Name: Caribbean Curried Rice Pilaf with Citrus
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1 medium onion (thinly sliced); 2 teaspoons curry powder; 1 cup rice (such as basmati); 1 cup orange juice; 1 cup chicken broth; 1 teaspoon kosher salt (or more as needed); 1 bay leaf

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This easy Caribbean curried rice pilaf is brightened up with fresh citrus flavor from orange juice. If you're missing the Caribbean islands, cook regional recipes like this and allow the flavors to transport you back to paradise. Serve this delicious Caribbean side dish with your favorite grilled or roasted meats.

A plate of grilled chicken breast, green beans, and curried citrus rice

(This recipe was originally published in July 2012, but was updated with new photos and content in 2020).

Perhaps the most popular rice preparation on various Caribbean islands is rice and peas (or rice and beans). Although I enjoy this variation very much, I particularly love this Caribbean spin on rice pilaf which includes melted onions, curry powder, and orange juice.

This Caribbean side dish recipe is adapted from The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook, which is the official cookbook from the Sugar Mill Restaurant at its namesake resort on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands. The restaurant is well-known for its amazing cuisine.

This Caribbean curried rice pilaf is extremely simple to make, but will be the highlight of your dinner menu! Incorporating orange juice into a rice dish, may seem rather unusual, but it's delicious. The citrus flavor isn't strong, but it really just adds a bit of brightness to the dish. The spice isles influence of curry powder rounds out this easy and flavorful recipe.

A bowl of Caribbean curried citrus rice with a fork scooping some up

Ingredient notes

What type of rice should you use? Use whatever type you normally like to eat! I typically make this Caribbean rice recipe with basmati rice, because that's our go-to rice for most preparations. It should work well with any variety of long-grain rice. I haven't tried it with medium-grain so I cannot comment on the results.

What type of curry powder should you use? Curry powder is actually a blend of spices. The exact recipe for each blend varies depending on many factors. An Indian curry powder will differ from a Jamaican curry powder, and so on and so forth.

For example, Jamaican curry powder is usually a bit more mild than its Indian counterpart, and often contains more turmeric. Ideally, use a Caribbean curry powder for this recipe if you have one. But if you only have one type of curry powder in your pantry, it should work just fine.

closeup of curried rice pilaf with onions, served with grilled chicken and green beans

How to make it

Begin by melting butter in a pot, and then add thinly sliced onion. Cook on medium heat until the onion is translucent (PHOTO 1).

Next add your rice and curry powder (PHOTO 2). Stir to combine, cooking for about 2 minutes until very fragrant (PHOTO 3).

Add the chicken broth, orange juice, salt, and bay leaf (PHOTO 4). Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and cover (PHOTO 5). Cook for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until all of the liquid is absorbed, and the rice is tender (PHOTO 6). Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Step by step photos of how to make Caribbean curried rice pilaf with citrus

Please scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe (in a printable recipe card) including ingredient amounts and detailed instructions.

What to serve with your Caribbean rice

Even though this is a Caribbean curried rice, you can definitely serve this rice with almost anything! It has a nicely balanced flavor with just a hint of spice, and a delicate sweetness. Here are some serving suggestions.

Close up of a forkful of curried citrus rice

Other recipes you may like

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Caribbean Curried Rice Pilaf with Citrus

This easy Caribbean-inspired curried rice pilaf is brightened up with fresh citrus flavor from orange juice. Serve it with your favorite grilled or roasted meats.

4.94 from 15 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Caribbean

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 25

Servings: servings

Calories: 291kcal

Author: Victoria

Ingredients

Instructions

Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, and saute the onion until it is translucent.
Stir in the curry powder and rice. Cook the mixture 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, and cover the saucepan.
Simmer the rice for 15 to 20 minutes, or until it is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Remove the bay leaf before serving.

Notes

To make this rice vegetarian, you may replace the chicken broth with water or vegetable broth/stock.
Use a Caribbean or Jamaican style curry powder if you can, but any curry powder (such as an Indian one) will work fine.
This recipe uses kosher salt (aka cooking salt, kitchen salt, coarse salt outside of the US). If you are using table salt, definitely scale down the salt as that is a saltier type of salt! The type of salt will make a big difference in how salty your food tastes, so keep that in mind.
Adapted from The Sugar Mill Caribbean Cookbook

Nutrition

*All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.*

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