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Jamaican Stew Peas are red kidney beans, salted pork, and rich coconut milk, simmered to tender perfection. Complete this hearty comfort dish with soft, hand-rolled dumplings known as spinners.
For more Jamaican pea recipes, try my Jamaican Red Peas Soup, flavourful Jamaican Rice and Peas, and this Jamaican Gungo Peas and Rice recipe, next!
Table of Contents
- Jamaican Stew Peas Recipe
- What are Jamaican Stew Peas?
- What Kind of Meat
- Ingredients
- How to Make Jamaican Stew Peas
- Different Cooking Methods
- Recipe Tips
- Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
- More Jamaican Recipes
- Interested in more Jamaican Recipes? Check These Out!
- Jamaican Stew Peas Recipe
Jamaican Stew Peas Recipe
Stew Peas is one of those dishes that feels like a hug in a bowl, rich, thick, and full of flavour. I love how easy this recipe is to make.
After soaking the beans, it’s all about simmering until everything is tender and delicious. The spinners are such a fun addition too, adding that perfect dumpling texture to soak up the stew.
This is a versatile dish I turn to for cozy, comforting meals, especially for Sunday dinner. You can keep the salted meat for that savoury depth or go vegan, and it’ll still be amazing. Serve it up as a hearty side or even a main, and watch everyone go back for seconds!
What are Jamaican Stew Peas?
Jamaican stew peas aren’t peas at all. They are actually red kidney beans but Jamaicans often refer to beans as peas. Traditional Jamaican style stew peas are cooked with salted stew meat but there are vegan variations as well. Jamaican spinners are added to thicken the stew. It can be cooked on a stovetop, in a slow cooker or pressure cooker. Classic stew peas are served over rice.
What Kind of Meat
Jamaican Stew Peas is traditionally made with salted beef and salted pigtail, but there are many meat alternatives you can use. Smoked turkey neck is a popular choice for a healthier option. Other alternatives include ham hocks, oxtail, turkey wings, salted pig feet, chicken feet, and stew beef, offering plenty of flexibility based on your preferences.
Ingredients
Soaking Red Kidney Beans
- Dried Red Kidney Beans: Rinsed in order to remove debris or broken beans.
- Water: To soak the red peas in.
- Escallion: Crushed, for a stronger flavour.
- Thyme: For fresh, herby flavour.
- Garlic: Crushed for an even more garlicky taste.
- Scotch Bonnet Pepper: Whole, make sure it is not punctured unless you want it spicy.
- Pimento Seeds (allspice berries): Add for a warm, spiced flavour.
Jamaican Stew Peas
- Salted Beef: Cured bone-In beef, cut into chunks, optional.
- Salted Pigtail: Cut into smaller pieces, optional.
- Water: More or less as needed.
- Coconut Milk: Use full-fat to add body to the stew. It also enriches the flavour.
- Black Pepper: For a pungent, earthy taste.
Spinners
Spinners are thin Jamaican dumplings made of flour, water and salt. In this recipe, these unleavened dumplings are used to thicken the stew peas for a heartier meal.
How to Make Jamaican Stew Peas
Soak Red Kidney Beans (Optional)
I rinse the beans and place them in a medium-sized bowl. Then, I add fresh water, escallion, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, pimento seeds, and thyme. I cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and let it soak overnight.
Prepare Cured/Salted Beef
I add water to a large stockpot and bring it to a boil. Then, I add the salted beef and salted pig’s tail, boiling them for about 20 minutes to remove the excess salt. After that, I discard the water and repeat the process as many times as needed until the meat has reached the right saltiness.
Jamaican Stew Peas
I pour the bean mixture into a large pot, including the flavourful water, along with the salted beef and pigtail (if I’m using it). Then I add an extra 2 cups of water and let it boil over moderately high heat for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, until the beef and beans are nearly tender.
I make sure there’s always enough water to cover the beans and meat while they’re softening, adding 1-2 cups of water halfway through if needed. Once the beans are tender, I stir in the coconut milk, season with black pepper, and let it boil for about 5 minutes.
Then, I add the spinners and reduce the heat to medium, allowing it to simmer. If the stew isn’t thick enough after adding the dumplings, I mix in a cornstarch slurry, stirring as I pour it into the pot. When the stew has reduced and thickened, I remove it from the heat, serve, and enjoy!
Spinners
In a medium mixing bowl, I add the flour and salt, then gradually add water while using my hand to knead and form the dough for the spinners. The dough should be soft but not sticky or wet.
I pinch or cut off 6 to 8 equal-sized pieces and use the palms of my hands to roll them into long, thin dumpling-style spinners. Once shaped, I set each spinner aside.
Different Cooking Methods
Slow Cooker Stew Peas
After soaking the kidney beans, boil them for about 10 minutes. Then add them to the slow cooker with the soaking water and other stew ingredients. Cook the beans on low heat for up to 10 hours. Add the spinners during the last hour of cooking.
Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot) Stew Peas
Add soaked kidney peas to the pressure cooker with the other stew ingredients with the exception of dumplings and scotch bonnet pepper. Set the instant pot to high pressure for 20 minutes. Then let it naturally release for 10 minutes before turning the knob to quick release. Once all the steam has been released, turn settings to simmer and add in the spinners and the whole scotch bonnet pepper. Allow the stew to simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the dumplings are cooked.
