Rice and peas cooked in the slow cooker is a delicious budget-friendly flavour packed family meal that everyone will love. Perfect for an easy no-fuss side-dish or delicious as a main meal.Enjoy with a wedge of crusty bread, crispy green salad, curry, stew or a tray of delicious jerk seasoned roasted tofu and veggies.
slow cooker or crockpot at least 3-3.5 litres in size [3-4 quarts]
Ingredients
Main slow cooker ingredients
225gramslong grain rice[rinsed and drained]
1canpeas and beans[Or a 400g [14oz] can of kidney beans or black-eyed peas, drained. Or 240 grams cooked beans [1 ½ - 2 cups]
1green bell pepper[fine diced, or any colour, alternatively use about 1 cup of frozen sliced peppers]
1cancoconut milk[400gram [14oz]can,or use coconut milk powder or creamed coconut block to prepare your own coconut milk]
2teaspoonsonion powder[or 1 medium-large onion, fine diced]
2teaspoonsgarlic powder[or 4-6 cloves, fine diced or minced]
¾teaspoonsmild chilli powder[can use less or more if a stronger spiciness preferred]
1-2sprigsfresh thyme[or 2 teaspoons dried thyme or dried mixed herbs]
100millilitresvegetable stock[we used 2 OXO meat-free chicken stock cubes, but you can use your ordinary stock or broth]
150gramsFresh or frozen sweetcornoptional
Optional - 10 minutes before end of cooking
8cherry tomatoes[halved or quartered, can replace with 2 medium sized tomatoes, add more if liked, or replace with sliced spring onions [green onions]
Optional, for garnish
10gramsfresh parsley or coriander [cilantro][or fresh chives or your choice of fresh herb]
Instructions
Set the slow cooker to the low setting so that it can preheat up as you prepare and add each ingredient.
Add the rice, beans, bell pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried or fresh thyme, and chilli powder, to the slow cooker. [Do ensure that any fresh veggies you add are finely diced so that they cook through, alternatively you can sauté any vegetables that you prefer before adding to the slow cooker]Next add the coconut milk and vegetable stock, and give it all a good stir. If your coconut milk is very thick and comes out of the can as a thick white mass it will be fine as it will melt within the heat as it cooks.Add ½ teaspoon of salt and a good grinding of black pepper.
225 grams long grain rice, 1 can peas and beans, 1 green bell pepper, 1 can coconut milk, 2 teaspoons onion powder, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, ¾ teaspoons mild chilli powder, 1-2 sprigs fresh thyme, 100 millilitres vegetable stock
Add the lid onto the slow cooker and leave for 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Give the rice a stir and test to see if the rice has cooked. If not place the lid back on and leave for another 15 minutes, or just until the rice is cooked.
Once ready, fluff the rice up with a fork and stir the chopped cherry tomatoes through the rice and leave for 10 minutes to warm through.
8 cherry tomatoes
Check the seasoning and add extra salt and pepper to taste.
Serve with chopped parsley or coriander and a scatter of chilli or red pepper flakes if liked. For those who prefer more spiciness a few chilli slices from a can or jar of jalapeños, or fresh chilli slices, or a few drops of hot sauce can be stirred through.
10 grams fresh parsley or coriander [cilantro]
Notes
Nutritional data is for guidance only and not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
Nutritional info includes the fresh parsley and cherry tomatoes.
Store leftover rice and peas, by cooling quickly and placing in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. Never leave the rice to sit for a long time on the counter-top try and get it into the fridge once cool, preferably within an hour.
Freeze and store for up to 2-3 months.
Reheat in the microwave until piping hot.
Or reheat within a non-stick pan and stir-fry until piping hot. A little water or stock can be added, if necessary, to help prevent sticking to the pan.
The recommended temperature to reheat rice to is 165F/ 74C, a food thermometer is a good investment.
We used a 3.5 litre Swan slow cooker which has a ceramic inner pot. Other types of slow cooker may have different cooking times so cook the rice until it is soft but still has a bite to it.
Ensure that if using fresh onions and garlic then ensure that they are fine diced so that they cook through. Likewise ensure that the bell pepper is finely diced as are any other vegetable you choose to add.
The beans can be replaced with any cooked bean you prefer - kidney beans are ideal.
We used 2 OXO meat free chicken stock cubes along with 100ml of water to create the vegetable stock for the recipe. We used 2 as they are quite small compared to other stock cubes and not too salty. If other stock cubes are used you will likely only need one.
The sweetcorn is an optional addition but coupled with the meat free chicken stock cubes, it is a delicious addition to the rice and peas.
The chilli powder we have in the UK may be spicier than US chilli powder as our chilli powder is just ground chilli’s with nothing added. So if necessary do add extra chilli powder to taste.
Serving suggestion - our family enjoys the rice and peas, with the addition of sweetcorn, and garnished with chopped coriander and sliced spring onions, served along with a home-made coleslaw. We make the easy coleslaw with fine shredded red or white cabbage, thin sliced red onions, and grated carrot - mixed with a little plant-based mayonnaise. My kids also love a tortilla wrap and use the rice and beans and coleslaw as a tasty filling.
Want a stove-top rice and peas recipe? We have included an easy method that can be found above this recipe in the FAQ section.