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Jamaican·Caribbean

Budget Jamaican Rice and Peas (One-Pot, with Fried Plantain)

A classic Jamaican-style rice and peas made cheaply with canned kidney beans and coconut milk, cooked in one pot and served with quick fried plantain for a filling, low-cost meal for four.

Budget Jamaican Rice and Peas, servedAI image

45 min

start to finish

10 min

hands on

Easy

difficulty

4

servings

4 servings
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Ingredients

For the rice and peas

Optional garnish

For the fried plantain (optional but cheap and filling)

Contains tree-nut. Cooking for an allergy? Check the label on every packet you use — brands differ, and we can only tell you what the recipe calls for.

Roughly, per serving

620 kcal14g protein95g carbs19g fat

An estimate, not a lab analysis.

Method

  1. Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold running water until the water runs clearer.

  2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a heavy 3- to 4-quart pot over medium heat.

  3. Add the chopped onion and scallion and sauté, stirring, until softened and translucent, about 3 minutes.

  4. Stir in the minced garlic and ground allspice and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.

  5. Pour in the coconut milk and hot water and stir to combine.

  6. Add the drained beans, thyme sprigs, whole scotch bonnet (if using), and salt; stir once to distribute.

  7. Bring the pot to a vigorous simmer over medium-high heat (lid off).

  8. Add the rinsed rice to the simmering liquid, stir once to level the rice, then reduce heat to low and cover the pot tightly.

  9. Let the rice simmer gently, covered, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20–25 minutes.

    Do not stir while it simmers; lifting the lid releases steam and may lengthen cooking.

  10. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, 10 minutes to finish steaming.

  11. While the rice cooks, peel and slice the ripe plantains into 1/2-inch diagonal slices.

  12. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.

  13. Fry the plantain slices in a single layer, turning once, until golden brown and caramelized, about 2–3 minutes per side.

  14. Transfer fried plantains to a paper-towel–lined plate to drain and sprinkle lightly with salt.

  15. Fluff the rice with a fork, remove and discard the scotch bonnet and thyme stems, taste and adjust salt, and squeeze lime juice over the rice if using.

  16. Serve the rice and peas hot with fried plantain on the side.

Worth knowing

  • Use one 14–15 oz can of coconut milk and one can of kidney beans to keep the recipe cheap; if you have dried beans, soak and cook them ahead and substitute 1 1/2 cups cooked beans.
  • If you don't want heat, omit the scotch bonnet entirely; leaving it whole in the pot adds flavor without making the dish very spicy.
  • Leftovers keep well in the fridge up to 3 days and reheat in a pan with a splash of water to refresh the rice.
  • To make this gluten-free and nut-sensitive for coconut allergy, substitute extra water and a tablespoon of neutral oil and omit coconut milk (note: flavor will change).
  • Scale down by halving the rice and liquid if you only need 2–3 servings.

Make it yours

Cooking without dairy, without an oven, for someone who won't touch chilli, or for six instead of four? Have the recipe rewritten around it — quantities, steps and all.

VegetarianVeganGluten-freeDairy-freeBudgetMeal prepOne pan

More Jamaican cooking

An original Restaurant Pro recipe — our own composition in the idiom of Jamaican cooking, not any restaurant's recipe. Written to be vegetarian and vegan and gluten-free and dairy-free as listed.