Microwave jerk chicken with rice and peas
Coconut rice cooked with kidney beans and thyme the Jamaican way, topped with fiery jerk-spiced chicken, for about two dollars from one bowl and a mug.
- 30 min total
- 8 min hands-on
- A little more hands-on
- Serves 1
- About $1.82 a serving
- 500 calories
- Good the next day
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
Dolly says: Make the full amount. It’s just as good for lunch the next day.
Ingredients
For 1 servings.
- ⅓ cup long-grain white rice
- ⅓ cup light coconut milk
- ⅓ cup kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- ¾ cup canned chicken breast, drained
- 1 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
- 1 green onion, torn into small pieces (optional)
From your pantry
- ⅓ cup water
- ¼ tsp dried thyme
- 1 pinch garlic powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
Each serving has about 500 calories, 29 g protein, 65 g carbs and 13 g fat, and costs about $1.82 at typical US grocery prices. Both are estimates from what the recipe uses.
Missing something?
- No long-grain white rice? Jasmine rice or basmati rice works.
- No kidney beans? Pinto beans or black beans work.
- No green onions? Chives work.
Steps
Tap an underlined word for a quick explanation.
the rice in a large microwave-safe bowl: cover it with cold water, swirl it with the fork, and pour the cloudy water off, holding the rice back with the fork.
Rinse. Rinsing means running cold water over rice or canned beans in a strainer while you swish them around. It washes off loose starch and can liquid, so rice cooks up fluffy and beans taste clean.
How you’ll know: The water running out goes from cloudy to mostly clear; it doesn’t have to be perfect.
Dolly’s tip: That’s how you rinse rice without a strainer. It stops the rice going gummy.in the coconut milk, water, kidney beans, thyme, garlic powder and salt.
Stir. Stirring means moving food around with a spoon or spatula so it cooks evenly and doesn’t stick. Unless the recipe says constantly, every so often is plenty, and it gives food time to brown.
How you’ll know: When you drag the spoon across the bottom, nothing is sticking or scorching.
Dolly’s tip: In Jamaica the beans are called peas, which is where the name comes from.Set the bowl on a plate and microwave uncovered on high for 5 minutes, until it’s bubbling hard.
Timer: 5 min
Dolly’s tip: Coconut milk foams up. A big bowl on a plate keeps the microwave clean.Stir, cover with a plate, and microwave at 50% power for 10 minutes so it until the liquid is soaked up.
Simmer. Simmering means keeping a liquid just below a boil, with small bubbles rising gently. It cooks food evenly and lets a sauce thicken without scorching on the bottom.
How you’ll know: Small, lazy bubbles break the surface every second or so, and nothing is churning.
Timer: 10 min
Leave the rice covered for 5 minutes to finish softening while you make the chicken.
Timer: 5 min
the chicken with the jerk seasoning and oil in a mug, cover, and microwave 1½ minutes until steaming.
Toss. Tossing means gently lifting and turning food so everything gets coated, like pasta in sauce or vegetables in oil. It coats every piece evenly without mashing anything.
How you’ll know: Every piece looks glossy or evenly coated, with no dry spots hiding underneath.
Timer: 1 min 30 sec
Dolly’s tip: Jerk seasoning is hot. Start with 1 teaspoon and add more once you’ve tasted it.Food safety: Rotisserie chicken, deli meat, canned tuna and cooked shrimp are already cooked. Keep them cold until you use them, and heat them until steaming hot if the recipe warms them.
Fluff the rice and peas with the fork, pile the jerk chicken on top, and scatter the green onion.
Eat it hot, or cool it, cover it and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
Dolly’s tip: Reheat with a splash of water until steaming all the way through.Food safety: Put leftovers in the fridge within 2 hours and eat them within 3 to 4 days. Reheat until steaming hot, 165°F.
Plan this in Dollop, and get the grocery list
Dollop puts this dinner on a night that suits your week, lists only what you still need to buy, and walks you through each step while you cook.
