Easy Jamaican Pumpkin Rice Recipe

This easy Jamaican pumpkin rice is a simple, comforting side dish that brings a subtle sweetness and vibrant colour to your table. It’s a fuss-free recipe that delivers flavour with minimal effort—ideal for busy weeknights when you need something quick yet satisfying. Light, wholesome, and naturally delicious, this dish is perfect when you’re craving a little more excitement than plain rice without turning to complicated ingredients.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Jamaican

Keyword Jamaican Pumpkin Rice Recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Servings Servings

Calories 353kcal

Author Lesa

Ingredients

1 lb Basmati rice
6 oz Pumpkin chunks See notes
½ tbsp Extra Virgin oil See notes
1 Sprig Thyme
½ tsp Himalayan salt See notes
Water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Wash, peel and crop the pumpkin into small chunks.
Add the pumpkin to a pot with just ½ cup of water. Add the thyme and salt, then cook on medium heat.
Once the pumpkin cooks, crush it in the water. (Remember this is optional and you don't have to mash the pumpkin. See notes).
Add the extra virgin oil (or butter).
Wash the rice with cold water until the water is clear. Stir it into the pot until it is mixed well with the crushed pumpkin.
Add more water to the pot, enough to be an inch above the rice. (That was a little more than ½ cup for me.) Give it another quick stir.
Cover the pot. Steam on low heat until the light is absorbed and the rice is cooked.

Notes

Pumpkin: You can double the amount of chopped pumpkin if you decide not to mash it as I did. Mashed pumpkin makes the rice more vibrant and creamy, but if you use too much, it will result in sticky rice.
Olive oil: Olive oil does the same job and butter, so if you rather you can use it.
Salt: I use pink Himalayan salt, so you may need to adjust the amount if you're using a different type. Also, you may need to add more salt because I tend to add little salt to my food.

Nutrition