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Stacked bowls with the top bowl filled with Jamaican Rice and Peas and garnished with fresh lime wedges.
4.84 from 156 votes

Jamaican Rice and Peas

Seasoned with garlic, ginger, and thyme, Jamaican Rice and Peas is a uniquely irresistible rice dish made with coconut milk, allspice berries, and kidney beans.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 377kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large onion - diced
  • 4 cloves garlic - minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger - grated
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme - chopped
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon ground allspice
  • 1 Scotch Bonnet chile - (or Habanero), diced *
  • 1.75 cups water - or low-sodium chicken stock
  • 1 (13.5 ounce) can full-fat coconut milk
  • 2 cups long-grain white rice
  • 2 (15 ounce) cans red kidney beans - drained and rinsed
  • Fresh lime juice - for serving (optional)

Instructions

  • Saute the aromatics. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until soft and translucent, stirring often to prevent burning. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the garlic, ginger, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, ground allspice, and Scotch bonnet chile (or habanero). Mix well to combine. Stir continuously for 1-2 minutes.
  • Add the water and coconut milk. Add the water (or chicken broth) and coconut milk to the pot. Mix to combine and bring just to a boil.
  • Add the rice. Stir in the rice, reduce heat to low, and cover. Cook the rice until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, checking every 5 minutes and gently fluffing with a fork as it cooks.
  • Remove from heat and add the beans. Remove pot from heat and gently stir in the drained and rinsed kidney beans. Cover and allow rice to rest for an additional 5 minutes before serving.

Notes

  • For this recipe, I use 3.5 cups of liquid to cook 2 cups of rice. This is intentional as I have learned over the years that an exact 1:2 rice to liquid ratio almost always results in mushy rice.
  • The Scotch bonnet chile (or Habanero) is entirely optional. If you are sensitive to spicy foods, you're probably better off leaving it out.
  • Ground allspice plays a key roll in the overall flavor of this rice dish. You don't need to add much, as a little goes a long way, but it adds amazing flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 377kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Sodium: 603mg | Potassium: 87mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 10IU | Vitamin C: 3.8mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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