📍 Bacalar

Caribbean Rice and Beans

Name: Caribbean Rice and Beans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1.5 cups rice; 1 cup cooked red beans; 1 cup coconut milk and 2 cups bean cooking liquid or water; 1 clove of garlic and onion; Thyme and pepper; Salt to taste; 1 tablespoon oil

· Lunch

Rice cooked with beans and coconut milk, an Afro-Caribbean side dish very present in Bacalar cuisine.

Editorial content by WorldBites · 2026-10-04 · Contact

⏱ 70 min🍽 4 servings📊 Easy🏷 Commonly associated🌱 Vegan🌱 Gluten-free🌱 Dairy-free

Preparation: 20 min
Cooking: 40 min
Waiting and resting: 10 min

History

Bacalar's cuisine combines Yucatecan recipes with the Belizean cooking of southern Quintana Roo. Rice and beans—rice and beans cooked in coconut milk—reflects this Afro-Caribbean heritage and is served alongside fish and lagoon stews.

Ingredients

Adjust quantitiesServings

Only numeric quantities at the start of an ingredient are adjusted. Descriptive quantities, seasoning to taste and timings remain unchanged; check them when changing servings.

Preparation

1
Sauté the garlic and onion in a little oil.
2
Add cooked beans and the 2 cups of cooking liquid or water; bring to a gentle boil.
3
Stir in the rice and the coconut milk.
4
Season with thyme, pepper, and salt.
5
Cook covered over low heat until the rice absorbs the liquid.
6
Fluff with a fork and serve as a side dish.

Cooking tips

Rest covered for 10 minutes after turning off the heat and fluff with a fork without crushing the beans.

Technique and preparation

What to check during preparation

This recipe uses cooked beans; dried beans will not soften in the same time as rice. Drain and measure bean broth before combining it with coconut milk. Use a pot with a close-fitting lid and reduce heat once simmering starts. Avoid stirring while rice absorbs liquid. Check a grain at the end; if still firm, add a little hot liquid. Rest covered before fluffing with a fork.