Puerto Rican Rice Recipe (Easy Arroz Con Gandules)
This Puerto Rican rice recipe is a family favorite and a versatile dish because it pairs well with so many other Puerto Rican dishes. It can be made for special occasions or any occasion. You can make this classic Puerto Rican rice and add protein for an easy meal prep for the week.
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Puerto Rican Rice Recipe Ingredients
Like many traditional Puerto Rican recipes this flavorful rice can be altered and made in different ways. It’s common for a family recipe to be tweaked here and there and this is no different. This is how we make this tasty side dish. You should be able to find these ingredients at your local grocery store:
- 1/2 cup avocado oil (or olive oil) (here)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup Spanish olives
- 1/2 cup capers (here)
- 1 pkg sazon seasoning (here)
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup fresh sofrito (here)
- 1 – 15oz can green pigeon peas (here)
- 5 cups extra long-grain white rice
- small can of Vienna sausages, sliced (here)
- 2 1/2 cups water (or vegetable broth)
- 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
Rinse the Rice
The first thing to always do with all rice dishes is to rinse the rice. Place the long grain rice in a large bowl.
Rinse the rice with cold water.
The key is to rinse with as much water as needed until the water turns from cloudy to clear.
When the rice is thoroughly rinsed set aside.
Puerto Rican Traditional Dish Directions
First, pour the oil into a large pot and heat over medium heat. We love our Caraway nonstick, non-toxic, ceramic cookware. You can find it online here: Caraway Cookware.
Then add the bay leaves, oregano, salt, and sazón seasoning to the pot. .
Add the Spanish olives.
Next, add the capers.
Then the tomato sauce.
And the sofrito. You can use homemade sofrito or storebought.
Stir thoroughly and bring to a boil. (5-6 minutes).
Once boiling, add the pigeon peas, with the liquid, to the pot.
Next, add the 5 cups of rice.
Then the water. You can use vegetable stock instead of water if you’d like.
Stir the pot a couple times to mix the ingredients together.
Then add the sliced Vienna sausages. You may often see an arroz con gandules recipe that calls for salt pork, which is salt-cured pork. Salt pork is usually prepared from pork belly, and it typically resembles an uncut slab of bacon but is fattier. You can use pork fat-rendered bacon drippings or Vienna sausages. These tend to be easy to find.
Stir the Puerto Rican Rice recipe ingredients thoroughly and then cook uncovered over high heat until the water is absorbed.
Puerto Rican Arroz Con Gandules Rice
After 10-12 minutes on high heat, add the fresh chopped cilantro.
Stir again, and finish cooking until water is absorbed.
Once the water is absorbed, lower the heat and simmer on low heat for one hour covered with an air-tight lid. Stir every 15 minutes to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Delicious Puerto Rican Cuisine Rice Dish
If you love Puerto Rican food then this rice should be a staple in your meal planning.
The delicious flavor pairs well with so many of your favorite Puerto Rican dishes. Enjoy this rice as the main dish or alongside fried pork chops, pernil, or any chicken dish. A fried egg over leftover Puerto Rican rice makes an amazing breakfast the next day.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days, and even freeze well for later. To freeze leftover rice: spoon rice into a freezer bag, squeeze out excess air, and place it in the freezer.
Love Puerto Rican cuisine? Make sure to check out our Puerto Rican Chicken Soup recipe.
Puerto Rican Rice Recipe (Easy Arroz Con Gandules)
This Puerto Rican rice recipe is a family favorite and a versatile dish because it pairs well with so many other Puerto Rican dishes.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup avocado oil (or olive oil)
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup Spanish olives
- 1/2 cup capers
- 1 pkg sazon seasoning
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup fresh sofrito
- 1 - 15oz can green pigeon peas
- 5 cups extra long-grain white rice
- small can of Vienna sausages, sliced
- 2 1/2 cups water (or vegetable broth)
- 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 tsp salt
Instructions
- Rinse the rice thoroughly in clean water. Rinse until water turns from cloudy to clear. Set aside rice.
- Heat oil in a large pot.
- Add bay leaves, spices, spanish olives, capers, tomato sauce, and sofrito.
- Stir and bring to a boil, 5-6 minutes.
- Once boiling, add pigeon peas, rice, water (or vegetable stock) and stir.
- Add vienna sausages.
- Cook uncovered over high heat until water is absorbed.
- Around 10-12 minutes add cilantro.
- Once water is absorbed, lower heat to a simmer and simmer on low heat for an hour, covered with a tight fitting lid.
- Stir every 15 minutes to make sure the rice doesnt stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Serve and enjoy.
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Yummy thanks for adding
Love the flavors working here. Thanks for sharing on SSPS, hope to see you again next week.
Great looking and superb rice dish.
Thank you for sharing your links with us at #284 SSPS Linky. See you again next week.
Thank you so much for this recipe! This is exactly the way they make it at one of my favorite restaurants minus the sausages. I was planning on making rice tomorrow so I might have to try this if I can make it to the store in time for the capers and pigeon peas. Thank you for sharing your post at the Senior Salon Pit Stop! I’m excited to be featuring you at Monday’s party. Congrats! Pinned
Hugs,
Maria @ kraftyplanner.com
It seems delicious.