Caribbean🍚 Starches

Jamaican Barefoot Rice & Peas (one pot meal)

Name: Jamaican Barefoot Rice & Peas (one pot meal)
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 2 lb salted pigtail or salted beef; 2 cups kidney beans; 3 cups rice; 2-3 tbsp butter; 2 twig scallion and thyme; 1 scotch bonnet pepper; 1-2 tbsp jerk seasoning or all-purpose seasoning; 2-3 cups coconut milk; 1-2 tsp pimento seeds; ~4-5 cloves garlic and ginger; ~to taste salt; ~4-5 cups water

⏱ 100 min

This traditional Jamaican one-pot meal combines salted meats, red peas, and rice cooked in coconut milk. A humble yet satisfying dish packed with flavor and protein, typically prepared on Sundays and complete on its own.

High-protein

Adapted from a video by Racquel’s Caribbean Cuisine

Jamaican Barefoot Rice & Peas (one pot meal) 🇯🇲

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

salted pigtail or salted beef2 lb
kidney beans2 cups
rice3 cups
butter2-3 tbsp
scallion and thymefresh herbs2 twig
scotch bonnet pepperwhole, for flavoring1
jerk seasoning or all-purpose seasoning1-2 tbsp
coconut milk2-3 cups
pimento seeds1-2 tsp
garlic and ginger

Steps

▶ Tap a timecode to jump to roughly that moment in the video.

1
Add washed kidney beans to a pot along with garlic, ginger, and pimento seeds. Pour in water and bring to a boil.
2
Boil the salted pigtail or salted beef separately for about 15 to 20 minutes to remove excess salt.
3
Add the desalted meat to the pot of cooking peas and let them cook together.
4
Crack open a fresh coconut and reserve the coconut water. Remove the meat, wash it, cut into small pieces, and blend to create fresh coconut milk.
5
Pour the fresh coconut milk into the pot with peas and meat. Allow everything to cook together slowly until the meat and peas are tender, about 45 minutes.
6
Add fresh scallion, thyme, a whole scotch bonnet pepper, jerk seasoning (or all-purpose seasoning), salt, and butter to the pot. Mix well and taste, making adjustments as needed.
7
Let the seasonings cook for about 5 minutes to infuse the flavors throughout the pot.
8
Wash the rice and add it to the pot, maintaining a ratio of 1 cup rice to 1.5 cups liquid. Stir well to combine.
9
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and steam for 20 to 25 minutes until rice is fully cooked.
10
Remove the scotch bonnet pepper to prevent it from bursting. Fluff the rice gently with a fork and taste to ensure proper seasoning.
11
Serve the barefoot rice and peas hot, optionally with coleslaw or your preferred side dish.

Jamaican Barefoot Rice & Peas (one pot meal)

Ingredients

Steps

More like this