A Spicy Perspective

Caribbean Confetti Rice

Caribbean Confetti Rice Recipe: A fragrant coconut rice recipe loaded with chiles, sweet peppers, pineapple, cilantro, and spices. Easy to make and so delicious.

Caribbean Confetti Rice

Caribbean Rice Dishes

Today I have for you a delicious Caribbean Confetti Rice Recipe… I’d rather eat rice than just about any other carby dish I can think of.

Its sweet nutty aroma and fluffy texture make it an appealing platform for all sorts of seasonings and toppings.

Most of my very favorite meals include rice in some fashion… Thai fried riceKorean BibimbapHungarian Chicken Paprikas. I could go on and on.

Rice dishes make great party or potluck options because they are usually just as tasty at room temperature as they are hot.

Caribbean Rice in bowl

Caribbean Rice

That is definitely the case with today’s recipe, Caribbean Confetti Rice. Its sweet tropical essence combined with colorful veggies and spice make it a thrill to the tastebuds at any temperature.

In fact, I’ll even eat it cold, straight out of the fridge!

Caribbean Confetti Rice is a marvelous side dish this time of year to serve with all your grilled proteins.

vegetables in pan

What’s in Confetti Rice?

With coconut milkgarlic cloves, salt, allspice, cayenne, and reserved pineapple juice all tossed in, the rice itself offers so much flavor and texture. All it needs is the “confetti” to give it that extra push in the right direction.

To start this confetti concoction bell peppers (i used yellow and red pepper) and onions are sauteed in butter until softened. You can add green bell pepper if you wanted the extra flavor.

Old El Paso Ingredients

More Jamaican Rice Ingredients

What really makes the flavor pop is the addition of sweet and smoky Old El Paso Green Chiles and Sliced Pickled Jalapeños.

With fresh jalapeños, you never really know what you are going to get.

They can range from bland as white bread with absolutely no flavor, to hotter than hades, all in the same grocery store batch. Because of this, Old El Paso Pickled Sliced Jalapeños are a great option, providing a slightly more predictable tangy and spicy bite to the rice.

Pineapple, Green Chiles and Jalapenos for Jamaican Rice

Confetti Rice Balances Sweet and Savory

The last couple of ingredients added to this rice dish are pineapple, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Pineapple helps give more color, Caribbean-inspired flavor and essential texture while the cilantro, salt, and pepper enhance all the other flavors in the dish.

Mixing Confetti Rice

How to Make Caribbean Rice

  1. Add the long-grain rice, coconut milk, garlic cloves, salt, allspice, cayenne, and reserved pineapple juice to a medium sauce pot. Use the coconut milk can to add 14 ounces of water to the rice. Stir well. Set over medium to medium-high heat and cover. Bring to a boil, then stir and lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and allow the rice to cook until the liquid is absorbed and air holes form in the surface of the rice. Remove from heat. Fluff with a fork. 
  2. Meanwhile, add the butter to a large deep skillet and set over medium heat. Add the diced bell peppers and onions. Sauté to just barely soften. Then remove from heat and add the pineapple tidbits, Old El Paso Green Chiles, and Sliced Jalapeños to the skillet.
  3. Once the rice is tender and fluffy, dump it into the skillet and toss it well to combine. Toss in the fresh chopped cilantro. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm as a side dish, or serve with shrimp or chicken on top!

See The Recipe Card Below For How To Make Jamaican Rice. Enjoy!

Caribbean Rice Recipe in skillet

Caribbean Confetti Rice

Not only is this Confetti Caribbean Rice mix colorful it is also full of fabulous flavor. Here are some of our favorite main dishes to make with this rice recipe:

Zesty Caribbean Confetti Rice Recipe in bowl

Leftovers

I have no doubt this Gluten Free Caribbean Confetti Rice recipe will become an instant family favorite.

It not only makes a great potluck dish, but it’s also a fantastic leftover as well. My kids took it to school for lunch for several days in a row, then mourned its disappearance after it was gone. I love sending them off with healthy (leftover) dishes loaded with flavor and goodness, rather than PB&J every day.

