Jamaican Rice and Peas (with Canned Beans)

4.67 from 33 votes

Jamaican Rice and Peas (with Canned Beans)

Rice and peas is a staple food in Jamaica and much of the Caribbean. This version of rice and peas uses canned beans, which makes it quicker and easier to make than with dried beans.

Prep Time10

Cook Time40

Total Time50

Course: Main

Cuisine: Caribbean

Keyword: peas, rice, rice and peas

Servings: people

Calories: 372kcal

Author: Mavis K.

Ingredients

1 tbsp canola oil
1 medium onion (diced)
2 cloves garlic (minced)
¾ cup liquid from the canned red kidney beans
2 cups water
¼ cup chicken broth (or water)
1 tsp ginger (minced)
1 tsp ground allspice
2 stalks scallions (chopped)
4 stalks thyme (de-stemmed)
1 scotch bonnet pepper (leave whole)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 cups brown rice
540 ml can red kidney beans
½ cup + 2 tbsp coconut milk

Instructions

Rinse the rice in a fine-mesh strainer under the tap until the water runs clear.
Heat the oil in a medium non-stick pot with the stove set at medium heat. Pour the onions and garlic in the pot. Sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent (about 1 minute).
Add the liquid from the canned beans, water, broth (if you're using, otherwise replace with water), ginger, allspice, scallions, thyme, and scotch bonnet pepper.
Cover the pot with a lid and let the liquid come to a boil.
Remove the scotch bonnet pepper from the pot; you can discard it or use it for something else.
Pour the rice, beans, and coconut milk into the pot. Use a wooden spoon to mix everything together, then cover the pot with the lid. For best results, cover the pot first with tin foil then the lid; this helps to trap in steam to cook the rice more evenly.
Let the liquid come to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer and let the rice cook for 35-40 minutes or until tender; use a spoon to gently turn the rice at about the half-way mark to prevent burning.
Remove the tin foil from the pot at about 6 minutes before the rice is done cooking and let the rice cook for the remainder of the time with only the lid covering the pot.

Notes

If you prefer to make Jamaican rice and peas with dried beans, click here for that recipe.

Nutrition