This Jamaican Instant Pot Rice and Beans recipe is generally called "rice and peas" on the island. It's made with red kidney beans, coconut milk, and added spices. Make it in your Instant Pot Pressure Cooker for perfect results.
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*This recipe has been updated to include stovetop directions as well.
Today I bring you another rice dish I grew up eating, Jamaican rice and peas. I’ve named it rice and beans for the blog because the dish is made with dark red kidney beans. Sometimes it’s made with what’s called “gungo peas” in place of the red kidney beans.
I love making rice side dishes in my Instant Pot, like this Copycat Rice a Roni. This rice side dish is no different. I can set the timer and step away from the Instant Pot while I prepare the rest of my dinner.
Try this with my oxtail or with my jerk chicken recipes.
How to make Jamaican Instant Pot Rice and Beans
Start by selecting Sauté button on your Instant Pot. Make sure you have selected the “more” option. Once your Instant Pot displays Hot, add your oil. Then add your chopped onion and stir until softened, about 3 minutes.
Add your minced garlic and green onions.
Then add your rinsed rice, coconut milk, water, all spice, salt, and black pepper and stir.
Next, place your springs of thyme on top and lay your beans on top of the rice. Do not stir the beans at this point.
Press “Cancel” on your Instant Pot and cover with the lid, making sure the valve is set to “seal”
Then, cook on High Pressure for 6 minutes. Once the timer is done, allow the pressure cooker to naturally release for 10 minutes. Open, and fluff the rice.
Enjoy 🙂
Substitutions for Jamaican Instant Pot Rice and Beans
- I do not recommend using dried beans in place of the canned beans in this recipe unless they have been cooked separately at first. Dried beans take much longer to cook than the 6 minutes allotted for in this recipe. Here’s a guide to cooking dried beans in the Instant Pot.
- Feel free to change it up with different canned bean variety.
- Most Jamaican rice and peas recipes include scotch bonnet pepper. I don’t put them in my rice and peas recipe. Feel free to modify this recipe by adding it in.
How to Make Jamaican Rice and Peas on the Stovetop:
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Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add yellow onion and stir until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and green onions and stir for about 30 more seconds.
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Add rice, undrained kidney beans, coconut milk, water, salt, allspice, and black pepper and stir until combined. Lay thyme on top. Bring mixture to a simmer.
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Cover with a lid and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook for 18 minutes over low heat, then remove from heat. Leave the lid on for an additional 5 minutes.
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Open the lid and remove the thyme. Fluff rice with fork. Enjoy.
Looking for more Jamaican recipes? Try these out:
Instant Pot Jamaican Jerk Chicken Soup
Jamaican Instant Pot Rice and Beans
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 green onions finely chopped
- 2 cups long grain white rice rinsed
- ¾ cup coconut milk
- ¾ cup water
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 15.5 oz can dark red kidney beans undrained
- 2 sprigs of thyme
Instructions
- Set Instant Pot to "Sauté." Once Hot, add olive oil. Then add yellow onion and stir until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and green onions and stir for about 30 more seconds.
- Press “Cancel” on the Instant Pot. Add rice, coconut milk, water, salt, allspice, and black pepper and stir.
- Pour undrained kidney beans on top of the rice mixture. Do not stir. Lay sprigs of thyme on top. Cover the Instant Pot, ensuring the valve is set to “Sealing.”
- Press “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” on the Instant Pot and set for High pressure for 6 minutes.
- Once the pressure cooking time is done, allow it to natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure by moving valve to "Venting"
- Open lid and remove thyme sprigs. Fluff rice with fork and Enjoy!
Stove Top Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add yellow onion and stir until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and green onions and stir for about 30 more seconds.
- Add rice, undrained kidney beans, coconut milk, water, salt, allspice, and black pepper and stir until combined. Lay thyme on top. Bring mixture to a simmer.
- Cover with a lid and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook for 18 minutes over low heat, then remove from heat. Leave the lid on for an additional 5 minutes.
- Open the lid and remove the thyme. Fluff rice with fork. Enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Make sure there are no dry bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. This could result in that annoying "burn" signal some pressure cookers give off. Once you add your coconut milk and water, stir with a wooden spoon to ensure there is no food stuck to the bottom.
- This recipe was created in an Instant Pot Duo 6QT. If using a newer model, use the "Rice" button on your Instant Pot.
- White Basmati rice or Jasmine rice can be substituted for the long grain.
- I always rinse my rice under cold water before cooking..
- If subbing dry for fresh thyme springs, use about ½ tsp.
Shaye says
Hello ,
Will this rice and peas recipe come out the same in the Ninja Foodi?
Tanya says
Hi Shaye, yes it will come out the same.
Leeann Forbes says
I love this recipe! it's currently my go-to for making rice and peas in my crockpot express! I used to be scared of making rice and peas cause I was never sure if I could get it quite right on the stove, but this recipe makes it so easy. I'm actually making it right now to go with some jerk chicken.
Tanya says
Thanks so much Leeann 🙂 I agree, the pressure cooker makes it so easy 🙂
Lisa says
Hi I just tried this recipe and I had every ingredient. I followed everything exactly and it burned immediately...
