Puerto Rican Rice (Puerto Rican Yellow Rice with Corn)

Puerto Rican Yellow Rice served in a large white platter for self serve.

4.60 from 15 votes

Puerto Rican Rice (Puerto Rican Yellow Rice with Corn)

Puerto Rican Rice (Puerto Rican Yellow Rice with Corn) or Arroz Amarillo con Maiz is the perfect side dish. Pair it up with pork, chicken, steak, fish and you will have the ultimate perfect meal!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings:

Calories: 286kcal

Author: Catherine Arena

Ingredients

2 cups medium grain rice I use Goya brand
1 can of corn reserve liquid from corn
3 tablespoon Puerto Rican sofrito
couple pieces of pork fat cubed
1 packet of Goya sazon with Annatto I use Goya brand
1 heaping tsp tomato paste
2 tablespoon pimento stuffed olives
1-2 chicken bouillon
¼ teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
red pimientos and fresh cilantro for topping optional
water or chicken broth
salt to taste

Instructions

Rinse two cups of white rice several times until water runs clear.
This removes the talc coating (peril) that preserves the rice.
In a caldero or dutch oven pot over medium heat, add two tablespoons of vegetable oil and saute cubed pork fat until golden brown.
Add 3 tablespoons of Puerto Rican sofrito and stir together with pork fat and oil. Cook for two to four minutes.
Add sazon packet, tomato paste, chicken bouillon, oregano and bay leaf to pot. Stir.
Add three cups of water or chicken broth and salt to taste.
Add can of corn (with liquid from can) and olives. Stir.
Cook until liquid starts to bubble.
Add rice to pot.
Note: You will know you have the perfect amount of water or broth when you can lay and sit a large spoon on top of rice and spoon is covered with just enough liquid but you can still see it. (You can still see spoon through water)
If spoon sinks completely and you cannot see spoon, you have added too much water, remove some if necessary otherwise your rice will come out clumpy and sticky.
Cook rice uncovered over medium heat until water evaporates. Then and only then, turn rice with the large spoon and lower eat. Cover pot immediately!!!
Cook for 15 minutes.
NOTE: This is VERY IMPORTANT, DO NOT UNCOVER RICE for 15 minutes or the rice will stun and not cook properly. It will stay hard!!! DO NOT UNCOVER!!!
After 15 minutes of cooking the rice, uncover and stir rice again.
Cook for another 15 minutes on the lower heat. Again DO NOT UNCOVER for the next 15 minutes!
After the 15 minutes, take off lid and stir again. Rice is done now.Top rice with red pimientos and cilantro if you like.

Notes

Note: Key to making any Puerto Rican rice is to use a “caldero” or a cooking cauldron. A caldero is made of cast iron and allows the rice to cook uniform and also creates a crispy bottom layer to caldero known as “pegao.” Do not use a non stick saucepan to make Puerto Rican rice as it will not cook the same at all. If you do not have a caldero, use a dutch oven instead.

Nutrition