This Jamaican Rice and Peas has all the delicious flavors of the traditional Caribbean side dish, but is quickly cooked in the pressure cooker! Everything goes straight into the Instant Pot: coconut milk, kidney beans, thyme, garlic, scallion, a knob of fresh ginger, and one whole scotch bonnet pepper for just 6 minutes. The rice comes out fluffy and fragrant, the beans are tender, and the coconut flavor runs through every single bite.
And just so we're clear from the start: rice and peas made without coconut milk is not the same dish. The coconut milk is what gives this recipe its signature richness and that distinct Caribbean flavor that you just can't replicate any other way.
This recipe is my adaptation of my mother-in-law's traditional Jamaican rice and peas, reworked for the Instant Pot so it fits into a busy weeknight without losing any of the flavor that makes her version so good. I love serving this alongside my air fryer Jamaican-style curry chicken when I want a full Caribbean-inspired dinner on the table fast.
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Key Ingredients
- Coconut milk. Full-fat canned coconut milk is non-negotiable here, and I mean that. Rice and peas made without coconut milk is simply not the same dish; it's the coconut milk that gives this recipe its rich, creamy texture and that distinct Caribbean flavor you're going for. Lite coconut milk and carton coconut milk are too watery and will leave the rice tasting flat. Stick with the full-fat canned version, every time.
- Kidney beans. In Jamaican cooking, beans are called peas - so if you're new to this dish, that's why "rice and peas" actually means rice and kidney beans. Canned kidney beans are perfect here because they're already cooked, which means they hold their shape during pressure cooking without turning mushy.
- Thyme, garlic, and scallion. In Caribbean cooking, thyme, garlic, and scallions are referred to as the trinity of spices. It is important to use fresh ingredients for the best flavor.
- Scotch bonnet. Scotch bonnet peppers on their own are incredibly spicy. You'll get additional savory flavor without the heat by pressure cooking a whole, uncut pepper in the rice.
See the recipe card below for the remaining ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Ginger substitute: Use ½ teaspoon ground ginger in place of the fresh ginger.
- Substituting the Scotch bonnet pepper: Use serrano pepper, habanero pepper or even a chili pepper in place of the Scotch bonnet pepper if needed. The flavor won't be an exact match, but it is better than leaving the heat out altogether.
- Using dry kidney beans: If you are cooking your beans from scratch, be sure to do so before starting the recipe and pressure cooking with the rice. Ideally, cook and cool the peas before starting so the peas do not overcook in the Instant Pot.
Instructions
Drain the kidney beans and rinse them and the rice thoroughly with cool water. This will help remove the excess starches to help make the rice not stick together. Shelly rice is a popular term in Jamaica to describe this type of "flaky" rice.
Step 1: Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot. Make sure that all of the rice is submerged in the liquid to help it cook through evenly. Secure the lid, set the valve to seal and pressure cook at manual high pressure for 6 minutes.
Step 2: Remove the pepper and fluff the rice with a fork. Make sure all the spices are evenly distributed before serving.
Sarah's Top Tips
- Rinse the rice before cooking. This is the step most people skip, and it really does matter. Rinsing removes surface starch that can make pressure-cooked rice sticky and gummy. A quick rinse under cold water until it runs clear gets you that light, fluffy texture you're going for.
- Don't pierce the scotch bonnet. A whole, uncut scotch bonnet gives you beautiful savory flavor and fragrant warmth without heat. One nick in the skin and the rice will be seriously spicy. Handle it gently, keep it whole, and remove it before serving.
- Use only the coconut milk - no added water. I originally tested this recipe with water added to the coconut milk, and after reader feedback and retesting, removing the water entirely gave the best results. The coconut milk provides all the liquid the rice needs. Adding water can make the rice gummy and dilute the flavor.
- Stir before sealing. Make sure the rice is fully submerged in the coconut milk before you start cooking. Any rice sitting above the liquid line can end up unevenly cooked. A good stir takes five seconds and makes a real difference.
- Use manual high pressure, not the rice setting. Set it to manual high pressure for 6 minutes. The rice setting on the Instant Pot is not the same and won't give you the right results here.
- Remove the lid as soon as the pressure releases. Leaving the lid on after cooking continues to steam the rice and can make it soggy. Fluff it with a fork and leave the lid off.
