The last apartment I lived in was on a super cute street in Mid-City New Orleans. I had the best group of neighbors and our entire block would often hold impromptu cookouts on the weekends. One of my neighbors was from Trinidad and his jerk peas became something of a legend within the group because we could never get enough of them. We’d hover around the pot until they were ready to eat, and then they’d be gone in the flash of an eye. He never gave me the recipe for those jerk peas (I don’t blame him), but I do know that the peas swam in a broth made of full fat coconut milk and a healthy dose of jerk seasoning. I’ll probably never be able to recreate those famous peas, but these Coconut Jerk Peas are about as close as I can get!
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Season Your Jerk Peas to Taste
The one thing you want to be aware of, though, is that jerk seasoning varies a lot from brand to brand, so you’re best adding the seasoning according to your own taste buds. You can add some before the peas cook and then spice up the whole pot at the end with more, if needed.
Where to Find Jerk Seasoning
I’ve included a photo of the brand I used, which I got at Whole Foods. Sometimes you can also find it sold in the bulk bins. This spice blend contains a lot of ingredients and some items that I don’t keep on hand, so it’s just one of those blends that I find easier and more logical to buy pre-mixed. Of course, if you want to mix up your own spice blend, a quick Google search provides plenty of recipes.
The best part about these peas is that they are insanely simple. You can make these on Sunday afternoon while you’re relaxing or doing other chores, and you’ll have lunches ready for the week.
Coconut Jerk Peas with Pineapple Salsa
Servings 4Ingredients
COCONUT JERK PEAS
- 1 Tbsp olive oil ($0.13)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1 lb. frozen black eyed peas or purple hull peas ($1.99)
- 1 cup water ($0.00)
- 1-2 Tbsp jerk seasoning* ($0.60)
- 1 14oz. can coconut milk ($2.19)
- 1/4 tsp salt, or to taste ($0.02)
- 4 cups cooked rice ($0.75)
PINEAPPLE SALSA
- 2 cups chopped pineapple** ($0.67)
- 1/4 red onion ($0.17)
- 1 lime ($0.34)
- 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro ($0.21)
- 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste ($0.05)
GARNISH
- 2-3 green onions, sliced ($0.20)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add both to a medium sauce pot with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, or until the onions are soft and transparent.
- Add the peas to the pot along with the water and 1 Tbsp of jerk seasoning. Stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat to medium-high, and allow it to come to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let it simmer for 15 minutes, or until the peas are very tender.
- While the peas are simmering, prepare the pineapple salsa. Chop the pineapple into very small pieces. Finely dice the red onion. Pull the cilantro leaves from their stems and give them a rough chop. Combine the pineapple, onion, cilantro, juice from half the lime, and salt in a bowl. Stir to combine, then taste, and adjust the lime or salt if needed. Set the salsa aside.
- Once the peas are very tender, turn the heat down to low, and add the coconut milk. Stir and heat through. Smash some of the peas against the side of the pot to help thicken the mixture. Taste the peas and add more jerk seasoning and salt until they are very well seasoned. You want the peas to be heavily seasoned because once they’re poured over the plain rice, the seasoning will seem diluted.
- To serve, place a cup of cooked rice in a bowl and add about 1 cup of the jerk peas with the coconut broth. Top with 1/2 cup of pineapple salsa, and a sprinkle of sliced green onions. Enjoy!
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Coconut Jerk Peas – Step by Step Photos
Before we begin, I just want to show you which type of jerk seasoning I used. All brands are different, so you’ll have to go by your own taste buds for this one. If you don’t have an international market near you that carries it, check Whole Foods, Cost Plus World Market, or perhaps The Fresh market.
These are the peas that I used, but you could also use purple hull peas. Frozen is definitely better than canned, but if you must use canned, make sure to drain them well before adding to the recipe.
Begin by dicing an onion and mincing 2 cloves of garlic. Add them to a medium sauce pot with 1 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent.
Add 1 lb. frozen peas (I did not thaw them first), 1 cup water, and 1 Tbsp of the jerk seasoning. The water will not fully cover the peas, but that’s okay. Stir to combine, then place a lid on the pot and turn the heat up to medium-high. Let the pot come to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low and let it simmer for 15 minutes.
While the peas are simmering, prepare the pineapple salsa. Combine 2 cups finely chopped pineapple, 1/4 of a red onion (finely diced), and 1/4 bunch cilantro (roughly chopped) in a bowl, along with the juice from half a lime (about 1 Tbsp) and 1/2 tsp salt.
Stir to combine and then taste and adjust the lime or salt if desired.
Once the peas have simmered and are tender (test a pea or two to make sure), add a 14oz. can of full-fat coconut milk.
Stir everything to combine and heat through. Smash some of the peas against the side of the pot to help thicken the liquid. Taste the peas and add more jerk seasoning if needed and a bit of salt. You want the peas to be heavily seasoned because once you ladle them over the plain rice, that seasoning will seem somewhat diluted.