Caribbean Rice will be on our regular monthly menu from here on out.

Caribbean Rice with Shrimp

More Rice Recipes!

Check the printable recipe card below for the nutrition information on this side dish including calories, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and calcium percentages.

Print Recipe
4.92 from 24 votes
Leave a Review »

Caribbean Confetti Rice

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Caribbean Confetti Rice – a fragrant coconut rice recipe loaded with chiles, sweet peppers, pineapple, cilantro, and spices. Easy to make and so delicious.
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Instructions

  • Add the rice, coconut milk, garlic cloves, salt, allspice, cayenne, and reserved pineapple juice to a medium sauce pot. Use the coconut milk can to add 14 ounces of water to the rice. Stir well. Set over medium heat and cover. Bring to a boil, then stir and lower the heat. Cover and allow the rice to cook until the liquid is absorbed and air holes form in the surface of the rice, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat.
  • Meanwhile, add the butter to a large deep skillet and set over medium heat. Add the diced bell peppers and onions. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, to just barely soften. Then remove from heat and add the pineapple tidbits, Old El Paso Green Chiles and Sliced Jalapeños to the skillet.
  • Once the rice is tender and fluffy, dump it into the skillet and toss well to combine. Toss in the fresh chopped cilantro. Taste, then salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm as a side dish, or serve with shrimp or chicken on top!

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 0.75c, Calories: 330kcal, Carbohydrates: 51g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 10g, Cholesterol: 4mg, Sodium: 594mg, Potassium: 328mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1095IU, Vitamin C: 48.2mg, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 2.6mg
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Caribbean
Author: Sommer Collier

Making this recipe? Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Old El Paso. All opinions are my own.

Share This Recipe With Friends!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Did you make this recipe? Rate it!




49 comments on “Caribbean Confetti Rice”

  1. This is one of the most delicious rice recipes that I can pair up easily with a protein. thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe

  2. Okay this was unbelievable good. I can’t wait to make it again, even my kids liked it! 

  3. I have found my new favorite rice recipe! Y’all this was so easy to make and turned out so delicious!! I will be putting this in my monthly rotation! So good!

  4. My rice came out sticky and I followed the recipe exactly. Next time I think less water. Delicious though. 

  5. Pingback: 15 Best Caribbean Side Dishes (+ Easy Recipes) – meal clue

  6. I have made this rice several times since first finding this recipe years ago! It is always one of the most memorable side dishes, with many friends asking about it. Goes perfect with jamaican jerk chicken or by simply itself, days after straight from the fridge. No substitutions or changes needed! Love Love Love!

  7. Delicious!!!! Worth the time spent making this. Wonderful flavors. Didn’t have pickled jalapeños so chopped fresh jalapeños finely, one only. If you wish more spice adjust with jalapeños.
    Ok have placed this recipe for regular rotation.

  8. This rice dish was so delicious! The unique blend of ingredients makes an irresistible course. I cooked it as side dish but next time I’m going to add some chicken or shrimp!!! Definitely a must try!!!!

  9. Pingback: Caribbean Side Dishes (+ Easy Recipes!) - Insanely Good

  10. Absolutely delicious.
    I used fresh pineapple as I didn’t have canned. A very tasty dish that can be used in many ways. 
    I took the advice from some of the comments and just added 10oz water along with the coconut milk for the liquid. 15 mins and the rice was perfectly cooked.

  11. Pingback: 25 Yummy Rice Recipes | R&Q

  12. This has become a family favorite! My kids love it. I increase the allspice and cayenne, but have not yet tried it eith the chilled and jalapenos.

