Jamaican Instant Pot Rice and Beans

Name: Jamaican Instant Pot Rice and Beans
Prep time: 16 min
Cook time: 29 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon Olive Oil; 1 chopped Onion; 1 clove finely chopped Garlic; 2 chopped Spring Onions; 2 cups Rice; 3/4 cup Coconut Milk; 3/4 cup Water; 1 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp Allspice; 1/4 tsp Black Pepper; 450g Kidney Beans; 2 sprigs Thyme

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

A one-pot Vegetarian recipe with Jamaican flavors, built for busy weeknights when you want real food without a sink full of dishes. Comes together in roughly 61 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 · 45 min total

1 tablespoon Olive Oil
1 chopped Onion
1 clove finely chopped Garlic
2 chopped Spring Onions
2 cups Rice
3/4 cup Coconut Milk
3/4 cup Water
1 1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Allspice
1/4 tsp Black Pepper
450g Kidney Beans
2 sprigs Thyme

Step-by-step instructions

Instructions Set Instant Pot to "Sauté." Once Hot, add olive oil. Then add yellow onion and stir until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and green onions and stir for about 30 more seconds.
Press “Cancel” on the Instant Pot. Add rice, coconut milk, water, salt, allspice, and black pepper and stir.
Pour undrained kidney beans on top of the rice mixture. Do not stir. Lay sprigs of thyme on top. Cover the Instant Pot, ensuring the valve is set to “Sealing.” Press “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” on the Instant Pot and set for High pressure for 6 minutes.
Once the pressure cooking time is done, allow it to natural release for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure by moving valve to "Venting" Open lid and remove thyme sprigs. Fluff rice with fork and Enjoy!
Stove Top Instructions Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add yellow onion and stir until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and green onions and stir for about 30 more seconds.
Add rice, undrained kidney beans, coconut milk, water, salt, allspice, and black pepper and stir until combined. Lay thyme on top. Bring mixture to a simmer.
Cover with a lid and reduce heat to low. Allow to cook for 18 minutes over low heat, then remove from heat. Leave the lid on for an additional 5 minutes.
Open the lid and remove the thyme. Fluff rice with fork. Enjoy.

Why this works on a weeknight

Jamaican Instant Pot Rice and Beans lands at about 45 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 Rice & Grain Bowls 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. Jamaican Instant Pot Rice and Beans 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 🍚 Rice & Grain Bowls Vegetarian Jamaican