right direction please
So sorry to hear that. I would suggest decreasing the liquid by a1/2 cup and drain the rice throughly before adding to the pot. It might be too much water or stirring. Hope this helps.
I only have dried black beans. I know it isn’t traditional but do you think it would be okay?
Of course it would. Boil the beans first until tender before using in the recipe.
I have been following your post thanks a lot for impact in my life. Please ma where can i paprika in Nigeria.
It’s available in most supermarkets. Just ask , sometimes it is available in open markets.
Hello
If I am using the chicken bouillon cubes how many do I use for this recipe?
Thanks in advance!!
One would do just fine.
My fiancé made jerk chicken tonight and I was looking for a more flavorful version of red beans and rice for accompaniment. Imma, I will be adding this recipe to my regular rotation. I love a one-pot recipe; this was perfect. Looking forward to trying your jerk chicken recipe next
Great! Glad it worked out well for you Taylor.
This is our go to when we have Jerk Chicken. Never fails! I just swap out the scotch bonnet for some Susie’s Hot sauce and i’ve always got the ingredients on hand Thank! Thank you!
Hi…I recently discovered your blog, and have saved quite a few of your recipes already. Would it be possible for you to make it easier to “pin” them using pinterest? A lot of blogs have a nifty little “pin” button near the top or bottom of their recipes which make the process a whole lot easier. Thanks!
Hi Tripp! Thank you for the suggestion. Please could you check your page again and see if the “pin” button is visible now? Thanks.
I made this recipe with all the listed ingredients in a Caldero. The flavors were phenomenal, best recipe I have come across for Rice and Peas. I will try your Jerk Chicken recipe next.
Fantastic! I am glad you loved it, Jess. Thank you for the feedback !
I grew up in Jamaica – I’m in the US now – and with everything that is going on, I *really* needed a comfort food to go with dinner tonight <3. I'm trying your recipe for the first time – it looks wonderful, and I love how you point out the flexibility of it – all the little changes that a person can make, depending on their preferences and what they have in their kitchen. Thank you!
Hi Michelle! I totally understand where you are coming from. And I know things will get better.
In the meantime, I am really looking forward to you trying out this recipe. I hope you love it too :).
Do let me know how it works out for you. Take care.
The first time I made this I used too much water as in the instructions it said to add 3 cups. I found that 2 cups was the perfect amount for the way I like my rice! This is definitely the best recipe I have found and will definitely be using it at least once a week! I used Cajun seasoning And added a bit of ground allspice and it came out amazing! Thanks again!
Awesome! I am glad you were able to tweak it to suit you, Matty! Thank you for the feedback 🙂
Hi, I can only find “Cajun” seasoning at the grocery store. No creole or jerk. Will this work?
Yes it would do just fine.
A quick note to Instapot users. I got a “BURN” warning before this dish was finished cooking. It wasn’t a big deal really. I just had to stop the process and deglaze the pot. The next time (and there will be a next time!) I’ll make sure to deglaze the pot after the sauteing and before I begin the pressure cooking cycle. I’m going to try your brown stew chicken recipe next!
Hi Shirley. This is great advice! Thank you for taking the time share :)!
I cooked the scotch bonnet whole in the rice and took out at the end. Is this right or would you chop it up
Hi Emma! It really depends on your heat tolerance. If you would like it a little other, you can just give the scotch bonnet a little squish in the pot. If you really want to go all out on the heat, then you can chop it up before adding to your pot. 🙂
Just finished making the recipe I don’t care for hot but I do like heat so I did not do scotch bonnet I just did a few shakes of red pepper flakes excellent little bit of heat no hot
Hi Decota! I am glad you were able to make this recipe work for you. Thanks for stopping by :).
The red beans came out delicious,I used fresh from scratch,First time using coconut milk and what a different I did add smoke ham southern twist and chicken broth and and touch of liq smoke .those beans are now one of my favorite.Thank you sooo much.
Oh my!! That sounds absolutely Delicious. Thanks for sharing your tips Evelyn
I just looked in my pantry and then googled Rice, Beans, Coconut Milk. This recipe popped up. I love when I find recipes that have almost all ingredients I have on hand. I’m going to fix it later this week. I will just need to substitute the pepper for a cayenne, and use spices I have on hand for the creole spice. I will let you know how it turns out!!
Awesome!! Looking forward to your feedback, Mary 🙂 !
This has become a staple in our household! Really good! The only complaint I get is that it’s too oily… I have tried less oil and cooking it down longer. Any suggestions?
Hi Kaitlyn. Try using as little oil as possible. About 1-2 tablespoons of oil. It will still turn out great! Happy Cooking 🙂 !
You need you own cooking show
Working on that! Stay tuned 🙂 !
I made this for dinner tonight and IT WAS FANTASTIC. Thank you!
Awesome!! I am so glad this was a hit with you, Kate! 🙂
thanks for sharing this post like this.
You’re welcome :)!
I have been trying to figure this out for so long! Stumbled upon your recipe by accident, tried it and it came out perfect the first time! So simple and easy to do and Soooo much flavour! I never did the step of putting the uncooked rice in before the water/coconut milk… I think that made all the difference. I’ll never worry about making rice again lol thank you!
Fantastic! I am so glad this was a hit with you. Thank you for the feedback, Aliyah!
Thank you for sharing such awesome information
looks very good
Thank you! Tastes good too !
Followed exactly and came out delicious!!! Not changing a thing and excited to try the site’s other recipes!
