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Jamaican Pigeon Peas and Rice

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Author: Imma
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Jamaican Pigeon Peas and Rice – Plump pigeon peas, sweet corn, and traditional Jamaican spices simmered in creamy coconut milk. Simply delicious!

Jamaican pigeon peas and rice with extra peas for Caribbean comfort food

Yes, coconut milk. What would I do without it? My pantry is overflowing…So I made this Jamaican rice and pigeon peas with Jamaican curry shrimp. Yum! They are simply delicious and can be eaten with or without meat. And it’s a great option to spice up your regular rice and beans.

And you know I had to break out my smoked paprika! Another of my pantry staple. Seriously, I probably go overboard, but the slightly smoky taste and color it adds are irresistible. Not traditional in any way. If my grandmother were alive, she would probably disinherit me for this. May she rest in peace!

Content…

What Are Pigeon Peas?
Recipe Ingredients
How to Make It
Recipe Variations
Tips and Tricks
Make-Ahead Instructions
Serving and Storage Instructions
FAQs
What to Serve
More Tantalizing Caribbean Recipes to Try
Conclusion
Mouthwatering pigeon peas and rice in a bowl ready to eat with a spoon

What Are Pigeon Peas?

Pigeon peas—cute and round, also known as gungo peas or gandules, are a staple in African, Latin, and Caribbean cooking. Depending on your location and neighborhood, they’re sold canned, dried, or fresh.

Most people refer to green pigeon peas as immature, while the mature ones have a deep brown color and are meatier, just like red beans. And they can be used interchangeably.

Recipe Ingredients:

  1. Scotch Bonnet – This intense chili pepper is a staple of Caribbean cooking and often spices up hot sauces and condiments. It has a sweet and tropical taste but can be 40 times hotter than the average Jalapeno pepper, so watch out! 
  2. Seasonings – Onion (regular and green), bell pepper, thyme, garlic, and smoked paprika provide bold flavors to make sure your food is nothing close to boring.😉
  3. Basmati Rice – The distinctive nutty flavor and fragrant aroma can’t be beaten. But you can use what you’ve got.
  4. Corn – Sweet, buttery goodness goes so well with peas and beans. Fresh is great, but frozen or canned will work too.
  5. Pigeon Peas – This recipe’s base has a nutty flavor, like black-eyed peas (also a good replacement if you can’t find pigeon peas). However, they’ve gained enough popularity that they’re pretty easy to find at your local supermarket.
  6. Coconut Milk – An essential ingredient that adds a rich creaminess and a mild coconut flavor to the dish.
  7. Bouillon – Intensify the flavor or use broth instead of water and bouillon.

How to Make Pigeon Peas and Rice

Prep the ingredients, saute the veggies, assemble, and simmer
  • Wash Rice – Rinse until water runs clear, then drain water.
  • Saute Veggies – Heat oil in a saucepan and add onions, green onions, bell pepper, garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, and scotch bonnet pepper. Sauté for about 2 minutes. (Photo 1)
  • Add Rice – Stir in the rice, followed by pigeon peas and corn. Sauté for about a minute. (Photos 2-3)
  • Add the Rest – Pour in coconut milk, bouillon powder (optional), Creole salt, and about 2 cups of water. Then bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover with a lid, and cook until rice is done, 18-20 minutes or more as needed. Stir from the sides occasionally to prevent burns. Add more water if needed, but not too much, as the rice will become mushy. (Photo 4)
  • Serve – Adjust salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!
The Jamaican pigeon peas and rice are almost done and ready to enjoy

Recipe Variations

  1. If pigeon peas are unavailable, black-eyed peas, lentils, pinto beans, kidney beans, and green peas are all great substitutes.
  2. You can use ground hot pepper or hot sauce if you don’t have fresh scotch bonnet pepper. It will give the same heat and flavor, but you won’t have to deal with touching the fresh pepper.

