Callaloo Jamaican Style

Name: Callaloo Jamaican Style
Prep time: 14 min
Cook time: 26 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 1 bunch Kale; 2 strips Bacon; 3 cloves Chopped Garlic; 1 medium Onion; 1/2 tsp Paprika; 1 Sprig Thyme; 1 Tomato; 1 Red Pepper; 4 Banana; Splash Vegetable Oil

By The Spice & Simmer Kitchen · Published May 3, 2026

A one-pot Miscellaneous recipe with Jamaican flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 67 minutes, serves about 4, and uses ingredients you can find at any normal grocery store. The technique is simple: build a base in your pot, layer in the main ingredients, simmer until everything has had time to talk to each other, and serve straight from the pan. If you're cooking for picky eaters, this one tends to land — the flavors are recognizable, the texture is comforting, and there's nothing weird hiding in the ingredient list. Perfect for the kind of evening where you want dinner on the table by 7pm and the kitchen empty by 7:30.

Ingredients

Makes 4 servings · 40 min total

1 bunch Kale
2 strips Bacon
3 cloves Chopped Garlic
1 medium Onion
1/2 tsp Paprika
1 Sprig Thyme
1 Tomato
1 Red Pepper
4 Banana
Splash Vegetable Oil

Step-by-step instructions

Cut leaves and soft stems from the kale branches, them soak in a bowl of cold water for about 5-10 minutes or until finish with prep.
Proceed to slicing the onions, mincing the garlic and dicing the tomatoes. Set aside Remove kale from water cut in chunks.
Place bacon on saucepan and cook until crispy. Then add onions, garlic, thyme, stir for about a minute or more Add tomatoes; scotch bonnet pepper, smoked paprika. Sauté for about 2-3 more minutes.
Finally add vegetable, salt, mix well, and steamed for about 6-8 minutes or until leaves are tender. Add a tiny bit of water as needed. Adjust seasonings and turn off the heat.
Using a sharp knife cut both ends off the plantain. This will make it easy to grab the skin of the plantains. Slit a shallow line down the long seam of the plantain; peel only as deep as the peel. Remove plantain peel by pulling it back.
Slice the plantain into medium size lengthwise slices and set aside.
Coat a large frying pan with cooking oil spray. Spray the tops of the plantains with a generous layer of oil spray and sprinkle with salt, freshly ground pepper.
Let the plantains "fry" on medium heat, shaking the frying pan to redistribute them every few minutes.
As the plantains brown, continue to add more cooking oil spray, salt and pepper (if needed) until they have reached the desired color and texture.
Remove and serve with kale.

Why this works on a weeknight

Callaloo Jamaican Style lands at about 40 minutes total — a little longer than our 30-minute target, but most of that time is hands-off simmering, which is why it earned a spot in our Skillet & One-Pan collection. The technique is forgiving, the ingredient list is grocery-store standard, and the active cooking time is short enough that you can answer a text message in the middle without ruining dinner.

Cleanup notes

This is a single-pan recipe, so the cleanup is exactly one pan, one cutting board, and one knife. While the dish rests, fill the pan with hot soapy water — by the time you are done eating, the residue lifts off with a single pass of a sponge. Skip the steel wool on cast iron; a stiff brush and warm water are all you need to keep the seasoning intact.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to three days. Reheat in a dry pan over medium-low with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce. Callaloo Jamaican Style actually improves overnight as the flavors keep talking to each other, so doubling the recipe and packing tomorrow's lunch is a high-leverage weeknight move.

Filed under 🥘 Skillet & One-Pan Miscellaneous Jamaican Savory