Good to know . Thanks
This is an amazing recipie, thank you, Imma! I’ve made this about 3 times now and every time it turns out Perfect. The first time I made it without coconut because I didn’t have any on hand and it was still just as great (though I do love the addition of the coconut flavor!) This last time I made it with a side of fried plantains and it was delicious together. Again, thank you for sharing!
With a side of plantains… that sounds absolutely DELISH!! I am salivating here haha. Glad you love this recipe, Anastazie.
Oh. My. God. This rice is AMAZING. Huge hit with my family. We made it with your Jerk Chicken. Everyone loved it.
Fantastic! I am so glad this was a hit with your family! Thanks for stopping by!
Your recipe is a winner. Love it!
Thanks, Nathalie! So glad you love it :)!
The excitement from my eleven year old is so real when she knows I’m cooking this She absolutely loves it along with the cooked down chicken recipe from here. This is cooking as I type and we can’t wait.. Thank you! This meal also stretches out for the next day too so no cooking for me
Awww.. reading this made me so happy! Now I am excited too! Thank you for your feedback, Heather-Rose :)!
I’ve made this recipe every single week while in quarantine!!! Followed it exactly and it is perfection!!! Soooooooooooo delicious! Family favourite for life!
Thank you
We-lcome to the club, Jennifer!! This has been a family favorite in my house for as long as I can remember. I am so glad you love it too. Thanks for stopping by!
I have everything but can not find the scotch bonnet pepper in the grocery store(s). What can I use to give the fruity flavor and heat?
Ps! Can’t wait to try this with the brown stewed chicken!
Ohhh.. the rice and beans with the brown stewed chicken sounds divine!!. Habanero peppers are a very close substitute for the scotch bonnet. If that is not available either, you could just go with chili peppers. Happy cooking!!
So tasty! Eating now with avocado on top and paired with a glass of wine!
That sounds delish! Enjoy!
My mother in law used to make this with pigtail. She passed away last year. I’m planning to cook this for my husband as an ode to her. Thanks for sharing the recipe!!
Thank you, Charlotte. May she rest in peace !
I have made this a few times now… it’s really great!! A new staple in our house. The only complaint I get from the household is that it’s too oily.. I have tried cutting the oil back and cooking it down longer. Any suggestions?
Hi Sarah! Try putting as little oil as possible then, about 2 tablespoons or so.
Your recipes are outstanding. I love Caribbean food but not the prices they charge at restaurants. Your recipes even taste better. Thanks.
Thank you so much, Reggie. Nothing beats home-cooked meals. Thanks for stopping by!
This looks amazing! I got some homemade epis and was wondering how to use it. I’m going to try it in place if your step number two. New to epis… is a tablespoon too much do you think? Can’t wait. Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Susanna! Start with 1 tablespoon and taste as you go. Do let me know how it works out for you! 🙂
Another successful meal. I paired this with the one pot curry chicken no veggies but made cabbage on the side. It was amazing. Thank you for sharing your gift with the world. From a person who’s used to the same old spaghetti, fried chicken and traditional meals it’s pretty awesome to pick up an recipe a try something different with my family and they thoroughly enjoy it from the young picky eaters to the seasoned very hungry eaters. The aromas this meal created brought everyone to the kitchen to see exactly what was going on. Thank you again. I’m looking forward to this new recipe every week my family has imposed on me. You’re making it easy
Aww. You are too kind. Thank you for taking time out to share this with us.
What other vegetables would taste good in this recipe?
Broccoli, carrots, peas, lentils, you name it, Bell peppers, whatever you love, you can add. It is filling and the beans add that protein content needed. But truthfully vegetable options are limitless. In particular I love adding squash! Enjoy
If I am replacing the Coconut Milk with the broth, would I now be using a total of 4 1/4 cups of broth? Would 4 1/4 cups cause the rice to be mushy?
Go with 4 cups of broth.
I love all the options you provide for your recipes! It makes it possible to try most of them during this time of limited shopping and ingredients. I just found your site after looking for a hot cross bun recipe and now my sister and I are obsessed! We’ve been texting each other recipes and trying recipes all week. It has been such a bright spot during this tough time. Thank you for sharing your gift!
Thank youuuu for blessing me. Needed to hear that. Its so hard staying at home. But working through it dutifully like we all are. Enjoy the recipe and try many more and comment back here.
Thanks for the recipe, it was delicious
Glad you like it.
I love Rice and i will surely try this recipe if you have more recipes of rice let me know I wanna try all
I love rice, too! You can check out my other rice recipes here >> https://www.africanbites.com/?s=rice
Hi Imma! Love ALL of your recipes!
I have cooked this twice and my rice comes out overcooked. I am using both 1 can coconut milk and 2 cups broth in the stone lodge pot that you have. Could it be the temperature I am cooking it at?
Thanks!
Hi Kareema, cut back on the broth. Use 1 3/4 cup and cook on low for 18 minutes. See if it works out this time. Please let me know how it works out.
Hello, I found that the peas were soft and mushy, any tips to avoid it?
Hello, I would add in the beans towards the last 10 minutes of cooking .
Thanks for the recipe being a foodie and love cooking I keep searching for recipes today I found you I will be checking hereby on regular and will try this.
Thank you
Never mind about the instant pot instructions, I saw them in your note section
Can you make this in the instant pot? If so, what are the instructions?
Thank you
Don’t have any precise instructions for you. But am sure it works just fine in an instapot.
I have tried almost all your recipes and i loved them. I am from Jamaica and was taught to make Rice and Peas a certain way but I love your version because the flavor explodes when you taste it. Your Creole seasoning is now a regular staple in my house. Thank you also for all the “stay at home recipes” , the deviled eggs was great.
Yay! So happy to hear you are loving them. Thanks for letting me know.