Tips and Tricks

  1. If you love ultra-spicy food, you can dice the scotch bonnet pepper. However, cooking it whole and removing it before serving is kinder to the more sensitive souls.
  2. Avoid rubbing or touching your eyes when handling any hot peppers, fresh or powdered, and wash your hands thoroughly with soap after using it. For extra safety, wear gloves when handling it. 
  3. If you are using dried pigeon peas, soak them overnight for faster cooking.
  4. You can easily double the recipe and serve it with curry or stew.
  5. Soak your peas overnight if you have time. If you don’t, no problem, because it will just take a little longer to cook.

Make-Ahead Instructions

This dish is extremely easy to make and can be thrown together in a few minutes if you have all the ingredients. Nevertheless, you can make this dish a couple of days in advance, store it in the refrigerator, and reheat it when ready to enjoy. 

If you use dried peas, try to soak them 12-24 hours ahead, making them cook faster. You can also cook the peas and rice separately and mix them together later. Then throw them into the pan when ready to make this dish.

If you prefer fresh rice, cook and freeze just the peas. Then when you are ready, defrost them and add them to the saucepan.

Serving and Storage Instructions

This dish is best enjoyed hot off the stove. Spoon it into a bowl and garnish with cilantro and scallions if desired.

Store leftover Jamaican pigeon peas and rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Or you can freeze them for 3-6 months. 

Enjoy Pigeon Peas

FAQs

Can I make this in a slow cooker?

Yes, you can. Follow the instructions until you’ve sauteed your veggies, then put all the ingredients in your slow cooker, cover, and simmer on low for 6-8 hours. (You may want to reduce the liquid by ¼ cup.) Or you can cook them in your pressure cooker for 15-20 minutes.

Can I make this dish without coconut milk?

Yes. If it isn’t your favorite or you don’t have any, you can use the same amount of vegetable or chicken broth.

Are pigeon peas healthy?

I’m not a doctor, but experts say pigeon peas are an excellent source of protein, iron, vitamins A and B-6, calcium, and more. So eat more pigeon peas!

What to Serve With Pigeon Peas and Rice

If you would like to serve this dish with fixings, there is plenty to choose from. I make it with Jamaican curry shrimp, Jamaican curry goat, or brown stew chicken.

If you’re not big on curries or stew, no worries. Try it with these crispy baked drumsticks or these finger-licking good barbecue ribs.

More Tantalizing Caribbean Recipes to Try

  1. One-Pot Caribbean Jerk Chicken & Rice
  2. Caribbean Rice & Beans
  3. Jamaican Callaloo and Saltfish
  4. Bacardi Rum Cake

Conclusion

Bring the Caribbean to your dinner table with this hearty explosion of flavors. What unique twist do you add to make Jamaican pigeon peas and rice your own? Drop a line and let me know! 💥

This blog post was originally published in April 2016 and has been updated with additional tips and new photos.

Jamaican pigeon peas and rice with extra peas for Caribbean comfort food
Print

Jamaican Pigeon Peas and Rice

Plump pigeon peas, sweet corn, and traditional Jamaican spices simmered in creamy coconut milk. Simply delicious!
4.90 from 29 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Caribbean
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons cooking oil or more
  • ½ medium onion, chopped
  • 2 green onions
  • ½ bell pepper (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
  • 1 cup basmati rice
  • 1 teaspoon Creole salt
  • 1 cup fresh corn
  • 1 cup pigeon peas
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon bouillon powder or more (optional)
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Wash rice until water runs clear. Drain water.
  • Heat a saucepan with oil. Then add onions, green onions, bell pepper, garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, scotch bonnet pepper, and sauté for about 2 minutes.
  • Stir in the rice, followed by pigeon peas and corn. Sauté for another minute.
  • Pour in coconut milk, bouillon powder, and Creole spice with about 2 cups of water, bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover with a lid, and simmer until rice is cooked, about 18 minutes. Stir occasionally from the sides to prevent burns; add more water if needed.
  • Adjust for salt and pepper.

