One Pot Caribbean Jerk Chicken & Rice
One Pot Caribbean Jerk Chicken & Rice for a true flavor explosion! Chicken thighs baked to crispy perfection on a bed of fragrant rice and beans come together in a dash for an easy weeknight meal.
Who doesn’t love a good one-pot meal? Less prep, less cleaning, and it’s on your table in about an hour. Plus, the way the chicken juice seeps into the rice and flavors it is heavenly. 😇
I cook this jerk chicken and rice recipe in an oven-proof skillet because it can go from stovetop to oven without messing up an extra pan. That said, you could easily use a Dutch oven.
The Secret to Insanely Good One-Pot Jerk Chicken and Rice
I’m all for saving time in the kitchen, but one ingredient is worth spending a little time making at home: homemade jerk spice. Most store-bought blends don’t even come close to the flavor of this homemade version, and you can customize it to your preferences. 😋
What You Need
- Chicken – Any cut of chicken will work here, but chicken thighs are the juiciest and most flavorful.
- Rice – Any long-grain rice, basic white rice, jasmine, and basmati will do. Even brown rice works, though you may need to adjust the cooking time.
- Beans – Kidney beans add flavor and extra protein to this dish, making it extra satisfying.
- Broth – For extra flavor, I cook the rice in chicken broth instead of water.
- Coconut Milk adds creaminess and a tropical undertone.
- Seasonings – Garlic, onion, thyme, bay leaves, white pepper, Creole seasoning, chicken bouillon, paprika, scotch bonnet pepper, and green onion to garnish are fantastic.
How to Make One-Pot Caribbean Jerk Chicken & Rice
Chicken Thighs
- Preheat the oven to 350℉ (177℃).
- Rinse the chicken thighs and pat them dry—season with salt (about 1½ teaspoons) and bouillon powder.
- Season – Then, rub both sides of each piece with a generous amount of jerk seasoning.
- Sear – Add about 2 tablespoons of oil to a skillet, Dutch oven, or oven-safe pot. Then add chicken thighs skin side up, and brown for about 3 minutes on each side, being careful not to burn it. Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside.
Vegetables, Rice, and Beans
- Clean Pan – Wipe the pan with a paper towel or napkin to remove any burned bits from the pan.
- Saute – Add another 2 tablespoons of oil, followed by onions, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf, and sauté until soft but not golden, 2-3 minutes.
- Assemble – Then, add the rice and beans. Next, add all the remaining ingredients: chicken stock, coconut milk, paprika, white pepper, jerk seasoning, salt, and bouillon. Add the chicken back to the pot and bring everything to a boil.
- Bake – Place the pan in the oven and cook, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is done.
- Serve – Remove from oven, allow to rest a minute, garnish with chopped green onions if desired, and serve.
Recipe Variations
- Try a different protein. Instead of chicken, try it with pork or shrimp. You can also swap out kidney beans for a different kind of bean if you’d like. 🫘
- Turn the heat up (or down). If you don’t enjoy spicy food, leave the hot pepper out. But if you’re a heat seeker, dice the scotch bonnet and prepare for the burn. For somewhere in the middle, add the scotch bonnet whole.
- Add more veggies. Chopped bell peppers, peas, carrots, or other veggies are delicious and nutritious.
Tips and Tricks
- For faster cooking, make a ½-inch slit in the chicken thigh meat on both sides before searing.
- Rinse the rice to remove excess starch for fluffier results. ☁️
- An instant-read meat thermometer ensures the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165℉ (75℃). 🌡️
Make-Ahead Instructions
To make this dish ahead of time, let it cool and refrigerate it in an airtight container for 1-2 days. Or freeze it for up to 3 months. Then, thaw, reheat, and enjoy!
Serving and Storage Instructions
Serve one-pot jerk chicken and rice piping hot, fresh out of the oven, and garnished with chopped green onions.
Refrigerate leftover chicken and rice in an airtight container for 3-5 days. To reheat this dish, pop it back in the oven set to 350℉ (180℃) for 10-15 minutes or until heated through. Add a couple of tablespoons of water or broth to prevent drying. Or pop individual portions in the microwave.
What Goes With One Pot Caribbean Jerk Chicken & Rice
This dish goes beautifully with fried plantains and Caribbean coleslaw. A sorrel drink might cool down the heat from the scotch bonnet. Or, if you are feeling like an adult beverage, a pina colada works just as well. 😉
More Caribbean-Inspired Recipes to Try
Watch How to Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”jTCYDYNO” upload-date=”Tue Aug 07 2018 11:48:32 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)” name=”One Pot Caribbean Jerk Chicken & Rice” description=”One Pot Caribbean Jerk Chicken & Rice – A flavor explosion in a pot! Comes together quickly- chicken thighs baked to crispy perfection on a bed of fragrant rice and beans.”]
This blog post was originally published in June 2015 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
One Pot Caribbean Jerk Chicken & Rice
Ingredients
Jerk Chicken Thighs
- 2½-3 pounds (1-1.5k) chicken thighs (about 5-6)
- 1½ teaspoons (8g) salt
- ½ teaspoon (2g) chicken bouillon (optional)
- 1-2 tablespoons (12-24g) jerk seasoning
One Pot Jerk Chicken and Rice
- 4 tablespoons (60ml) canola oil
- ½ medium onion, diced
- 1 sprig fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 small bay leaves
- 2 cups (360g) uncooked long grain rice
- 1 13.5-ounce can coconut milk (1¾ cups)
- 1 15.5-ounce can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 teaspoon (5g) white pepper
- 1½-2 teaspoons (8-10g) Creole seasoning (or jerk seasoning)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2-2¼ cups (470-530ml) chicken broth (or water) If using 6 chicken thighs, I use 2 cups of water
- 1 teaspoon (4g) chicken bouillon (optional)
- 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper (optional)
- 1 teaspoon (6g) paprika (optional)
- 1 green onion for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃.