I just took all the ingredients out and am soaking the pot so I scrap and try to salvage. I have the new duo that I purchased a few months ago and this is the first time anything has burned. I am going to try the what someone mentioned from earlier this year and add another cup of water. I was so disappointed that the liquid was off because my entire house smells amazing. Thanks
Tanya says
Hi Lisa, did you use the rice button when you tried it in your Duo? Since it's a newer machine, that could be it rather than the liquid.
Katie Kelly says
I made this recipe tonight after looking for something new instead of plain boring rice. I didn’t have any all spice so I just used some chipotle seasoning and also didn’t have kidney beans so used black beans & added peas. That was delicious so excited to try it with the all spice next time - next time I think I will make with all coconut milk instead of half milk / water. Do you think this will work?
Love it, thank you!
Tanya says
Thank you Katie! To make it in the pressure cooker you would need to keep the water ratio to have enough thin liquid to make the machine rise to pressure. However, if making this on the stove top, using more coconut should work just fine. I would still keep a little water since most coconut milks are really thick.
Ali says
I thought I had red kidney beans, and I don’t ??♀️ I do have a can of chickpeas though, do you think that would work?
Tanya says
Hi Ali, I wouldn't sub with chickpeas. Black beans would work.
Rosie says
Unfortunately I got the dreaded burn notice immediately. This was so disappointing especially since I have the Duo. I added an extra half cup of water because I always drain and wash canned beans (2 cups water, 3/4 cup coconut milk). I wish I knew the right amount of liquid because the potential is there in this recipe.
Tanya says
Hi Rosie, did you use the rice setting? Instant Pot changed something about their machines in the last few years, making some machines more sensitive to burn notices. The rice setting is what I use on my newer model for this recipe to avoid getting a burn.
Rosie says
@Tanya, Hi Tanya, I did 6 minutes on high pressure. Next time I'll try the rice setting!
Frank says
@Rosie, I got the burn notice as well. I'll try the rice setting next time.
Cc says
Hi what can I use in place of the allspice?
Tanya says
It's hard to replace the exact taste of all spice but this should work. https://www.food.com/recipe/allspice-substitute-258672
Ronnie says
Did you pre-soak your kidney beans ?
Tanya says
Hi Ronnie, I use canned bean in this Instant Pot version. If using dried, you can pre-soak and cook on the stove like you traditionally would, then add them to the recipe.
Ronnie says
@Tanya, thank you so much ! I found some at the Jamaican super market here.
Jen Hill says
Just made it using the rice button for 8 minutes on low pressure; came out great. The flavor wasn't super strong however most times you are pairing rice and beans with highly flavorful meats or stews like jerk chicken so it worked perfect. Thanks for the well laid out instructions.
Tanya says
You're so welcome Jen! Glad you liked the recipe.
renee says
hello i am confused on April 28 , you stated there was no problem using the rice setting on the instant pot but now you saying don’t can you please clarify cause this will be my first time using my instant pot and making this recipe so should i was wondering should i use the rice setting or not
Tanya says
Hi Renee, the setting you use will depend on your brand of instant pot or other electric pressure cooker. I used a 6qt Lux Instant Pot when I initially made this recipe and it came out perfect. Instant Pot has since released newer versions of the Instant Pot that may cause a burn signal when making this recipe as written on high pressure, so it's better to use the rice setting on those units (Duo, etc). If you have a Lux, I would stick with the initial instructions in the recipe and cook on high pressure for 6 minutes. If any other IP brand, I would use the rice setting.
renee says
@Tanya, ok yes i have the ultra and i just got the burn notice so i added more coconut milk and a little water and put it on rice so i hope this works its my first time ever cooking in the IP
Hot & spicy says
Hi Tanya I would to love try out your recipe, it looks delicious. Is it possible to use the rice setting on my Lux instant pot. Is there anything that I have to adjust? I am new at using pressure cooker and instant pot.
Thank you in advance
Tanya says
It looks like the rice setting on the Lux instant pot automatically sets to 10 min of high pressure cooker time, which is too long with this recipe as written. I would use the manual setting on the Lux machine. I've never had an issue of getting a burn on any of my Lux Instant Pots. The preferred rice setting is for the newer machines (Duo and others), that cook rice on low pressure instead.
Hot & spicy says
@Tanya, thank you. I will give that a try.
Lisa says
Made this tonight for the first time in my Instant pot. Followed your directions to a T. It was delicious!!!!! I'll never make it any other way again.
Tanya says
Hi Lisa, thank you 🙂 So glad you liked the recipe.
Jutlande Jones says
Thanks so much for this recipe. I made this with the dark red kidney beans once and on another occasion with pigeon peas...Absolute deliciousness!
Tanya says
Thank you! I love pigeon peas in my rice too. Once I find some here I'm adding it next time.
Dawn says
Soooo good! the best I have tasted since I had my mother's rice and peas years ago! You knocked it out of the park. good job. Don't hesitate to give this a try. I didn't have coconut milk so I reconstituted powdered coconut milk to make the amount needed.
Tanya says
Thank you so much 🙂 What a compliment!
Jutlande Jones says
I made this recipe with Jasmine rice and got a burn notice so I added more water and used the rice button and it came out mushy. I’m going to give it another try with Basmati rice because I’m determined to master this...it’s so delicious?. If I use the rice button, is there a certain amount of time for natural and quick release? I’ve never used the rice button.
Tanya says
Hi Jutlande, when I used the rice button my newer Instant Pot, it uses 12 minutes low pressure. Then I let it naturally release for a full 10 minutes.