Tips & Notes:

  1. In this recipe, you can use any variety or just sub with red beans if getting them is a hassle. You’ll most likely find the pigeon peas at Latin markets frozen. canned, or dried. Some major supermarkets now carry them, perhaps your local Wal-Mart.
  2. Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 240g| Calories: 376kcal (19%)| Carbohydrates: 58g (19%)| Protein: 7g (14%)| Fat: 11g (17%)| Saturated Fat: 4g (25%)| Sodium: 712mg (31%)| Potassium: 391mg (11%)| Fiber: 5g (21%)| Sugar: 3g (3%)| Vitamin A: 885IU (18%)| Vitamin C: 28.2mg (34%)| Calcium: 42mg (4%)| Iron: 1.4mg (8%)
Author: Imma
Course: Sides
Cuisine: Caribbean
Diet: Gluten Free
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Comments & Reviews

  1. TAMI says

    I’M USING FRESHLY SHELLED PIGEON PEAS ; DOES THE SAME RECIPE APPLY OR DO I NEED TO PRECOOK THE PEAS

    Reply

  2. Carrie D says

    5 stars
    Made this tonight and it is definitely my new favorite rice and peas recipe , it is so good, everyone loved it. I’m not sure what creole salt is but I had creole/cajun seasoning on hand and used that . Thanks for sharing , definitely keeper ✌

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Glad they did!
      Creole , Cajun are pretty much the same thing- only difference is the addition of oregano to creole blend.

      Thanks for letting me know.

      Reply

  3. Sindhu Webber says

    Have been looking for fresh pigeon pea recipes as I grow them. I have always used dried. with the recipe above for jamacian corn peas and rice do the quantities of peas or the cooking time change according to whether or not dried or fresh beans are used?

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      If using dried or fresh pigeon peas – cook until tender before you add them on- for best results.

      Reply

      • atasteofcreole says

        Thank you. Hubby found a bag of pigeon peas discounted at the store and got them. I’ve had the dried peas for over a year and was cleaning my pantry when I found the bag. I did a search and being Cajun our dishes are close to Caribbean. Creole cooking uses the tomatoes.

        I’ve been going through your replies to find out which type of peas you used. If I might make a suggestion, just note dried or canned after so those trying something new won’t be confused. I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I used to go to Jamaica every 3 months when ex took visitation (rough necker!) and miss the food!

      • ImmaculateBites says

        Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts. Having some tech issues with updates. Will update as soon as it’s resolved.

  4. Kima says

    I am so happy to read your blog, while better understanding caribbean/afro cooking styles. Enthusiastic to try out some recipes.
    Keep em coming! Bless

    Reply

  5. Dayna says

    Hi! I’ll be using brown basmati rice instead of white basmati. Should I add more water and cook it longer?

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Yes you should add about 1/4 -1/2 cup water and cook about 20 minutes or more. Happy Cooking !!!

      Reply

  6. Kristen W says

    5 stars
    I’ve made this recipe several times for my friends and family – sooo good and everyone loved it! Thank you, I love your site!!!

    Reply

  7. CURDIE BEAR says

    5 stars
    I’M MAKING THIS TOMORROW FOR LUNCH…CAN’T WAIT TO TASTE IT… MY PREPARATION WILL BE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SINCE I’LL BE PRE COOKING EVERYTHING TONIGHT…ALREADY STARTED

    Reply

  8. muriel says

    5 stars
    Hi Imma!
    Living in Sweden I have change the way I cook and eat. I am from Panamá and the food there is very near to the jamaican. Sometimes I can find plátanos (plantees) but I have never seen pigeon peas! In Panamá the name is guandú and we fry them first and then the rice, but I like very much your recipe. I am very happy to find your site and for sure I will be here often.
    Thanks, Muriel

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Hi Therese! You add it together with the onions.In the pictures ,I did not add any.. but after trying it several times with the bell peppers thought it paired well with the dish.
      Good to hear from you again.
      Happy Cooking.

      Reply

  10. Geraldine Barnes says

    Love your recipes have you any idea what pigeon peas would be in England or what I should use instead?

    Reply

    • ImmaculateBites says

      Thanks Geraldine. If you shop at any caribbean or international markets you would easily find them. However, you can use red beans if you want a soft texture or just substitute with peas.

      Reply

  11. Noel says

    5 stars
    I’m hooked … going to search my grocery for pigeon peas today! This looks wonderful and I’ve got coconut milk in the cupboard waiting to be used. Funny how some things become a pantry staple, isn’t it?!

    Reply