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
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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.
Beauty says
this was so easy to make and tasted really good.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks. Glad it worked out well.
Kelci says
What can I use to replace the coconut milk? My fiancé has an allergt but this seems totally up our alley!
ImmaculateBites says
Replace with chicken broth.
Ella says
Such a dumb question: do you cover before placing in oven?
ImmaculateBites says
No dumb questions here. You do not have to cover. If you cover the chicken is not going to be crispy.
Joy Eggleston says
Ok u answered my question here from why I asked earlier…so maybe I just need to let it cook longer since I’m using a glass dish… im.letting stay in the oven for a while longer…hope it works
sarah says
I tried making this today, but I’ve never put rice in the oven! So I was disappointed that the recipe didn’t say how long to cook the rice before you add the chicken and put in the oven . I baked for 1 hour in the oven and my rice was so hard. What a waste … the chicken was pretty good so I’ll give it 3 stars.
ImmaculateBites says
So sorry to hear it didn’t work out work out well Sarah! After adding the rice and other ingredients you bring to a boil, then pop in the oven. You should really give it another try! Thanks for taking the time to provide feedback.
AC says
This dish looks and sounds AH-mazing! Quick question…does the coconut milk give a strong flavor? Husband does not like it so was curious if I could sneek it without him knowing.
ImmaculateBites says
It really doesn’t. However, you can replace the coconut milk chicken broth or water.Thanks!
Valerie says
This was AMAZING! I have a boyfriend who LOVES jerk chicken, and was trying to find a good recipe that didn’t involve hours of slaving (I made this after putting in a 9-hour work day, no problem!) but kept authenticity. This was the one. So delicious, the house smelled so good and this opened the door to try other Jamaican recipes. Thank you SO much for sharing, you have an entire household grateful 🙂
ImmaculateBites says
Wow! 9-hour work day and you made this! Hats off to you Valerie! Your family must be happy to have you. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave your thoughts!!Oh, Jamaican recipes are pretty straight forward, you are going to love making them.
Kate says
Hi, just wondering how you would do this in a glass dish instead? I don’t have an oven safe skillet, so if I dump it into a glass casserole dish just before the oven step, do I need to change the baking temp. or time?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Kate, you might have to change the time. Based on my experience Dutch Oven retain more heat and cook faster. Baking temp should remain the same.Do let me know how it works for you. Thanks.
Monica says
Yum. This was amazing! I could seriously live on the rice and beans alone. I used instant brown rice because that’s what I had on hand. Also omitted the coconut milk because I didn’t have any. I loved this recipe , pretty easy also 🙂
ImmaculateBites says
Thank you so much ! Monica, so glad to hear it worked out well.
Nagi@RecipeTinEats says
Made it, loved it – no surprises there! Used my stash of jerk seasoning (yours!). The rice is da bomb!
ImmaculateBites says
Aww Nagi! You rock Girl! Thanks.
Lindy Gumede says
This dish looks so good. I’d love to give it a go one day.
ImmaculateBites says
You should cause you are going to dig it!
Marli says
Have this in the oven right now and man, does my house smell amazing! All I need now is an adult beverage 😉
ImmaculateBites says
Oh Boy! An aldult beverage would be perfect with this! Bon Appetit!
Tiffany says
Malibu Rum and pineapple juice!!!
Erica @ The Crumby Cupcake says
I used to be a white meat only girl, but I’ve come to truly appreciate the chicken’s lower body, too. LOL I love the sound of this dish! Hooray for one pan meals!
ImmaculateBites says
To me, the chicken’s lower body is the best part to eat.
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for the feedback Girl! So happy you are going to making this again!
Cassandra says
I tried this recipe over the weekend and it was Delicious!!! I will definitely make it again! I used chicken breast instead of the thighs and I also grilled the chicken for a bit before I added it to the rice mixture. I had to stop myself from eating the entire pot of rice!
Rachel @ Simple Seasonal says
This dish sooo good! I’m sitting at my computer at 8:30 in the morning and I actually would like to eat some now! Also, one pot meal are the best!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Rachel! They sure are , makes cleaning up a lot easier.