Ainsley Harriott’s Coconut Rice and Peas is the ultimate Caribbean comfort side dish — fluffy, fragrant long-grain rice cooked in rich coconut milk with kidney beans, fresh thyme, spring onions and a whole scotch bonnet for a gentle background heat. The essential accompaniment to any Caribbean main, ready in just 30 minutes and better than anything you’ll find in a jar.
Table of contents
- Ainsley Harriott Coconut Rice and Peas Ingredients
- How To Make Ainsley Harriott’s Coconut Rice and Peas
- Recipe Tips
- Make It Your Own — Creative Twists 💡
- What To Serve With Ainsley Harriott’s Coconut Rice and Peas
- How To Store Ainsley Harriott’s Coconut Rice and Peas
- Nutrition Facts (per serving, based on 4 servings)
- FAQs
- Try More Ainsley Harriott Recipes:
Ainsley Harriott Coconut Rice and Peas Ingredients
- 350g long-grain white rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
- 400ml tin full-fat coconut milk
- 350ml cold water
- 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 spring onions, whole
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and lightly crushed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper, left whole and uncut
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp ground allspice
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
How To Make Ainsley Harriott’s Coconut Rice and Peas
Rinse the rice: Place the rice in a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water, massaging the grains gently, until the water runs completely clear. This removes excess starch and prevents the rice from becoming gluey.
Build the pot: Pour the coconut milk and cold water into a medium heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the drained kidney beans, whole spring onions, crushed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, whole scotch bonnet, salt, black pepper and ground allspice. Stir gently to combine.
Add the rice: Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, stirring once. Add the rinsed rice and stir to distribute evenly. Ensure the rice is just submerged beneath the liquid.
Cook covered: Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan and cook undisturbed for 18–20 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is perfectly tender.
Rest and finish: Remove from the heat and leave the lid on for a further 5 minutes — this allows the rice to steam and finish cooking without drying out. Remove and discard the spring onions, thyme sprigs, garlic cloves and whole scotch bonnet. Add the butter and fluff the rice gently with a fork to separate the grains.
Serve: Pile into a warm serving bowl and serve immediately alongside your chosen Caribbean main course.
Recipe Tips
Rinse the rice thoroughly: Do not skip this step. Unrinsed rice releases too much starch into the coconut milk and creates a sticky, clumped result. Rinse until the water runs completely clear — this takes about 60 seconds but makes an enormous difference.
Full-fat coconut milk only: Light coconut milk does not have enough fat content to give the rice its characteristic richness and flavour. Full-fat is essential here — do not substitute.
Keep the scotch bonnet whole: A whole, uncut scotch bonnet infuses the rice with a subtle, fragrant heat without making it fiery. The moment you pierce or cut it, the full heat releases into the pot and can overpower everything. Keep it whole throughout cooking and discard it before serving.
Do not lift the lid: Once the lid is on and the heat is reduced, resist the urge to check or stir. Every time the lid comes off, steam escapes and disrupts the cooking — this results in unevenly cooked, dry rice. Trust the process.
Liquid ratio is critical: 400ml coconut milk + 350ml water is the exact ratio for 350g rice. Do not add extra liquid during cooking — the ratio is calibrated for perfectly fluffy, non-sticky rice.
Make It Your Own — Creative Twists 💡
- Use black-eyed peas instead of kidney beans — a Trinidadian variation that gives a slightly earthier, nuttier flavour; cook the same way for a delicious and authentic alternative.
- Add a cinnamon stick — drop a whole cinnamon stick into the pot alongside the scotch bonnet for a warm, spiced depth that works brilliantly with jerk chicken and curry dishes.s
- Make it vegan — simply omit the butter at the end or swap for coconut oil; every other ingredient in this recipe is naturally plant-based
- Toast the rice first — add the rinsed, dried rice to the dry pan for 2 minutes before adding the liquid, stirring constantly until the grains turn slightly golden and nutty; this adds a beautiful toasted depth to the finished dish.
- Add a bay leaf — one dried bay leaf added with the thyme gives an extra aromatic layer that complements the coconut and allspice perfectly.
- Use jasmine rice — for a more fragrant, floral result; reduce the water slightly to 300ml as jasmine rice absorbs liquid faster than standard long-grain rice.
