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Instant Pot Jamaican Rice and Peas

This Instant Pot Jamaican Rice and Peas is a quick and flavorful Caribbean classic made with coconut milk, kidney beans, thyme, and warm spices. Fluffy, fragrant, and incredibly easy to make, it’s the perfect side dish for weeknight dinners, meal prep, or pairing with your favorite island-inspired meals. Naturally dairy free and gluten free, this comforting dish brings traditional flavor to the table with minimal effort.
Print Recipe
Prep Time:3 minutes
Cook Time:3 minutes
Natural Pressure Release:9 minutes
Total Time:15 minutes

Equipment

  • Instant Pot or Rice Cooker

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Long Grain Rice or parboiled rice
  • 1 cups Filtered Water
  • 1 can Full fat cococonut milk
  • 3 tbsp Fresh grated coconut optional
  • 2 tbsp Coconut cream optional
  • 1 can Canned Kidney Beans traditionally: use red beans or pigeon peas
  • 2-3 sprigs Chopped Green onions
  • 2-3 berries Pimento berries Spice balls
  • 7 sprigs Thyme Fresh thyme only
  • 3 cloves Minced Garlic Fresh is the best choice
  • 2 tbsp Chopped Yellow onion Finely chopped
  • 2 tsp Grated fresh ginger peeled
  • 1-2 leaf Bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp Salt Adjust to tste
  • 2 tbsp Butter
  • 1 pepper Fresh Scotch bonnet pepper leave out if pressure cooking

Instructions

  • Cooking like a real West Indian means washing your rice ;) Begin by washing your rice 3-4 times with water,drain till rice water runs clear. then set rice aside.
  • In the instant pot add rice, water,coconut milk, thyme, and all other ingredients and aromatics to the pot. Set your instant pot to high pressure cook for 3 minutes
  • Once the 3 minutes is over do not release the pressure let the pressure cooker natural release pressure for 9 minutes.
  • After 9 minutes remove the thyme and bay leaf. Fluff rice with a rice paddle or fork an serve with oxtail stew or curry chicken stew for delicious authentic Jamaican flavorful meal!

Notes

Helpful Tips

  • If pressure cooking I don't reccomend adding a scotch bonnet prepper as the pressure will burst the pepper and add to much heat to the rice. if you are making this recipe on the stove top scotch bonnet is okay to add.
  • In order to make this recipe fast you have to use canned peas or soak and pressure cook your choice of peas the night before.
  • The most traditional rice to use iof parboiled or long grain rice. if all you have is jasmine or basmati, be mindful those rices are very fragrant on their own and will change the taste profile of the dish slightly
  • When cooking West Indian style meals you much use fresh thyme dried thyme will not give the same flavor and auhenticity as dried thyme.
Servings: 5 Servings