Caribbean Rice and Beans
Caribbean Rice and Beans delivers a flavor explosion with garlic, onions, and intensely delicious spices. Infusing it with bay leaves, thyme, scotch bonnet, and coconut milk creates an incredible rice meal!
I would 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 gift of life and my beloved family by my side.
And while I’ve been daydreaming about my next Caribbean trip, a tropical food trip in my kitchen, starting with this rice and beans recipe, will have to do. Or if you’re into Jamaican food, it’s rice and peas. 😍
What Type of Beans
When making this scrumptious meal, I don’t have any favorites, so whatever is in the pantry works. Traditionally, Caribbean beans and rice use red kidney beans. However, it’s just as delicious with black or pinto beans or pigeon peas. The look may change slightly, but that’s about it.
Recipe Ingredients
- Rice – Long-grain separates more easily. However, medium-grain, jasmine, and basmati rice work just as well.
- Seasoning – Garlic, onion, hot pepper (scotch bonnet peppers are my fave), Creole seasoning, thyme, bouillon powder, bay leaves, optional smoked paprika, and good ol’ S&P pack a flavor punch.
- Kidney Beans – Dried beans are cheaper, but for convenience’s sake, I’ve gone with canned. Choose which is best for you and your Caribbean red beans and rice.😉
- Coconut Milk – Full-fat coconut milk provides liquid to cook the rice and a tropical taste.
- Chicken Broth delivers the rest of the needed liquid and adds extra flavor.
How to Make Caribbean Rice and Beans
Follow along with my numbered instructions below to see how to make Caribbean rice and beans in your own kitchen.
- Wash rice until water runs clear. Drain water.
- Sautee Aromatics – Heat a saucepan with oil. Then add onions, garlic, thyme, and hot pepper, and sauté for about a minute. (Photos 1-2)
- Simmer – Stir the rice into the pan, then the beans, and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add coconut milk, bay leaf, bouillon powder, Creole spice, and broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until rice is cooked (about 20 minutes). (Photos 3-4)
Note: Stir occasionally to prevent burning, adding water as needed. - Serve – Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves. Serve warm and enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Jerk Rice and Beans – For even more spice, add a teaspoon of jerk seasoning to the traditional recipe.
- Bean Swap – Pigeon peas, kidney beans, and black beans are all conventional choices. You can also use other beans, such as pinto beans, red beans, or lentils.
- Vegan Version – Replace the meat-based broth with vegetable broth; done.
Tips and Tricks
- Test the rice to avoid overcooking. It should be tender but still have a slight bite, and the beans should be tender but not mushy.
- Almost any chili pepper, such as habanero and jalapeño, will work if you don’t have a scotch bonnet.
- Don’t skip rinsing the rice because it removes excess starch and keeps the rice from getting sticky.
Make-Ahead and Storage Instructions
Cool the rice and beans after cooking and freeze them in meal-size portions in airtight containers for 2-3 months. It will last in the fridge for 3-4 days—the same works for leftovers.
Thaw frozen rice and beans in the refrigerator overnight. Then simmer (stirring occasionally) in a pot until it bubbles. Add water or broth as needed to keep it from burning—a microwave works, too.
FAQs
Caribbean rice and beans definitely have a West African influence. Enslaved Africans brought the recipe to the Caribbean, and it quickly became a staple in many Caribbean cuisines.
It depends on who you ask and where you are in the world. In Jamaica and other Caribbean countries, it’s known as rice and peas. That’s because, in the West African Akan language, the word for pea refers to most legumes, including beans.
Rice and beans are a nutritious meal. So you can serve it as a complete meal or add meat and sides, such as ripe fried plantains.
What to Serve With The Recipe
It’s traditionally served with chicken, beef, or pork. It goes excellent with brown stew chicken, Jamaican curry goat, or jerk chicken. Fried sweet plantain and Caribbean coleslaw are wonderful sides.
More Popular Jamaican Dishes to Try
Conclusion
This Caribbean rice and beans recipe takes rice to a whole new level. Would you like more African-based recipes? Then follow me on Facebook for more! ❤️
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in February 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Caribbean Rice and Beans
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (or canola)
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
- 2 cups uncooked long grain rice
- 1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk (about 1¾ cups)
- 1 15.5-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 small bay leaves
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- 2¼ cups chicken broth or water (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (optional)
- 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika (optional)
Instructions
- Wash rice until water runs clear. Drain water.
- Heat a saucepan with oil. Then add onions, garlic, thyme, and hot pepper, and sauté for about a minute.
- Stir in rice to the pan, followed by beans, and cook for about 2 minutes. Then add coconut milk, bay leaf, bouillon powder, and Creole spice with 2¼ cups of broth or water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid, and simmer until rice is cooked, about 20 minutes (more or less). Stir occasionally from the sides to prevent burning add more water as needed.
- Adjust for salt and pepper. Discard bay leaves You have to stir occasionally to be preventing any burns.
- Serve warm.
Tips & Notes:
- Use 3 cups of water or broth for really moist rice and beans. If you want your rice to look just like in the picture, use 2 cups of water or broth.
- I used paprika and Creole salt to enhance the rice’s flavor. It’s not traditional, so if you want traditional rice, omit the paprika and use regular salt instead of Creole salt.
- Feel free to switch the coconut milk with 2 cups of water.
- If you want to make it vegan, vegetable broth is fine.
- If using dry pigeon peas, boil them until tender, then replace beans with pigeon peas in the recipe instructions. You may also use pinto or black beans instead.
- I use uncooked long-grain rice. No need to parboil; just rinse it until the water runs clear. One of our readers here has 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. 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 the readers shared this: saute everything like you usually would and cook for 3 minutes at high pressure with a natural pressure release.
- No Creole spice? You can use my jerk spice.
- You can add your favorite cooked protein to 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 the products used.
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 .