Arroz con Gandules (Puerto Rican Rice with Pigeon Peas)

Arroz con Gandules is Puerto Rico’s most classic rice dish. Made with pigeon peas, sofrito, sazón, olives, and pork. It’s a staple at every holiday gathering and the best side for pernil, pavochon and more!

If there’s one rice dish you’ll always find on a Puerto Rican holiday table, it’s arroz con gandules! Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Dia de los Reyes…it doesn’t matter what we’re celebrating, this is the rice we always make. For us, it’s more than a side dish. It’s Puerto Rican culture on a plate and a plate of pernil, pavochon, or jamon glaseado just wouldn’t be the same without it!

A good pot of arroz con gandules starts with sofrito, sazón, oregano, bay leaves, and olives, along with a few pieces of ham steak, tocino (pork back fat), and smoky ham hock. All these ingredients cook together, giving the rice and pigeon peas so much flavor. By the time it’s done, every spoonful is packed with all that goodness!

You also have to try our arroz con gandules apastelado or as some of us say, arroz apastelado. It’s made with green grated or pureed plantain that’s added to the rice and let me say, this version, is actually my favorite! If you have never made arroz con gandules this way, you have to give it a try!

What is Arroz con Gandules?

Arroz con gandules is Puerto Rico’s national rice dish, made with rice and pigeon peas cooked together with sofrito and our traditional seasonings. If you’ve ever eaten at a Puerto Rican home during the holidays, chances are you’ve had a plate!

What are Pigeon Peas?

Pigeon peas, known as gandules in Spanish are round legumes commonly used in Caribbean and Latin American cooking. They have a slightly nutty flavor and a firm texture which makes them perfect in rice, soups and stews like in our asopao de gandules stew recipe that is just to die for delicious!

Where can you buy pigeon peas? You can find canned pigeon peas (gandules) in the Latin foods section of your local supermarket or find frozen gandules in the frozen Latin section. You can also purchase them online.

Ingredients

See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.

How to Make Arroz con Gandules

Step 1: Heat the vegetable oil in a caldero or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the tocino (Image 1) and cook for a few minutes until it’s nice and crispy. Add the ham steak and ham hock pieces and sauté for another few minutes (Image 2).

Step 2: Add the sofrito, sazón, chicken bouillon, oregano, bay leaves, olives. Stir everything together (Image 3) and cook for about two minutes (Image 4).

Step 3: Add the can of gandules, including the liquid they’re packed in (Image 5). Add the tomato sauce (Image 6) and stir well. 

Step 4: Pour in the water (Image 7), stir, and let everything cook for about 3 minutes, until the liquid comes to a low boil.

Step 5: Add the rinsed rice (Image 8) and stir well. Season with salt to taste.

Step 6: Check that there’s enough water to cook the rice. Tip: If you’re using medium grain rice, a good way to check is to place a large spoon on top of the rice. The water should come up high enough to nearly submerge the spoon (Image 9).

Step 7: Increase the heat to medium-high and let the water cook down until it’s almost completely evaporated (Image 10), about 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the pot during this step. You want most of the water to evaporate, but don’t let the rice dry out too much or the bottom can burn. Once the bottom burns, that bitter burnt taste will spread throughout the entire pot of rice.

Step 8: Gently stir the rice with a large spoon (Image 11), then cover the pot immediately and lower the heat to medium-low. Let the rice cook for 15 minutes without disturbing it. Tip: Don’t worry about the pegao (crispy rice that forms at the bottom of the pot). It’s part of what makes Puerto Rican rice so good! Just avoid stirring too hard, so you don’t break it up and mix it into the rice.

Important: Once you’ve stirred the rice and covered the pot, resist the urge to keep lifting the lid. You want the rice to steam and cook evenly, so leave it covered until it’s time to check it.

Step 9: After 15 minutes, remove the lid and stir the rice again. It will be drier at this point, which is exactly what you want! Cover the pot and cook for another 15 minutes.

After the second 15 minutes, remove the lid and give the rice a final stir. Check that the rice is tender and cooked through. Garnish with some chopped cilantro and serve.

Serving tip: If serving for the holidays or any other celebration, top the rice with a few strips of pimiento peppers and cilantro for a festive touch.

Cathy’s Expert Tips

• Rice – Use only medium or long grain rice, no instant rice here!

• Rinse the Rice – Rinse the rice thoroughly before cooking to remove excess starch.

• Pot – The key to making the best authentic Puerto Rican rice is using the right pot. Use a traditional caldero (cast aluminum pot) or dutch oven for the best results. Avoid using a non-stick pot as it will not produce the signature “pegao” bottom.

• Water Ratio – Use just enough water to cook the rice without making it soggy. The “spoon test” (a spoon nearly completely submerged in the water is a great guide.

• Lower Heat – After the rice’s initial boiling stage, cook the rice on medium low heat to allow it to steam and fluff properly.

• Stirring – Avoid over stirring the rice while cooking or it will not cook properly. Stir the rice only when it is time to stir it again.

• Pegao – When stirring, be cautious not to stir the “pegao” (crispy rice at the bottom) into the rice.

• Lid – It is really important to not lift the lid during the cooking process. Lifting it too soon will result in undercooked rice.

• Save the Pegao – A lot of us Puerto Ricans enjoy scraping the crispy bottom and eating it with a side of habichuelas guisadas (stewed beans) or try this variation habichuelas guisadas con calabaza made with pumpkin chunks, so good!

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