Arroz con Gandules – a classic Puerto Rican savory rice dish cooked with meat, gandules (aka pigeon peas) and some olives then spiced up with a homemade sofrito for an extra delicious rice meal!
After re-stashing my pantry with this homemade sofrito, I decided to cook a big pan of Arroz con Gandules, also known as Puerto Rican Rice with Pigeon Peas for the whole family to go along with my smash hit Pernil (Puerto Rican Roasted Pork).
And we hardly ever spoke to each other while we dug in heartedly during our Puerto Rican-themed dinner. While Arroz con Gandules is mainly served during Christmas, birthdays and other special occasions, it sure makes a perfect family weeknight meal on regular days.
What is Gandules in English?
Arroz con Gandules is a popular Puerto Rican rice dish with different variations, although, the most basic ingredient of it is a sofrito sauce, added with pork (this time, I used bacon) and gandules.
Now what is gandules?
Gandules or Pigeon Peas in English is an essential ingredient in making Arroz con Gnadules. It’s popular throughout the Caribbean. They are small, oval peas with a nutty flavor. They come in fresh, frozen, boiled and canned. For this recipe, we use canned and drained pigeon peas. You can also buy them fresh or frozen in Latin or Caribbean food markets.
If you can’t find any pigeon peas, you can substitute them with canned pinto or red beans.
What’s in sofrito sauce?
This rice dish wouldn’t be truly authentic without this mighty sofrito sauce – the heart and soul of Puerto Rican cuisine. If you missed my sofrito recipe, it is actually a very versatile aromatic green puree made of bell peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic and onions. It makes a powerful base for dishes like stews, beans and rice dishes with different variations among the Caribbean, Latin America and other Spanish-speaking countries.
Leaving out this ingredient wouldn’t be an option as it totally makes a difference. However, you can check out my other rice and pigeon peas variations. 😉
How is it different than Jamaican Rice and Pigeons Peas?
If sofrito isn’t in your neck of the woods, don’t worry, you can go with this Jamaican Rice and Pigeons Peas recipe instead. Coconut rice is cooked with plump pigeon peas, sweet corn and traditional Jamaican spices in creamy coconut milk with a hint of smokiness from smoked paprika.
They’re both delicious in its own way. Want more flavorful rice recipes like this?? Heck yeah, I got boatloads for you. Check out this list of rice recipes HERE.
Don’t wait for Christmas or special days to make this Arroz con Gandules. It’s very tender, aromatic and very flavorful rice dish with complementing textures from pigeons peas and olives.
And oh, did I not mention that it reheats well? Now go make a big pot of this, reheat the leftover the next day and top it with an egg.
Enjoy!
if You enjoy this then you would love this Arroz con Pollo
Tips and Notes:
- Aside from long grain rice, you can also use medium-grain rice. Avoid making this dish with short-grain rice as it gets too sticky and mushy.
- If you don’t have homemade sofrito, you can buy store-bought in Latin, Spanish and Caribbean markets. Some big groceries carry them in the international food aisle.
- You may substitute bacon with pork and the drippings with olive or canola oil. However, I love using bacon as the bacon drippings boost the flavor of this dish.
- As for those who’d ask if rinsing the rice is important, I’d say, YES. Rinsing the rice washes away the excess starch coated in it which makes the rice sticky.
- If you can’t find canned pigeon peas, you can go with pinto or red beans.
Arroz con Gandules
Ingredients
- 2 cups long grain rice , rinsed
- 3 slices bacon , chopped
- 3 tablespoons sofrito
- 1 medium onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 can 15 oz Gandules (Pigeon Peas) , drained
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup sliced olives
- 1 packet sazon
- 3 1/2 cups water
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Wash rice until water runs clear. Drain water.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté bacon until brown and crisp. This may take about 5-5 minutes.
- Remove bacon from skillet and transfer to a plate. There will be some bacon drippings left in the pan (about 1-2 tablespoons).
- Pour about 1-2 tablespoons oil to the pan then Add sofrito to the skillet , until fragrant ,about 2-3 minutes.
- Throw onion, garlic and cumin to the pan. Sauté for about a minute.
- Stir in rice and continue stirring for about 1-2 minutes.
- Then add gandules, tomato sauce, olive , sazon and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat; cover with a lid and simmer until rice is cooked, about 18 minutes or more. Stir occasionally from the sides to prevent burns, add more water if needed.
- Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Serve!
Nutrition Information:
How to Make Arroz con Gandules
Wash rice until water runs clear. Drain water. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté bacon until brown and crisp. This may take about 5-5 minutes. Remove bacon from skillet and transfer to a plate. There will be some bacon drippings left in the pan (about 1-2 tablespoons). Pour about 1-2 tablespoons oil to the pan then Add sofrito to the skillet , until fragrant ,about 2-3 minutes.
Throw onion, garlic and cumin to the pan. Sauté for about a minute.
Stir in rice and continue stirring for about 1-2 minutes.
Then add gandules, tomato sauce, olive , sazon and water. Bring to a boil and reduce heat; cover with a lid and simmer until rice is cooked, about 18 minutes or more.
Stir occasionally from the sides to prevent burns, add more water if needed. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste.
Nic Ren says
I LOVE THIS RECIPE!!! Itโs requested at every family gathering and I make it whenever I have a taste for it which is often. I follow it exactly as youโve instructed and wouldnโt change a thing. Thank you for sharing such a beautifully flavored recipe.
Rose Morales says
I use cooked ham and salted pork to give my rice flavor… it is to die for
Imma Adamu says
Great choice!