- Wash chicken thighs. For faster cooking, make a ½-inch slit into the meat on either side of the bone and pat dry with a paper towel—season with salt (about 1½ teaspoons) and bouillon powder.
- Rub both sides of the thighs with a generous amount of jerk seasoning.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of oil to a skillet, Dutch oven, or oven-safe pot. Then add chicken thighs skin side up, and brown for about 3 minutes on each side, being careful not to burn it. Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside.
- Wipe the pan with a paper towel or napkin to remove any burned bits from the pan.
- Add another 2 tablespoons of oil, followed by onions, thyme, garlic, and bay leaf, and sauté until soft but not golden, 2-3 minutes.
- Then, add the rice and beans. Next, add all the remaining ingredients: chicken stock, coconut milk, paprika, white pepper, jerk seasoning, salt, and bouillon. Add the chicken back to the pot and bring everything to a boil.
- Place the pan in the oven and cook, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes or until the chicken is done.
- Remove from oven, allow to rest a minute, garnish with chopped green onions if desired, and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Feel free to replace the jerk seasoning with Creole, taco, or your favorite spice mix.
- For faster cooking, make a ½-inch slit in the chicken thigh meat on both sides before searing.
- Rinse the rice to remove excess starch for fluffier results. ☁️
- An instant-read meat thermometer ensures the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165℉ (75℃).
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
I’m looking forward to making this soon, but I can’t find scotch bonnet peppers anywhere. Can I use scotch bonnet pepper flakes instead and if so, about how much should i use?
Yes you can . I would start with 1/2 teaspoon and adjust depending on how much heat you can tolerate.
If you’re on the fence about making this recipe, do yourself a favour and just do it! I made this for dinner tonight and we loved it! Will definitely add to our regular rotation; no modifications necessary.
Literally one of the tastiest meals I’ve ever cooked. I have so many of your recipes bookmarked that I’m excited to try. Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Cook this at least once a week , one of my favorite meals to cook . So good
Hey Turner,
It’s amazing to hear that. You can try some other good recipes from the blog as well. I am sure you will enjoy them also.Thank You!
I would love to make this dish but due to a food allergy, I would need a substitution for the the coconut milk. Any recommendations please?
This is my first attempt at Carribean cuisine! It was delicious! Different type of spicy flavor. So glad I tried it! Can you suggest some sides that would go with it? Any vegetables? I am not very familiar, but would love to try more. Thanks!
Hi Kristen! A good pair of sweet and tangy flavors would go well for a spicy and flavorful dish like this recipe. You can pair it with Mango Salsa, Tzatziki Sauce, Fried Sweet Plantains, and Easy Coleslaw. Enjoy!
This is one of the best meals I make. Everyone person I have made this for has asked for the recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!
Aww that’s sweet! Thank you, Mackenzie! 🙂
Went to USVI recently and had some jerk chicken there. I instantly became obsessed with it and searched for a recipe similar to what I had. I followed yours and paired it with some fried plantains just like I had in USVI and it was amazing. I will definitely make this again.
Wow thank you so much, Billfred! 🙂
This is my go to Jerk Chicken with rice dish. It’s lovely. I use skinless thighs and low fat coconut milk. I use Jerk run and marinate the chicken before hand and serve it with either low fat creme fresh or a mixture of low fat mayo and fat free yogart mixed with paprika.
Yum! Thank you for sharing, Noel! 🙂
Second time making this. It’s so delicious and a real hit with my picky husband. I made it my electric fry pan.
Woohoo! Thank you, Megan! 🙂
I love this recipe so much, one of our favourites and always comes out perfect! The one question I do have, is the skillet/casserole dish. What one or size do you use? I am currently transferring from a frying pan into two separate oven dishes which is long! I found this one, can you advise if this one is okay, it’s 4 litre capacity or if not, could you send a link to one you would recommend?
https://www.wayfair.co.uk/kitchenware-tableware/pdp/masterclass-4-l-cast-aluminium-round-casserole-u001036357.html?piid=4583248
Thank you 🙂
Hi Lily! I’m happy you all are loving this recipe! As for your question, yes, you can go ahead with that one. Enjoy!
This recipe was absolutely delicious. My husband devoured it and ate leftovers for lunch the next day. And he hates leftovers. He asked me to please please put this in the cooking rotation. It’s such a easy, flavorful and delicious meal. I have already shared it with family members. Thank you very much!
Thank you so much, Cheryl! Glad you and your husband loved it! 🙂
This recipe is perfection! Can serve it with such confidence!
Thank you, Judy! 🙂
I am mixing the seasons but don’t understand what is vegetable chicken? Is Maggie powder different from vegetable chicken
Is hot pepper chili the same as chili powder
Hi Irene! Do you mean chicken or vegetable stock? You may use broth cubes.
For the peppers, the pepper chili is the one that’s dried and crushed to make chili powder.
This is a terrific and incredibly tasty one pot wonder! The flavors are great and I appreciated the notes for optional and your responses to comments on substitutions. I halved this for 2 of us and otherwise prepared exactly as written and it was perfect, down to the cooking times. This will be in my regular weeknight rotation. I served with mixed greens but next time I might toss some fresh spinach in the rice and add a bit more liquid. Seriously delicious and very well-written recipe. Thank you for sharing this!
The first time I made this recipe it was perfect. The next two times my rice is not fully cooked. Am I doing something wrong?
Am sorry can’t say for sure , without actually being there.