Arroz con Mariscos (Puerto Rican Seafood Rice)

This Puerto Rican style Arroz con Mariscos (Seafood Rice) is a one-pot meal, full of amazing seafood flavor, deliciously moist, and hyper flavorful! Best of all, it’s very easy and economical to make, making it perfect for any day of the week!

Rice is undeniably the most important, most consumed side dish in Puerto Rican Cuisine. Eaten more than several times a week, it is truly the most prominent side dish made.

As such, it’s great having a variety of delicious rice dishes to pick from every week.

A few of the most common rice dishes you will find in a Puerto Rican home every week, include:

• Puerto Rican Chicken and Rice (Arroz con Pollo)
• Puerto Rican Rice and Beans (Arroz con Habichuelas)
• Arroz Blanco (Puerto Rican White Rice)
• Puerto Rican Yellow Rice with Corn (Arroz con Maiz)

Luckily, we have plenty of rice dishes to choose from because we surely cannot deny our love for rice!

Like this amazing, delicious Arroz con Mariscos (Puerto Rican Style Seafood Rice)! Also known as Arroz de Mariscos, Arroz Mariscada and Arroz Marinero.

Trust me, if you love seafood, there is nothing more enticing and mouthwatering than knowing you are about to sit down to a steamy pot of Puerto Rican Seafood Rice! Steaming, fluffy, deliciously grainy rice! Full of robust seafood flavors! Absolute yum!

And what’s best is, it’s economical to make, so adding it to your rice rotation a couple of times in the month, is totally doable.

Fresh vs Frozen Seafood

What makes this Puerto Rican Seafood Rice, not only quick and easy to make, but also economical, is using a bag of frozen seafood mix vs using fresh seafood. At a few dollars a pound, it’s perfect for making this amazing blend of Puerto Rican Seafood Rice!

And believe me, just because you are using frozen seafood, does not mean your rice will lack any less in seafood flavor! I promise you, it will be delicious!

For my seafood rice, I used 10 ounces of frozen mix and 10 ounces of calamari. So in total, a little over a pound for 2 cups of medium grain rice. This amount is perfect for a family of 4 to 5 people.

Use whatever is economical in your area or whatever seafood you prefer in your rice. For example, if you want to use just shrimp, then buy a bag of frozen shrimp. Hence, if you prefer just mussels, buy a bag of frozen mussels! Whatever you prefer.

But if you love seafood as I do, definitely go with a bag of frozen seafood mix where you will get a little bit of clams, mussels, squid and shrimps.

Seafood Broth or Water

For this Puerto Rican Style Seafood Rice, you don’t need any seafood broth to cook the rice in place of the water. So there you go! One less thing to buy makes this dish that much more economical!

When sauteing the seafood mix, it will release its natural juices that will infuse into the rice, thus not needing any seafood broth or stock for this dish.

Ingredients for Arroz con Mariscos

• rice
• frozen seafood mix
• onion
• red pepper or red pimiento peppers
• sofrito
• sazon
• fresh cilantro
• garlic
• vegetable or corn oil
• salt

That’s it! This dish really doesn’t require that many ingredients and produces such a quality flavored rice!

How to Make Arroz con Mariscos (Puerto Rican Style Seafood Rice)

1. Rinse frozen seafood under cool water. Set aside in a bowl, cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
2. If using additional squid like I did, rinse (cleaned) pieces under cool water and cut body into 1/2 inch rings, leaving the tentacles whole. Place in a bowl and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to use.

1. Chop the onion, red pepper (or pimiento pepper if using instead), and garlic.
2. In a caldero or dutch oven pot, add the oil and heat over medium heat for a few seconds.
3. Add the chopped onion and stir. Allow to cook for a few minutes until onions are translucent.
4. Add the red pepper or pimiento and garlic. Stir and cook for a few seconds.

1. Add the sazon and sofrito. Stir and cook for 1 minute.

1. Add the squid rings and tentacles to pot. Stir and cook for 1-2 minutes.

1. Add the seafood mix to pot and stir. Cook all contents together for 1-2 minutes. Do not cook longer! (You will start to notice the seafood starts to release its own natural juices which adds amazing seafood flavor to the rice!)

Rinse the Rice

1. While the seafood is sauteing, add the 2 cups of uncooked rice to a bowl with enough water to cover.
2. Using your hand, move the rice around in the bowl. You will start to see the water turn cloudy white. (This is the talc coating “peril” that helps preserve rice)
3. Strain rice and repeat the process until the water runs pretty clear about 2 or 3 times.

1. Add the rice to the pot with 1 and a half cups of water.
2. Add salt to taste to pot. Stir all together. (Note: For this much rise, I add about a teaspoon of salt)

Type of Rice Used to Water Measurement

I used medium grain rice for my seafood rice. Below is a true and tried method to help you with water to rice measurement so your rice turns out deliciously fluffy and grainy.

1. For medium grain rice you will know you have added sufficient water when a large spoon can rest on top of rice almost fully submerged, like the picture above.
2. For long grain rice, you will need more water, you will need about 3 cups of water. You will know you have added sufficient amount of water when the spoon can rest on top of rice but is fully submerged.

1. Leave rice uncovered and bring to a boil.
2. Allow water to evaporate from rice, about 5 minutes. (You will start to see bubbles start to form on the top of rice.)

1. After water has evaporated, using a large spoon, stir rice in a circular motion. (Be careful not to stir so hard as to disturb the “pegao” that has built on the bottom of the pot.)
2. Lower heat to medium low, cover pot immediately with lid and cook rice for 15 minutes. (DO NOT lift lid during this time or rice will stun and not cook well)
3. After 15 minutes, lift lid and stir rice again.
4. Top rice with chopped cilantro and cover rice pot again. Cook for another 15-20 minutes.
5. After 15 minutes, stir rice one last time.
6. Rice is done and ready to serve. Enjoy!

What to Serve with Arroz con Mariscos

Although Puerto Rican Seafood Rice can of course be served all on its own, we usually serve it with a side of Habichuelas Guisadas (Puerto Rican Stewed Beans) and a side of avocado slices.

Here are some other ideas:

• simple tossed salad
• garlic tostones (fried green plantains)
• platanos fritos (fried ripe plantains)
• arañitas de platano verde (green plantain fritters)