Print

Creamy Caribbean Rice and Beans with Coconut

creamy caribbean rice and beans with coconut - featured image
Print Recipe

A comforting and flavorful Caribbean dish featuring creamy coconut milk, tender red kidney beans, and fluffy long-grain white rice infused with traditional spices. Perfect for quick, soulful meals that bring tropical sunshine to your table.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice (about 300 grams)
  • 1 can (15 oz/425 g) red kidney beans, drained and rinsed (or 1 ½ cups cooked from dry)
  • 1 can (13.5 oz/400 ml) full-fat coconut milk
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 small green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 small scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded and finely chopped (optional)
  • 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp salt, or to taste
  • ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp brown sugar (optional)
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil (light olive oil or sunflower oil preferred)
  • 1 cup (240 ml) water or vegetable broth
  • 1 tbsp fresh lime juice (optional)

Instructions

  1. Rinse the red kidney beans under cold water and drain. Chop the onion, garlic, green bell pepper, and scotch bonnet pepper if using. Strip fresh thyme leaves from stems if using fresh. Set aside.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, green bell pepper, and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until softened and fragrant, stirring often to avoid burning. Add scotch bonnet pepper here if using, and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
  3. Stir in 1 ½ cups (300 grams) of long-grain white rice into the skillet. Toast it lightly with the aromatics for 2-3 minutes, coating the grains in oil and flavor.
  4. Pour in 1 can (400 ml) of full-fat coconut milk and 1 cup (240 ml) of water or vegetable broth. Add drained beans, fresh or dried thyme, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp black pepper, and 1 tsp brown sugar if using. Stir gently to combine.
  5. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover the skillet tightly with a lid and let it simmer for 20-25 minutes without stirring. Check at 20 minutes; the rice should be tender and the liquid mostly absorbed.
  6. Turn off the heat and let the rice rest, covered, for 5 minutes to steam fully. Then fluff gently with a fork to separate grains and mix beans evenly.
  7. Squeeze in 1 tablespoon of fresh lime juice for brightness, adjust seasoning if needed, and serve hot.

Notes

Use full-fat coconut milk for best creaminess. Toasting the rice with aromatics before adding liquids helps keep grains fluffy and separate. Avoid stirring during simmering to prevent gummy rice. Resting the rice covered after cooking improves texture. Use gloves when handling scotch bonnet pepper to avoid irritation. For milder heat, omit or deseed the pepper. Leftovers store well refrigerated up to 4 days or frozen up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Keywords: Caribbean rice and beans, creamy coconut rice, red kidney beans recipe, tropical rice dish, vegan Caribbean recipe, gluten-free rice and beans

Find it online: https://wigglebite.com/creamy-caribbean-rice-and-beans-with-coconut-easy-homemade-recipe-for-flavorful-meals/