Jamaican Rice and Peas
Coconut-scented rice and beans with thyme, scallion and Scotch bonnet—the Jamaican side that belongs beside everything from jerk to oxtail.
About this dish
In Jamaica, the “peas” in rice and peas are beans—most often kidney beans or gungo peas. The beans and rice cook together with coconut milk, scallion, thyme, allspice and Scotch bonnet, producing a savory staple that accompanies many of the island’s best-known meat and fish dishes.
Why this dish matters
Jamaica’s official tourism board identifies rice and peas as one of the island’s defining foods and describes the core combination of red kidney beans, rice, coconut milk, scallion, thyme and Scotch bonnet. It is less a special-occasion novelty than a deeply familiar accompaniment, especially prominent in Sunday meals and alongside dishes such as oxtail, jerk, curry goat and fried fish. Gungo peas are a traditional seasonal variation, particularly around the Christmas period.
Households differ on bean choice, coconut intensity, pimento quantity and whether the Scotch bonnet is left whole or allowed to release more heat. This version keeps the chile whole for fragrance with controlled heat.
Preparation notes
A whole pepper perfumes the pot. Piercing or cutting it can make the rice dramatically hotter.
The total cooking liquid matters more than whether you use canned or home-cooked beans.
Ten covered minutes after cooking lets the grains finish steaming without breaking them up.
Ingredients & detailed method
Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed until the water is mostly clear
- 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, drained, with 1/2 cup bean liquid reserved, or 1 1/2 cups cooked beans
- 1 can (13.5 oz) unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 1/2 cups water, adjusted as needed with reserved bean liquid
- 3 scallions, lightly crushed
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed
- 6 whole allspice berries
- 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper
- 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Method
- 1.Combine coconut milk, water, reserved bean liquid if using, scallions, thyme, garlic, allspice, salt and black pepper in a medium heavy pot. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5 minutes.
- 2.Add the beans and simmer 3 minutes so the coconut broth picks up their flavor.
- 3.Stir in the rinsed rice and nestle the whole Scotch bonnet on top without breaking it. The liquid should sit roughly 1/2 inch above the rice; add a small amount of water if necessary.
- 4.Bring just to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to very low and cover tightly.
- 5.Cook 18–22 minutes without repeatedly lifting the lid. Checkpoint: the liquid should be absorbed and small steam holes should appear across the rice surface.
- 6.Turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Remove the Scotch bonnet, thyme stems, scallions and allspice berries you can easily find.
- 7.Fluff gently with a fork. Checkpoint: grains should be separate and tender, with beans intact rather than mashed through the rice.
- 8.Taste for salt and serve hot beside jerk, curry, oxtail, escovitch fish or other Jamaican mains.