Jamaican Callaloo
Tender greens with thyme, scallion and a whisper of Scotch bonnet—a Jamaican breakfast and side dish that cooks quickly but tastes deeply seasoned.
About this dish
Jamaican callaloo commonly refers to amaranth greens and to the cooked vegetable dish made from them. The Jamaican preparation is distinct from the creamy Trinidad and Tobago callaloo soup. In Jamaica, chopped greens are usually sautéed or steamed with aromatics, thyme, tomato and chile and may appear at breakfast alongside ackee and saltfish, dumplings or ground provisions.
Why this dish matters
Jamaica's tourism authority includes callaloo among the island's familiar breakfast and plant-based dishes, and Jamaican food photography on Wikimedia Commons documents callaloo served as part of an everyday Negril breakfast. The word callaloo can describe very different dishes around the Caribbean, so keeping the island-specific method clear matters: this page is for Jamaican-style cooked greens, not Trinidadian coconut-and-dasheen-leaf callaloo.
True Jamaican callaloo greens can be difficult to find outside Caribbean markets. Amaranth greens are the closest choice; spinach or Swiss chard can be used for convenience, but both change the texture and flavor.
Preparation notes
Leafy callaloo can hold grit. Wash in several changes of cool water before chopping.
A whole Scotch bonnet perfumes the greens without dominating them. Cut it only if you deliberately want much more heat.
The greens should be tender but still retain some structure and color.
Ingredients & detailed method
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb Jamaican callaloo or amaranth greens, washed and chopped
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 medium tomato, chopped
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp water
Method
- 1.Wash the greens in several changes of cool water, drain well and chop into roughly 1-inch pieces, including tender stems.
- 2.Heat oil in a wide skillet over medium heat. Add onion and scallion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened.
- 3.Add garlic and tomato and cook 2 minutes until the tomato begins to release juice.
- 4.Add the greens by handfuls, turning them into the aromatics as they wilt. Add thyme, whole Scotch bonnet, salt, black pepper and water.
- 5.Cover and steam over medium-low heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring once.
- 6.Uncover and cook 2–4 minutes more if excess liquid remains. Checkpoint: stems should be tender and leaves silky but still green rather than gray or collapsed into puree.
- 7.Remove the whole Scotch bonnet and thyme stems. Taste for salt and serve warm with breakfast foods, rice and peas, roasted provisions or a Jamaican main.
Worth finding before you cook
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Some links below are affiliate links; if you buy through them, Fringe Table may earn a commission at no additional cost to you.
These links are included only for ingredients that can be meaningfully harder to find in a standard supermarket.