- Salted Meat – If you’re using salted meat, be sure to boil out salt prior to adding the pressure cooker.
- To Thicken – if needed, you can let stew simmer until reduced, or you can add a cornstarch slurry of 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp cold water.
Recipe Tips
- Quick soak red beans in the pressure cooker by submerging the beans in water and setting the pressure cooker to high pressure for 5 minutes. This softens the beans quickly, reducing the overall cook time.
- Don’t dump the water the beans soaked in because it is infused with flavour and gives the peas a more vibrant color. Instead, add it to the pot to cook with the beans.
- Want to free up some space on the stovetop? Use a pressure cooker or Instapot to tenderize meat the meat instead of boiling it on the stove.
- Avoid bursting the scotch bonnet pepper when handling it or your Jamaican stew peas will be very spicy.
- The longer the Jamaican stew peas simmer, the thicker they will be. You can also thicken it by adding arrowroot starch, tapioca flour or regular flour.
Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Canned Beans: If you don’t have time to let the beans soak, use the canned variety instead. Drain, rinse, and season them before adding them to a pot with the other ingredients and simmering for 10 minutes. Then add the spinners and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Vegan Jamaican Stew Peas: Simply omit the stewed meat. Replace it with vegetables like sweet potato, pumpkin or additional beans.
- Meat: Use smoked turkey, ham hocks, oxtail, turkey wings, salted pig feet or chicken feet.
Storage
You can make this dish ahead of time. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and consume within 4 days. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, simply reheat the stew over medium heat on the stove, stirring occasionally until it’s warmed through.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Stew peas originated in Jamaica in the 1940s and appeared in a cookbook for the first time during the 70s. It’s so popular that some refer to it as the unofficial national dish of Jamaica.
Soak beans in order to soften them. When they are tenderized, they don’t take as long to cook. This also allows the dried beans to absorb water which dissolves the starches that can cause stomach pains.
Although this can be a meal all on its own, it is traditionally served with either brown or white rice. The rice soaks up all that delicious sauce and makes it a more filling dish. For a lighter, healthier alternative, serve it with salad.
Soaking the beans helps them cook faster and evenly, but if you’re short on time, you can boil the beans for about 10 minutes and then let them sit in the hot water for an hour as a quick soak method.
To freeze leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
More Jamaican Recipes
- Roast Breadfruit
- Bar-B-Fried (Barbie Fry) Chicken
- Jamaican Jerk Pork
- Crispy Baked Jerk Tofu
- Jamaican Hard Dough (Hardo) Bread
- Jamaican Red Peas Soup
- Brown Stew Chicken
- Jamaican Red Peas Soup
- Brown Stew Fish
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Interested in more Jamaican Recipes? Check These Out!
Jamaican Stew Peas
Equipment
- Stock Pot
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
Soaking Red Kidney Beans
- 2 cups Dried Red Kidney Beans, rinsed
- 3 cups Water
- 2 stalks Escallion, crushed
- 3 sprigs Thyme
- 3 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 1 whole Scotch Bonnet Pepper
- 6 whole Pimento Seeds, allspice berries
Jamaican Stew Peas
- 1lb Salted Beef, cured bone-In beef, cut into chunks, optional
- 1lb Salted Pigtail, cut into smaller pieces, optional
- 3 cups Water, more or less as needed
- 1 cup Coconut Milk, full-fat
- 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
Spinners
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/4 tsp Salt, +/- a tbsp or so
- 1/2 cup Water
Instructions
Soak Red Kidney Beans (Optional)
- Rinse beans and place in a medium sized bowl. Add fresh water, escallion, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, pimento seeds and thyme. Cover with plastic wrap or a lid and allow to soak overnight.
Prepare Cured/Salted Beef
- Add water to a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Then add salted beef, salted pigtail and boil for about 20 minutes to remove salt then discard water and set aside. Repeat as many times as needed until desired amount of salt has been been boiled out.
Jamaican Stew Peas
- In a large pot, pour in bean mixture (including the water, which is now infused with flavour), salted beef and pigtail if using. Add an additional 2 cups of water and allow to boil over moderately high heat for about 45 minutes or until the beef and beans are near tender, stirring occasionally.
- Ensure there is enough water to cover the beans and meat at all times until softened – you may need to add an additional 1-2 cups of water at the halfway point.
- When beans tender, stir in coconut milk, season with black pepper, and allow to boil for about 5 minutes. Add spinners, and reduce heat to medium and allow to simmer. If the stew does not thicken after adding your dumpling, add a cornstarch slurry to the stew to make it thicker, stirring as your pour it into the pot. When stew has reduced and sauce thickened, remove from heat, serve and enjoy!
Spinners
- In a medium mixing bowl, add flour and salt then gradually add water and use your hand to knead and form the dough for the spinners. Dough should be soft but not sticky and wet.
- Pinch or cut off 6 to 8 equal sized pieces. Use the palms of your hands to make long thin dumpling style spinners. Set each spinner aside.
