October 13, 2025

Rice and Peas: Jamaica's Traditional Sunday Dish

In Jamaica, rice and peas is more than just a side dish – it's tradition, Sunday, family, and home on a plate. There's hardly a celebration, a Sunday dinner, or a special gathering without that scent of coconut, thyme, and allspice wafting through the kitchen.

And before you wonder: "Peas" here are not green peas. In Jamaican cuisine, this usually refers to red kidney beans, sometimes gungo peas (pigeon peas), depending on the region and season.

Together with rice, creamy coconut milk, fresh herbs, and the typical spices, this unmistakable, aromatic dish is created, which pairs perfectly with jerk chicken – but also stands on its own. Rice and Peas is Jamaican soul food: simple, honest, and full of flavor.

Recipe for Rice and Peas

Ingredients
2 cups (capacity per cup approx. 250 ml) Basmati or parboiled rice
0.5-1 cup raw kidney beans, soaked for at least 12 hours
250 ml coconut milk from a carton (canned coconut cream is not recommended)
1 tsp sugar
2 spring onions
1 small onion, finely diced
1/2 thumb-sized piece of ginger
approx. 6 allspice berries
Sprigs of fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 whole Scotch Bonnet chili (optional)
3 tsp table salt

Recipe for Rice and Peas

Preparation
1. Soak the kidney beans in enough water for at least 12 hours.
Wash the rice until the water runs clear and drain well.

Cook the pre-soaked kidney beans in plenty of water over medium heat until they start to soften. This usually takes 1.5 hours.
Note: If the beans were not soaked, the cooking time will double here.

2. When the kidney beans start to soften, drain them, reserving the water. Return the beans to the pot. Mix the bean water and coconut milk. The liquid must total 3 cups (otherwise, add tap water to make 3 cups).

3. Add all other ingredients: washed rice, spring onions, onions, ginger, thyme, Scotch Bonnet chili, sugar, and salt. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook over medium heat with a lid on.

4. Once the liquid is no longer visible on the surface, reduce the heat to minimum (approx. level 1) and let the rice finish cooking for about 45 minutes. Try to seal the pot with a kitchen towel, parchment paper, or aluminum foil so that no more moisture can escape. Rice and Peas is a low and slow dish, the rice cooks through in a small amount of liquid.

The dish is ready when the rice has completely absorbed the water and is cooked. Remove the allspice berries and spring onions before serving. Rice and Peas is the perfect jerk chicken side dish, try it now.

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Questions about Rice and Peas

Can I use canned kidney beans as well?

Yes, that's easy to do. Use 2 cans of kidney beans (approx. 480 g drained weight), drain them, and save the can liquid. Skip soaking and pre-cooking. Instead, use 1 cup of coconut milk (approx. 250 ml), the bean liquid, and top up with water until the total amount of liquid is 3 cups. Continue with step 3. The beans go into the pot together with rice and spices and cook directly with them.

Can I use canned coconut milk?

You can use canned coconut milk, but I definitely recommend the carton variety. It has a lower fat content and is much closer to the original from Jamaica.

In Jamaica, coconut milk is traditionally pressed from freshly grated coconut flesh with water. No heavy, fatty coconut cream is used. Canned coconut milk is usually much richer and creamier and changes the typical, light texture of rice and peas more towards sticky rice.

So, if you want an authentic result, go for the carton variety.

Can I omit the Scotch Bonnet chili?

A whole chili provides a mild Scotch Bonnet aroma in the rice. The chili should really remain whole, otherwise the dish will become too spicy. If you don't have Scotch Bonnet or Habanero on hand, you can also omit them.