Rice and Beans with Stew Chicken

About This Recipe

Rice and Beans with Stew Chicken is the beating heart of Belizean cuisine and the country's unofficial national dish, eaten by virtually every family every week. Belizean red beans are simmered until tender then folded into coconut rice fragrant with recado (achiote seasoning), while the stew chicken — bone-in pieces marinated in recado and slowly braised in their own juices with tomatoes, onion, and peppers — provides rich, deeply savoury contrast. The combination is always served with a side of coleslaw and potato salad at Sunday dinners and celebratory feasts. It is comforting, sustaining, and utterly delicious in its simplicity.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.2 kgbone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks)
• 2 tbsprecado rojo (achiote paste)
• 3 tbspwhite vinegar
• 1 tspsalt
• ½ tspblack pepper
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1large onion, half sliced, half chopped
• 4 clovesgarlic, minced
• 2tomatoes, chopped
• 1bell pepper, chopped
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 400 gdried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 400 mlcoconut milk
• 400 glong-grain white rice, rinsed
• 1 tsprecado rojo (for the rice)
• 600 mlwater (for the rice)

Instructions

1. 1

   Marinate the chicken

   Dissolve recado paste in vinegar. Rub all over chicken pieces with salt, pepper, and cumin. Add sliced onion and half the garlic. Marinate at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.

2. 2

   Cook the beans

   Drain soaked beans and cover with fresh water. Simmer 1 hour until tender but not falling apart. Drain, reserving some cooking liquid.

3. 3

   Stew the chicken

   Heat oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Remove the onion from the marinade and sauté with the remaining chopped onion and garlic for 3 minutes. Add chicken pieces and brown all over, 4–5 minutes per side. Add tomatoes, bell pepper, and 120 ml water. Cover and braise over low heat for 40–45 minutes until chicken is very tender and coated in a rich sauce.

4. 4

   Cook the coconut rice and beans

   In a separate pot, heat 1 tbsp oil. Dissolve 1 tsp recado in the coconut milk and add to the pot with the water. Add the cooked beans. Bring to a boil. Add rice, stir once, bring back to a boil, then cover tightly and reduce to the lowest heat. Cook 20 minutes.

5. 5

   Rest and serve

   Remove rice and beans from heat and rest covered 10 minutes. Fluff and serve with the stew chicken and its sauce.

Variations

• •

  Use black beans instead of red kidney beans — equally traditional in some regions.

• •

  Add plantain chips on the side for extra crunch and sweetness.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Rice and beans keep refrigerated up to 3 days. Stew chicken keeps 4 days. Both freeze well.

Frequently Asked Questions