With Jamaican Beans And Rice
One of my favorite meals to get when I go out to eat is Jamaican jerk shrimp. The unique mixture of spices brings me right to the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean. But you don’t need a plane ticket to have jerk shrimp at home! I had every single one of these spices in my pantry, just waiting to be mixed into a spicy, earthy dry rub. This dry rub can be used on shrimp, chicken, beef, tofu or any other protein! You can also sprinkle it over vegetables, rice, or in this case, over creamy Jamaican beans, for that signature creamy jerk sauce.
The Best Jerk Seasoning:
Please don’t be intimidated by the amount of spices that are used to make this dry rub jerk seasoning! I quite honestly had every single one in my spice cabinet. If you are missing a few, fear not. Try to substitute them out with another spice that is similar. If you don’t like a lot of heat, feel free to reduce the amount of cayenne pepper and red chili flakes. No brown sugar? Try granulated sugar or coconut sugar. Remember, at Recipe Hippie we encourage a free spirited approach towards home cooking, so don’t give up if you are missing an ingredient!
Can This Be A Frozen Shrimp Recipe?
Absolutely! In fact, I used frozen raw shrimp for this recipe! I just thawed them, washed them, patted them dry and then removed the vein along the front of the shrimp. This process does add some time to your prep time, so if you are a busy home cook, opt for the raw deveined shrimp from your local market.
My Two Ingredient Black Bean Recipe:
This meal was made with my two ingredient black bean recipe. Canned black beans are left to simmer in coconut milk until a thick and creamy sauce surrounds the beans. In this specific recipe, we toss in the left over jerk seasoning to really flavor the Jamaican beans to Caribbean perfection. If you are looking for just the ‘Two Ingredient Black Beans‘ recipe, click here!
2 Ingredient Black Beans
Is it possible for black beans to taste good with just 2 ingredients? I am here to tell you that YES! It is possible! Canned black beans can be a tricky item. They are really easy to throw into just about every meal, however they frequently don’t elevate the dish at all. They are kind …
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When To Use This Homemade Jerk Seasoning:
This jerk spice is the best shrimp seasoning for tacos because you just sprinkle it on the shrimp, sauté them, and pop them in a taco! Add some complimentary flavors like cilantro, rice and beans and you’ve got a delicious Jamaican jerk burrito or taco idea. Make extra and store it in your pantry for a quick and easy dry rub for chicken or fish. Or just sprinkle a little over sautéed veggies for a Jamaican stir fry dish! But you can really never go wrong making this Jamaican rice and beans dinner.
Jamaican Jerk Shrimp With Creamy Jerk Beans
Ingredients
Spices for Jerk Seasoning
- 1/2 tbsp onion powder or dried onion granules
- 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (less to reduce spicy-ness)
- 1/2 tsp celery seed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (omit to reduce spicy-ness)
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 2 tsp brown sugar (can use granulated sugar if no brown sugar)
- 1/2 tsp dried thyme (or dried parsley)
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
Ingredients for Dinner:
- 1 15oz can of black beans, rinsed
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled with tail still on, and deveined (keeping the tail on prevents them from shrinking a lot during the cooking process)
- 1 13.5oz can of coconut milk
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups water
- 1 15oz can of corn, liquid drained (or frozen corn)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 tsp olive oil
- option to garnish with chopped red onion and parsley/cilantro
Instructions
- Prepare the shrimp (wash, devein if needed). Pat the shrimp dry.
- Mix all of the jerk seasoning ingredients in a small bowl. Combine and sprinkle over the shrimp, reserving about 1 tsp of seasoning for the black beans.
- Start the beans: In a small pot, combine 1 can of black beans and 1 can of coconut milk. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium-high, uncovered, until the coconut milk becomes thick. This can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 35 minutes. About 5 minutes before you are done, add the reserved 1 tsp of jerk seasoning to the beans.
- While the beans are cooking, make the rice: rinse rice until water runs clear. Add it to a pot, along with 2 cups of water and 1 tsp salt. Bring water to a boil and let simmer with the lid on until all of the liquid is absorbed.
- After the rice is done, remove from burner and keep warm with the lid on. Now, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tsp olive oil. Once melted and hot, add the seasoned shrimp to the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until no longer pink, about 2-3 minutes per side.
- Once shrimp is done, toss in drained corn and about 2 tbsp of water (to deglaze all of that amazing spice from the pan). Cook the corn until hot, about 3 minutes.
- Once all of the ingredients are done, layer a bowl: Start with white rice, topped with shrimp, corn and the black bean mixture. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- This recipe makes enough jerk seasoning to make 1 dinner, however I recommend making a double or triple batch of jerk seasoning…you are going to want more of it! Use it on chicken, tofu, steak, vegetables…the options are endless.
- It can be a little difficult time managing 3 sides at once: I always start with the beans, because they take the longest to cook. Immediately after I start the beans, I start the rice. The rice will likely be done in about 20 minutes. At that point, I take it off of the burner and put the frying pan on that same burner to start the shrimp and corn.
- Make sure you add some liquid to the pan when you are cooking the corn. This will ‘deglaze’ the pan and will help to get all of that amazing flavor that is stuck to the pan back onto the corn!
If you are in need of a good non stick frying pan to pan sear the shrimp, this All Clad one is the one I use!
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This dish was AMAZING! My family is already asking me when I’m going to make it again. Another great recipe from the Recipe Hippie!