Jamaican Rice and Peas (Slow Cooker)

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Jamaican rice and peas is a flavorful dish that combines coconut rice with red beans and Caribbean spices. This traditional rice dish is usually prepared in a large pot or Dutch oven on the stovetop, but it can also be easily made in a slow cooker.

Yes, it's called Rice and Peas. But this dish is made with beans, not peas. Jamaican people call these red kidney beans, peas!

Jamaican rice and beans in a black cast iron pot.

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This recipe for Coconut Red Beans & Rice is Caribbean inspired. In Jamaica, they call this dish Rice & Peas, and the dish is a Sunday tradition.

This tradition goes back to the people of West Africa, who were brought to Jamaica to work as slaves on sugar plantations. They made this version of African Waakye with coconut milk and spices every Sunday, their one day free of work, and usually gathered together with family and neighbours to eat.

Rice & Peas was always a feature and is still common in Jamaican cooking and throughout the Caribbean islands.

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Why you'll love this recipe
Ingredient notes
How to make Jamaican rice and peas
Helpful Tips
Serving suggestions
Frequently Asked Questions
Recipe
Comments

A pot of Jamaican rice and beans and two dishes.

Why you'll love this recipe

Easy: Everything just goes into the crock pot and cooks itself.
Convenient: This coconut rice and beans recipe uses pantry staples.
Healthy: Rice and beans together form a complete protein, so this recipe works as a main dish on its own. Rice & Beans are high in protein, fibre, and minerals, including iron & potassium.
Economical: Rice and beans are cheap pantry staples, so this rice and peas recipe is budget friendly.
Versatile: Caribbean rice and beans makes a perfect side dish, especially for anything tropical, (especially classic Jamaican dishes like jerk chicken)

Ingredient notes

Here's what you need too make this Jamaican rice and peas recipe. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Red kidney beans: I'm using dry beans for this beans and rice dish, but you can save time by using canned beans if you prefer. (instructions are in the recipe card notes) Black beans are a good substitute.
Vegetable broth: This recipe is vegan but if that isn't a concern, you can use chicken broth.
Coconut milk: The authentic Jamaican rice recipe is sometimes made with fresh coconut milk, but this recipe is using canned coconut milk for convenience.
Rice: Long grain rice like basmati rice or jasmine rice are the best choices because they will keep their shape after cooking, You can also use long grain brown rice instead of white rice.

Uncooked rice, kidney beans, coconut milk, and vegetable broth in glass bowls on a wooden board.

Garlic cloves
Thyme: You can use fresh thyme sprigs or dried thyme leaves.
Ground ginger
Red pepper flakes: For a little spice. The traditional caribbean dish uses a whole scotch bonnet pepper. The pepper goes in whole to infuse the rice and beans with subtle heat and flavor. Using the whole pepper without slicing or chopping it keeps the spicy flavor mellow instead of overwhelming.You can go that route if you prefer. If you can't find a scotch bonnet, a habanero pepper or any hot pepper will work.
Allspice: Also called pimento berries, this spice is a signature flavor in Jamaican cuisine
Lime: We are using the juice of one lime, and lime wedges for serving.
Scallions (green onions)
Bay leaves

Scallions, garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, bay leaves and a small glass dish of spices on a wooden board.

How to make Jamaican rice and peas

Sort beans, rinse and cover with water to soak overnight in the fridge.
Drain beans, rinse again, and put into a large pot of fresh water.
Bring to a boil, and boil for 10-15 minutes.
Drain, then add beans to the slow cooker, along with the stock, coconut milk, lime juice, rice, garlic, thyme, allspice, ginger, white parts of scallions, kosher salt, & red pepper flakes and bay leaves.

Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours until rice is cooked, and beans are tender.
Fluff rice and serve garnished with green parts of the scallion.

A pot of rice and beans being served onto cast iron plates with a wooden spoon.

Helpful Tips

*Important! Soak and pre-boil beans: Don't skip this step. Dried red kidney beans contain a toxic compound called lectin which is toxic to humans. Soaking the beans overnight and then boiling them in fresh water neutralizes the toxin. Slow cookers don't reach a high enough temperature to do this on their own.
Rinse the rice: Before cooking rice, always rinse it by putting it into a seive and running it under cold water. Rinse until the water runs clear. Rinsing the rice removes a lot of the excess starch so the cooked rice will have nicely separated grains and will not be mushy.
Cooking time: Don't overcook, or the rice will be mushy. Slow cookers vary in temperatures and cooking time. Your rice and beans are ready when the beans are tender and the rice is cooked.
Storage: Store leftover coconut rice and beans in an airtight container for up to 2 days. To freeze: portion completely cooled rice and beans into airtight freezer bags or containers. Freeze for up to a month. Thaw overnight in the fridge.
Seasonings: You can replace the ginger and allspice with one or two teaspoons of jerk seasoning, which will always contain ground allspice berries, and often ginger as well.

A pot of coconut rice and peas on a countertop next to a multi colored linen napkin.

Serving suggestions

Jamaican rice and peas is a delicious meal on it's own, and you can serve it with a salad (this Jerk Chicken Salad is great choice), or a vegetable side dish like roasted vegetables, zucchini, or green beans. Or for something deliciously different: roasted radishes!

Rice and beans is also a perfect accompaniment to all kinds of main dishes. Jamaican jerk chicken is a delicious, and obvious pairing. But I love it with fish, like blackened cod, grilled shrimp, or with country style ribs, grilled chicken, or steak. Try my Jamaican Jerk Spice Blend on any of those dishes for a real Jamaican feast!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do Jamaicans call kidney beans peas?

This popular dish was traditionally made with gungo peas or green pigeon peas, which are widely used in Jamaican food and throughout the Caribbean islands.

Can I use canned beans instead of dried beans?

Yes, you can use canned kidney beans or black beans in this recipe. Drain and rinse the canned beans and add them to the slow cooker three hours before end of the cooking time.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a rating in the comments below and let us know how it turned out. Did you make any changes? We would love for you to share and your feedback is important! Thank you for visiting The Food Blog!

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4.99 from 58 votes (36 ratings without comment)