Franc Garcia Felix says
I’m from Guayama Puerto Rico and was taught by my mother how to make the dishes of the island… I make a large batch of sofrito put it in jars and freeze for later use or for gifts… I would never use sazรณn in anything I make that’s the lazy way to cook and add flavor… Instead a make some anatto oil and put it in a jar… I use salt pork not bacon and if I’m cooking for someone who doesn’t eat pork I use chopped chicken for flavor… I also use homemade chicken stock instead of water and I never use tomatoe sauce… You can find annatto seeds in most stores now a days or on line, it’s essential to the dish… Doing those things will give you more than enough flavor… Also Puerto Rican food is flavorful but not hot so if you want heat keep your favorite hot sauce handy….
Jay says
I am sorry but as a true P.R. you do not use saลบon or tomato sauce or cumin or bacon. It’s a lot more simpler if you make your own sofrito as well. That’s not that difficult either. I don’t understand why people use saลบon and think that’s what we use, smh. I see so much stuff being made and thinking that if you use saลบon and adobo its authentic. Please that’s just lazy people cooking. I wouldn’t make curry chicken with just curry powder and chicken. Anyway, thanks for making it so simple to make mush with beans.
Yolanda says
Hello… Iโm Puerto Rican… No offense; but I can not stand Sazรณn…. it has MSG and other additives and preservatives.. Iโm highly allergic and so I can not cook with anything that has MSG… Any healthy alternatives for flavor and coloring of the Arroz con Gandules; please?
imma africanbites says
Hi. You can check out this homemade spice mix which is a good sub for store-bought Sazon >> https://www.skinnytaste.com/homemade-sazon-seasoning-mix/
Micaela says
Badia brand carries a sofrito seasoning in green cap top and orange cap top jars without MSG! I use the one with the orange cap for all my yellow rice dishes.
Peaches says
I don’t eat pork bacon. What’s another meat substitute?
ImmaculateBites says
Turkey bacon works just fine.
Talara says
Sofrito does not have any “heat”. Most sofrito is made with bell peppers. You can do research to tweak your sofrito recipie (as I have an allergy to bell peppers an authentic Puertorican sofrito made much more sense to me and my abuelo aka grandpa). Puertorican rice was a daily staple in our house, while growing up it was one of the first foods introduced to kids. So, no “heat”. Looking ato so many reciepies posted this one is most like what my grandmother made regularly. Enjoy.
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Talara,
Thanks for taking time out to share with us. Appreciate the feedback.
Ricardo Ortiz says
Sofrito is a staple to all Puerto Rican. The only problem its no longer a traditional recipe. Here the US its been changed. our sofrito has Culantro cilantro green and red peppers Ajise and garlic onions olive oil. The amounts is based on how you want it to taste. Culantro is strong so I always suggest 1 bunch of each cilantro and culantro. My mom always made it to order at the moment. She used a Pilon. Anyone who needs real Puetto Rican Recipesyou can email me your questions. I’ve been a chef for 25yrs and I specilize in Puerto Rican Cuisine
Giovanni S. says
Hello Sir, as a NuYorican in the military itโs hard to find authentic Puerto Rican recipes. Iโm trying to get back to my roots and the food is the best way in my opinion but since my wife is Filipina and sheโs usually home before me she cooks most of the time. What advice can you give me for a wanna be weekend chef for authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. (Also i agree, most recipes online are watered down versions). My mother has great recipes and still makes pastelles and sofrito from scratch but being that iโm always moving for the military, I canโt always find the ingredients i need. Thank you for your time! God bless!!
Leslie Lemus says
Recipe please thank you
Immaculate Bites says
Hello Leslie! Here is my recipe for Sofrito: https://www.africanbites.com/sofrito-recipe/
Sharmaine ClaySha sh says
Do you have a Instagram or Facebook with recipes and pics?
ImmaculateBites says
Yeahh! Follow me on my Social Media Accounts
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Sharmaine Clay says
Do you have a Instagram or Facebook with recipes and pics?
ImmaculateBites says
Yess. Follow me on my Social Media Accounts
SUBSCRIBE: https://bit.ly/2W8HNr5
WEBSITE: https://www.africanbites.com/โ
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/immaculatebites/
FACEBOOK: https://facebook.com/AfricanBites/โ
PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/africanbites/โ
Bob A says
Thank you very much for your wonderful site. The recipes are usually different and great. I do have a complaint about your site, though. That window labeled “My Latest Recipes” that starts automatically makes me crazy. I’m sure you were told that is is good to attract attention, but to me, it distracts from the rest of you page. Sometimes I just shut your page down out of frustration at the intrusion to my concentration with your otherwise excellent site.
I hate to complain but this does annoy me to no end. Thank you again for an otherwise terrific effort !!!
Bob
Diana says
I ordered the sazon, sofrito and gandules online just so I can make this dish. Being lazy about making the sofrito from scratch. It just seems so great, I can’t wait to try this.
My question is about the sofrito I ordered online : Goya Recaito & Goya Sofrito Cooking Base came in a set. The Sofrito is red and the Recaito is green. I’m wondering if I should mix them because in your recipe, the sofrito is green. Thanks.
ImmaculateBites says
Yes , you can equally mix both . Do let me know how it works out for you. Thanks
Diana says
I made this tonight. It was quite good, but did not have as much “heat” as I expected. Maybe sofrito has no heat. I don’t know. I didn’t do the homemade sofrito so that’s a difference from your recipe. I did 2 Tablespoons of the Goya Sofrito and 1 Tablespoon of the Goya Recaito.
My teenager has a keen palate. He’s mostly about the Mexican cuisine. He could eat it every day, but he’s not into the rice part of it. I’ve made some good Mexican rice in my day. The red, the green. Sometimes I impress myself with the results. But he’s always meh on the rice.
This rice- he loved this rice. He wolfed it down. We all loved it. I might have to spice it up more, but this is definitely the rice I will be making from now on.