Carribean Rice Recipe

Rinse rice

Place rice in a fine-mesh sieve or bowl and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear to remove excess starch. Drain well.

Heat a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil and warm until shimmering.

Add the chopped onion and diced green bell pepper. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and soft, about 4–5 minutes.

Add the minced garlic and sauté 30–45 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to burn it.

Stir in the rinsed and drained rice. Toast the rice, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes so each grain is coated in oil and heated through; this improves texture and flavor.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to remove raw tomato flavor and coat the rice. If the paste is thick, add a tablespoon of the stock to loosen it and combine.

Add the chicken or vegetable stock, water (if using separately), and coconut milk to the pot. If you measured 2.5 cups total liquid above, add both the 1.5 cups stock and 1 cup remaining liquid (the recipe uses 2.5 cups total: 1.5 cups stock + 1 cup water/coconut ratio already included).

Add the fresh thyme (or dried), bay leaf, ground allspice, scotch bonnet or habanero pepper (leave whole — do not cut or you will make the rice very spicy; you can prick it once with a fork if you want a bit more heat), salt, and black pepper. Stir gently to combine.

Bring the mixture to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Once it boils, reduce heat to low, cover tightly with a lid, and simmer undisturbed for 15–18 minutes, or until the rice absorbs the liquid and is tender. Avoid lifting the lid while cooking to ensure proper steaming.

After the time is up, remove the pot from heat and let it sit, covered, for 10 minutes to finish steaming. This helps the rice firm up and become fluffy.

Remove the bay leaf and carefully fish out the whole scotch bonnet/habanero before fluffing (they may still be hot; use tongs). If you pricked it earlier, discard or reserve for a different use.

Gently fluff the rice with a fork to separate the grains. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or a squeeze of lime juice if desired.

Stir in the chopped cilantro or parsley for fresh flavor, then transfer to a serving bowl and serve warm alongside jerk chicken, stewed peas, fish, or your preferred Caribbean main.