  13. This recipe is AMAZING!  Me, my husband and our son, made a comment after almost every bite. So many flavors melding together. This is a new family favorite.  Served it with jerk chicken on the side. The rice was supposed to be the side but it quickly displaced the chicken as the main dish.  
    A few changes I made, nothing major. I cooked the rice in my rice pot. I reduced the liquid down to 3 cups like other reviewers suggested. I added black beans and I pan fried my pineapples with brown sugar

  14. Rice cooked in coconut milk— what’s not to love about that!! Made this recipe as written and it was REALLY good :-) The canned Jalapeños were a good suggestion and they didn’t over-power the rest … a wonderful change from regular rice, and a great summer menu addition

  15. Love the colors and taste of this dish! A great addition to any meal!

  16. My kids loved this! Packed full of amazing flavors!

  17. This rice is perfect, all that is missing is the Jerk Chicken!

  18. Oooh, this is such a delicious, flavor packed side dish!! Loved it!

  19. Pingback: Food: 33 Best Recipes To Make With A Bag of Rice – ByNotio.com

  20. This rice is amazing. My boyfriend and I were fighting over the left overs. So good that I’m in the middle of making something else for dinner tonight and wondering why I’m not making this rice.

    • Yeah, this is still the best thing to me. So, so good. For those that suck at making rice, I’ve been using my aroma rice cooker to make the rice.  Rinse rice, add coconut milk, salt, and then add pineapple juice to the line – cook like normal. Then sauté the garlic with the onions and peppers in step 2, adding in the cayenne and allspice once the veggies are coated.

      For those trying to eat light, light coconut milk works just fine in this recipe. I’ve made it with both regular and light and prefer the light coconut milk just because the consistency is less oily.  Could probably make it without coconut milk entirely, but it definitely gives it a little something special.

  21. Pingback: 19 recettes à faire avec une boîte de lait de coco | infosante24

  22. This recipe was GREAT! I did improvise some by adding some jalepeno olive oil to the butter and adding some white pineapple basalmic vinegar to the mix. I also topped it with shrimp that had been grilled in the jalapeno oil and the balsamic and added chili powder as well I needed to add extra water and coconut milk before I served and it made it extra creamy! It made a lot with the added shrimp so yay for another meal or two! So tasty, mmmmmm

  23. Pingback: 12 Ways To Make Rice That's So Good You'll Want To Eat It Cold – List Stories

  24. Pingback: Caribbean Recipes for a Healthy Poolside Meal | Elite Sports Clubs: Where You Belong.

  25. The flavors are really good, but I feel like the rice had too much liquid…it came out too sticky. Definitely would make this again! Minus the 14 oz of water next time?

    • Just made it and yes, mine is sticky too.

      • Too much liquid. For 2 cups of rice, you only need 3 cups of liquid, so measure the coconut milk and add enough water to make your liquids measure 3 cups, which is 24 oz., otherwise you’ll have mushy rice.

  26. This is my favorite rice to make!!! I use Basmati rice instead of regular rice and it is amazing!

  27. Has anyone made this with cauliflower rice? I imagine you’d use less of the liquids but wanted tosee if anyone had any tips before making it myself.

  28. Pingback: Rice Roundup: 29 Delicious Rice Recipes to Jazz up Dinnertime ⋆ A Daily Miscellany

  29. This is delish! I made it as a side to pork tenderloin 

  30. Pingback: 33 Best Recipes To Make With A Bag of Rice – What The Hack!

  31. Pingback: 33 Best Recipes To Make With A Bag of Rice - Diy

  32. Pingback: Recipe Roundup: Rice by Karyl's Kulinary Krusade

  33. What a great rice dish!  Love this!!

  34. They will love it! It’s so yummy ; ).

  35. Love how flavorful and bright this is!

  36. Beautiful rice… such a great combo of ingredients!  Definitely making this!  Pinned!

  37. What a pretty rice dish – this would be great with all sorts of summer BBQ!

  38. This rice and those shrimp from yesterday?! Yup, I’m transported to a tropical food paradise.

  39. Love these flavors! And it really does look like confetti!

  40. Omg, this really does look like confetti in the rice! Haha, how fun!

  41. So many beautiful colors!

  42. Mmmmm…..this rice looks amazing! PINNED! 

  43. This looks so pretty and I love the flavor potential! We try to eat rice a couple of times a week and this will be a jazzed up version I’m sure we’ll all love!

  44. This rice is so lovely and colorful! I make rice at least once a week because everyone in the family loves it and no one complains!!

  45. I love this rice. It sounds amazing and anything with that much color just makes me happy.