To serve, place a cup of cooked rice in a bowl and ladle the peas and coconut broth over top. Finish it off with about 1/2 cup of the pineapple salsa and a few sliced green onions.
I never get sick of “beans” and rice!
Could I use dried peas and just cook them first? Would I still need the water?
You could just use your cooked dried peas! And as long as you think you have 1 cup worth of liquid in the peas you should only need to add the coconut milk.
This is incredible! My partner said, after tasting, “Well, I guess this instantly goes on the redo recipe list.” Yes, yes it does. On recipe specifics, I followed the recipe to-a-T with the exception of the peas. I had a pound of dried black-eyed peas (Camilla), so I soaked those overnight in filtered water and then weighed out one pound (one pound dried equals about two pound rehydrated). Since I’ve not been able to find frozen black-eyed peas in certain parts of the U.S. it’s nice to have that as a backup. Really amazing recipe – can’t recommend enough.
Wow this was really good! I used dried beans that I had cooked beforehand, and the jerk seasoning was from a local spice shop. Lastly, I used Jasmine Rice which really went well with the beans. Will definitely make again!
Delicious! I made this on the stove with dried peas. Adjusted with 7 cups of chik’n broth. Thanks for another great recipe.
How could/would you do this with dry black eyed peas?
I’d probably soak and cook them separately according to the package directions first, and then add them to the recipe as stated below.
This was delicious! I added more jerk seasoning and some jerk sauce because I had it. Also, because I live right on the edge, I added in some frozen kale.
I woke up this morning excited to eat the leftovers for lunch. Another excellent meal to add into the rotation.
Wow this recipe is a home run!! I LOVE how quick and easy this was. I am pokey in the kitchen and so even the “fast” recipes tend to take me over 30 minutes.
I did make some adjustments and I say this only for those who are considering it to let them know it worked great. I cut out the oil by sauteing the garlic and onion in broth, I did not add salt to the beans I just stuck with the Jerk seasoning which already contains salt and at the end I added some chopped up collards for the added health benefit.
I can’t wait to reduce the cost of this recipe even more by making dried beans in my instant pot ahead of time.
Thanks for the killer recipe!
I was wanted try this recipe for WEEKS, but couldn’t find the frozen black-eyed peas. I couldn’t even find the canned as there seem to have been a run on them (damn you Covid!). But, while in Whole Foods I spotted them next to the frozen chocolate croissants (they’re great – try them).
So, I made them up last night – tasted them and was happy. I was extra happy as the housemate & I aren’t big on super spicy stuff, so when I made up the Jerk Seasoning, I just left out the 2t of cayenne. But instead of pounding it, I made it into a meal prep. We had just made coconut rice, so it’s double tasty.
My comments:
1. Crushed pineapple works in the salsa
2. Coconut milk rice (1 part water : 1 part coconut milk) is great with this
3. Perfect for Meal Plan
4. Vegan
Can this be made with canned beans?
I ended up using dried black eyed peas and cooked everything in the Instant Pot. I used a full pound of peas, and then doubled all the ingredients for the peas and added 3 cups of water. I cooked the peas for 30 minutes at high pressure and then allowed the pressure to release naturally. They were perfect, although you might need to add more water to give it more broth like the original recipe. Also, the jerk seasoning I ended up with was a type of wet rub. I used 4 T (since I doubled the recipe) and it was a a little spicy, but still delicious!!
I’ve made this twice in less than a week and already my family has asked this be a frequent meal. (I’m fairly recently become vegan, while my family is still Omni.) Everything about this recipe is magical.
I used dry beans soaked overnight then cooked in my pressure cooker, and I cooked the onions and garlic in just water, no oil. I took another commenter’s suggestion and cooked the beans in the pineapple juice. And I threw in a couple handfuls of frozen peas at the end of the summer, before adding the coconut milk. I serve it over yummy black rice and it looks stunning.
Already I’m dreaming of the leftovers I’ll be having for lunch tomorrow — or maybe breakfast, because I don’t know if I want to wait so long.
This has been a standby for several years now – so delicious! I substitute the jerk seasoning with Old Bay seasoning (cheap and easy to find in grocery stores) and add shrimp (frozen, tails on) and an inexpensive, mild white fish (usually rockfish but cod and tilapia also work). The seafood and Old Bay seasoning are phenomenal together (I used Old Bay the first time I made it because I had no other options, but I’ve never looked back)! I defrost the shrimp under running water and chop up the fish into 1” cubes. I add both in at the very end and they only take about 5 minutes to cook.
This is soooo good!!! We used two 10-oz packs of fresh black eyed peas and just added a little more jerk seasoning and water for the initial boil. Doubled the pineapple salsa since we love that combo of favors and can never get enough salsa! I’m eating the leftovers now, DELICIOUS!!! Thanks for a great recipe! :-)
Wow! Quick, easy, and even more delicious than I expected! Definitely will be making this one over and over.
My family loved this recipe! So fresh and flavourful. We follow a vegan diet and this dish is a wonderful addition to my recipe collection.