- Natural release matters. Letting the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes before switching the valve gives the rice time to finish cooking gently without drying out or becoming unevenly cooked in the center.
Serving Suggestions
This rice is the classic pairing for jerk chicken, curry chicken, smoked oxtail, or any braised or grilled protein with bold Caribbean seasoning. For something a little different, it also works beautifully alongside grilled fish or crispy panko crusted cod as the mild, flaky fish is a nice contrast to the rich coconut rice. The rice is hearty and rich enough that you don't need much else on the plate, but a simple fresh salad or roasted vegetables rounds things out nicely without competing with the coconut and aromatics.
If you're making this for a Sunday dinner spread or a gathering, it holds well and actually gets even more flavorful as it sits for a few minutes after cooking.
Did you make this recipe? Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating and a comment below-I'd love to hear how it turned out! THANK YOU!
Easy Instant Pot Jamaican Rice and Peas with Coconut Milk
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Ingredients
- 1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
- 1 cup long grain white rice, rinsed
- 1 stalks of scallions, diced
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon allspice
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, whole
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
- 1 (13.5 ounce) can full fat coconut milk
- 1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoning
Instructions
- Begin by draining the beans and washing the rice.1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, 1 cup long grain white rice
- Add all of the ingredients to the Instant Pot. Set the valve to seal and cook for 6 minutes at high pressure. Allow the pressure to naturally release for about 10 minutes then switch the valve to manually release the remaining pressure.1 stalks of scallions, 3 cloves of garlic, ¼ teaspoon allspice, 2 sprigs of thyme, 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, 1 (13.5 ounce) can full fat coconut milk, 1 teaspoon Lawry's seasoning
- Remove the scotch bonnet from the Instant Pot and fluff the rice with a fork.
- Serve immediately.
Sarah's Tips
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- Fridge: Store leftover rice and peas in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The rice will firm up slightly as it chills, which is completely normal. Freezer: This rice freezes really well. Let it cool completely, then transfer to freezer-safe bags or containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Portion it out before freezing so you can thaw just what you need. Reheating: Add a small splash of water or coconut milk to the rice before reheating to help loosen it up. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until heated through. You can also reheat it in a small saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of liquid, stirring occasionally.
- Can I make this without an Instant Pot? Yes. Combine all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed pot, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover tightly. Cook for about 20-25 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the liquid. Keep an eye on it since stovetop cooking can vary.
Tools I Use for This Recipe
- Cutting board
Allaya says
I should have listened to my gut here -- cooking rice in nothing but coconut milk doesn't work so well. In the instant pot, it resulted in my rice and peas scorching/burning on the bottom of the pot, so it couldn't ever come to pressure. In Thailand, we mix the coconut milk with water to prevent this from happening. I guess I'll try again in my rice cooker
Sarah Hill says
Hi Allaya, so sorry to hear this recipe didn't work for you. I would be happy to help troubleshoot as I have tested this recipe multiple times with and without water.
Rose W says
What size I’d canned beans is used?
Sarah Hill says
Hi Rose, 15 ounces. I just added it to the recipe card, sorry for the confusion!
Sarah M says
Delicious flavor and easy. seemed like too much liquid though, my rice turned out a little bit gummy. I don't know if you could just omit the water, or if it would be better to cut back a smidge on the coconut milk. But either way, my family loved it and I would definitely make it again! I substituted a habanero for the scotch bonnet since those are not available where I live.
Sarah Holt says
Hi Sarah, thanks for the feedback. I'm glad you and your family enjoyed the flavor of the rice. I will retest the recipe by adjusting the amount of liquid and change the recipe as necessary.
Sarah Holt says
Hi Sarah, I just retested this recipe without the water and it came out great so I edited the recipe to remove the water. I hope you make this again and let me know how it turns out next time 🙂
Naquisha Larks says
Hi Sarah,
I was wondering if when cooking the Jamaican rice and peas do we just let it pressure cook for 6 minutes on low pressure after it heats up or do we actually gave ti press the rice setting on the instapot and set it for 6 minutes on low pressure?
Sarah Hill says
Hi Naquisha, I realized there was a typo in the recipe card and I just fixed it. You cook it at high pressure for 6 minutes after it heats up. I don't use the rice setting for this recipe. Let me know if you run into any issues, I am always open to feedback and retesting recipes 🙂