What To Serve With Ainsley Harriott’s Coconut Rice and Peas
Jerk Chicken: The classic pairing — the cooling coconut rice is the perfect balance to the fire of the jerk marinade; see the Ainsley Harriott Jerk Chicken recipe on this site
BBQ Jerk Cheeseburger: Serve a scoop alongside the Ainsley Harriott BBQ Jerk Cheeseburger instead of fries for a full Caribbean plate that is completely different and outstanding
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Crispy Coconut Chicken: The coconut in both dishes echoes each other beautifully — serve the rice beneath sliced Ainsley Harriott Crispy Coconut Chicken with the Ginger Beer BBQ Sauce drizzled over both
Fried Plantain: Sweet, caramelised plantain alongside the rice makes the most comforting and authentic Caribbean side plate
Braised Oxtail or Goat Curry: The richness of slow-cooked Caribbean meat dishes is perfectly absorbed by the fluffy coconut rice
How To Store Ainsley Harriott’s Coconut Rice and Peas
Best served fresh: Coconut rice is at its best when eaten immediately. The coconut milk sets slightly as it cools, which can make reheated rice slightly denser than freshly cooked.
Refrigerate: Cool completely and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheat: Add 2 tablespoons of water per portion, cover tightly with foil and reheat in the oven at 180°C for 12 minutes, or microwave covered on medium power for 2–3 minutes, stirring halfway through. The added water restores the moisture lost during refrigeration.
Freeze: Freeze cooled rice in portions in freezer bags for up to 1 month. Defrost fully in the fridge overnight before reheating with a splash of water as above.
Nutrition Facts (per serving, based on 4 servings)
| Nutrient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Calories | ~380 kcal |
| Protein | 9g |
| Carbohydrates | 58g |
| Fat | 13g |
| Saturates | 10g |
| Sugar | 2g |
| Salt | 0.8g |
Nutrition estimated per serving as a side dish.
Ainsley Harriott Coconut Rice and Peas
Equipment
- Medium Heavy-Based Saucepan with Lid
- Fine Sieve
- Fork
Ingredients
- 350 g long-grain white rice rinsed until the water runs clear
- 400 ml full-fat coconut milk 1 tin — do not use light coconut milk
- 350 ml cold water
- 400 g tinned kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 4 spring onions whole
- 3 cloves garlic peeled and lightly crushed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper left whole and uncut — do not pierce
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
Instructions
- Rinse the rice: Place the rice in a fine sieve and rinse thoroughly under cold running water, massaging the grains gently, until the water runs completely clear. This removes excess starch and prevents the rice from becoming gluey.
- Build the pot: Pour the coconut milk and cold water into a medium heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the drained kidney beans, whole spring onions, crushed garlic, thyme sprigs, whole scotch bonnet, salt, black pepper and ground allspice. Stir gently to combine.
- Add the rice: Bring the liquid to a gentle boil, stirring once. Add the rinsed rice and stir to distribute evenly. Ensure the rice is just submerged beneath the liquid.
- Cook covered: Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, place a tight-fitting lid on the saucepan and cook undisturbed for 18–20 minutes until the rice has absorbed all the liquid and is perfectly tender.
- Rest and finish: Remove from the heat and leave the lid on for a further 5 minutes. Remove and discard the spring onions, thyme sprigs, garlic cloves and whole scotch bonnet. Add the butter and fluff the rice gently with a fork to separate the grains. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
FAQs
In Caribbean cuisine, “peas” traditionally refers to kidney beans — not green garden peas. The term dates back centuries and is used throughout Jamaica, Trinidad and the wider Caribbean. Both kidney beans and black-eyed peas are used depending on the island, but kidney beans are the most classic and widely recognised version.
Yes — soak 200g of dried kidney beans overnight, then boil separately until tender before adding to the recipe. Tinned beans are already cooked and far more convenient, but dried beans give a slightly more robust, earthy flavour if you have the time.
Either the liquid ratio was too high, the heat was too high during cooking, or the lid was lifted during the process. Follow the exact measurements — 400ml coconut milk + 350ml water for 350g rice — and do not lift the lid once simmering has started.
Yes — combine all ingredients in the rice cooker bowl, stir, and cook on the standard white rice setting. Remove the aromatics before serving as usual. The result is excellent and completely hands-off.
Try More Ainsley Harriott Recipes:
- Ainsley Harriott Jerk Chicken
- Ainsley Harriott Carnival Rum Punch Chicken Wings Recipe
- Ainsley Harriott Junkanoo Jerk-Spiced Chicken with Guava Glaze
