A delicious way to give new life to leftover turkey.
This simple Jamaican rice recipe is the perfect way to use up leftover turkey.
It can all be made in one pot and only takes about 40 minutes to cook.
If you don’t eat meat, it is also great served as a vegetarian main or side. Just leave the turkey out of course.
Scotch bonnet vs habanero chillies…
Habenero chillies are similar to scotch bonned though scotch bonnet chillies are naturally sweeter. They are both very spicy, especially the seeds.
I prefer habeneros like those used in the psycho juice hot sauce in this recipe.
Both chillies will work in this recipe and you should add them or hot sauce to taste.
Although you can definitely use the fresh chillies, I recommend trying psycho juice. It’s a great product and a lot less dangerous to work with. It is very spicy though so be careful!
Working with seriously spicy chillies.
Handling scotch bonnet or habanero chillies can be painful! If using fresh chillies, I recommend using plastic gloves and don’t touch your eyes.
I find it equally as delicious to use a habanero hot sauce such as that made by Psycho Juice. They do all the work and you don’t have to worry about causing yourself any discomfort. Their products are top quality and always taste amazing but be careful. They are spicy!
For disclosure reasons, I should tell you that I like their products so much, I now work closely with them to develop recipes.
For the Jerk spice blend
Following is my recipe for jerk spice mix. It can be used to marinate meats too. It’s a good allrounder.
1 ½ tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
1 tbsp cayenne
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp nutmeg
2 tsp light brown sugar
2 tsp Italian dried herbs
1 tbsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
Simply mix all of the ingredients together and use immediately or store in an air-tight container for no longer than three months.
Step by step…

Stir in the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds. Then add the diced tomato and cook it for about a minute.

Add the black beans and soaked rice and stir well so that the rice is coated with the onion mixture.

Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and bring to a rolling boil. Then turn off the heat and allow to sit, undisturbed for 40 minutes.

Delicately stir with a fork or chopstick. Do not stir to rigorously or the rice grains will split and become mushy.

Serve hot right from the pan. You can serve this with the veggies of your choice and perhaps some more Jamaican spice blend and hot sauce.
If you like this leftover turkey rice recipe, you might like to try some of these too.
Leftover turkey jalfrezi curry
Turkey tikka masala
Peshawari turkey curry
Leftover turkey soup
Leftover turkey curry
Leftover Turkey Jamaican Rice

Ingredients
- 1 tbsp light olive oil
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 2 – 3 tbsp jerk seasoning
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 400g tinned black beans
- 1 tbsp scotch bonnet hot sauce or 1 scotch bonnet chilli, finely chopped
- 450g (1 lb) leftover cooked turkey, cubed or shredded
- 400g (2 cups) basmati rice
- 750ml (3 cups) leftover turkey stock or chicken stock
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large pot that has a tight fitting lid, heat the oil and butter over medium heat. Stir in the chopped onion and fry for about 5 minutes or until soft and translucent. Then add the garlic and fry for another minute.
- Stir in the jerk seasoning, dried thyme, diced tomato, black beans and chilli sauce or chopped scotch bonnet chilli.
- Now add the turkey meat, chilli sauce and the soaked rice and stir both into the onion mixture to coat. Add the turkey or chicken stock and place the lid on top. Bring to a boil and then cover the pan and turn off the heat. Allow to sit, undisturbed for 40 minutes. Do not be tempted to raise the lid.
- After 40 minutes, the rice will be cooked to perfection. Carefully stir it using a fork or chopstick to separate the grains. Do not stir too vigorously or the rice grains will split. Season with salt to taste and serve hot.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 379Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 50mgSodium: 794mgCarbohydrates: 39gFiber: 7gSugar: 7gProtein: 21g