Recipe
🍽️ DINNER
Kittitian Pelau
The signature one-pot rice of St Kitts and Nevis: chicken caramelised in burnt sugar then cooked down with rice, pigeon peas, and coconut milk until golden.
Kittitian · medium · serves 6
prep 25 min · cook 55 min
~782 cal · 49g protein · 81g carbs · 29g fat · 6g fiber · 10g sugars · 16g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Pelau, also called cook-up, is the great one-pot rice dish of St Kitts and Nevis, a slow-cooked pot of meat, rice, , and stained deep gold by burnt sugar. Chicken (sometimes with pigtail) is first browned in caramelised sugar, then everything together in one pot until the liquid is absorbed and the bottom of the pot caramelises into the prized crust the islands call the tuttu.
It is weekend and gathering food, often made from Sunday's leftover meat with whatever vegetables are on hand, carrot, pumpkin, and a whole for aroma. The burnt-sugar step is the secret: sugar cooked to a dark caramel before the meat goes in gives pelau its colour and a faint bittersweet depth.
Along with goat water and the national stewed-saltfish plate, pelau is one of the essential experiences of eating on these islands, found at village cookouts and roadside shops rather than hotels.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally gluten-, dairy-, egg- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 6
2 lbs bone-in chicken pieces, cut small
2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
1 1/2 cups (soaked dried, or canned and drained)
1 1/2 cups
2 tbsp granulated sugar (for browning)
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 carrot, diced
1 cup pumpkin, cubed
1 tbsp fresh thyme
1 pepper, left whole
2 tbsp vegetable oil
to taste salt
Instructions
1
Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and a little thyme.
2
Heat the oil in a heavy pot, add the sugar, and let it caramelise to a deep brown, then add the chicken and turn to coat it in the burnt sugar and sear.
✎ Chef’s note
Letting the sugar go to a dark caramel before the meat goes in is what gives pelau its gold colour and bittersweet depth; stop just before it burns.
3
Add the onion, garlic, carrot, and pumpkin and cook a few minutes, then stir in the rice and pigeon peas.
4
Pour in the coconut milk and about 2 cups water, drop in the whole scotch bonnet and remaining thyme, and season with salt. Bring to a boil.
5
Cover, reduce to low, and cook undisturbed about 25 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the bottom lightly caramelised. Lift out the pepper, rest, and fluff before serving.
Basseterre weekend tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Basseterre. Goat water is Montserrat's national dish first, and Saint Kitts is where it is most prominent after that, so the honest line is that Basseterre cooks it rather than invented it. Montserrat's own authorities insist on meat from a male goat and connect the stew to Irish stew brought by settlers.
🗺️
Saint Kitts and Nevis. Goat water is Montserrat's first. Montserrat's own tourism authority insists on male-goat meat and links the stew to Irish stew brought by settlers, with Saint Kitts described as the place it is most prominent after Montserrat. That means the federation cooks it seriously without having originated it, which is the accurate way to put it.
🌍
North America. North America's table began with Indigenous foodways, the "three sisters" of corn, beans, and squash, plus chiles, tomatoes, and cacao, then layered on colonial, African, and immigrant influences. From Mexico's UNESCO-recognized cuisine to the Cajun and Creole pots of Louisiana and the fiery jerk of the Caribbean, the region turns ancient staples into something new. Barbecue, tacos, gumbo, and mole all carry stories of migration and adaptation.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Saint Kitts and Nevis
Goat WaterA rich, spiced goat stew thickened with breadfruit or flour and scented with clove and rum, the Saturday pot.
Stewed Saltfish with DumplingsSalt cod stewed down with tomato, onion, and pepper, served with boiled dumplings and ground provisions, the national breakfast of St. Kitts.
Coconut Sugar CakeChewy pink-and-white coconut candy set in ginger sugar syrup, a nostalgic Saint Kitts and Nevis sweet.
Browse all Saint Kitts and Nevis recipes →
Good to know
You’ll need: Pot or saucepan.
Storing it: Cool leftover rice quickly and refrigerate within an hour. Keep up to 2 days and reheat until piping hot all the way through.
Make it a Saint Kitts and Nevis meal
Kittitian SorrelDrink
Coconut Sugar CakeDessert
Conch SouseLunch
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Frequently asked questions
What is Kittitian Pelau?
The signature one-pot rice of St Kitts and Nevis: chicken caramelised in burnt sugar then cooked down with rice, pigeon peas, and coconut milk until golden.
Where does Kittitian Pelau come from?
Kittitian Pelau is a Kittitian dish from Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis.
Can Kittitian Pelau be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Kittitian Pelau recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Kittitian Pelau safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Kittitian Pelau take to make?
About 80 minutes total (25 minutes prep, 55 minutes cooking), serving 6.
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