Traditions are such an important part of what makes your family unique. Some people lean towards sports, others certain events, but for us it is all about the food. My mom’s side is Puerto Rican, and what we lack in language we make up in Latin food. Arroz Con Gandules has been our family’s staple dish at every holiday and family gathering for decades. It brings us together and reminds us who we are and where we came from. The recipe is actually super easy (my only type of cooking), and you can find most of these ingredients already made from Goya (the most popular Latin cooking brand).
My mom showed me how to make Arroz Con Gandules back in September for Hispanic Heritage Month, hence the Latina Power shirts, however the recap slipped past me and here we are! Better late than never, right?
Arroz Con Gandules: Authentic Puerto Rican Rice Recipe
Arroz Con Gandules
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 3 cubes Sofrito homemade or store bought
- 1.5 tsp Sazon homemade or store bought
- 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
- 1 tsp Annatto Powder Optional for more color
- 10 onces Chicken Broth I use low sodium options
- 10 onces Water
- 1 can Pigeon Peas I use Goya brand
- 2 cups Rice I use Goya brand
Instructions
- Add Olive Oil and Sofrito to pot on medium heat. Let sizzle for 3-5 minutes.
- Add Sazon and black pepper to pot. Adding more annatto for a stronger color is optional. If doing so, add at this moment. Mix it all up.
- Add in the water and chicken broth. Stir.
- Add in pigeon peas. Raise flame from medium to high heat. Let cook for 3-6 minutes (until boiling).
- Once boiling, add in rice to same pot. Stir it all up.
- Cook for 10-15 minutes uncovered.
- Fluff rice into a mound. Most of liquid will be gone at this point.
- Lower flame to low heat. Cook 20-25 minutes covered.
- Fluff top portion of rice. Serve.
Puerto Rican Sofrito Seasoning
Quick lesson: Sofrito is the most common seasoning used in Puerto Rican dishes. You can make it homemade by blending chopped onions, garlic, sweet peppers, culantro (can use cilantro for a substitute) in a food processor. An easy way to store and cook with sofrito is to put the processed mix in ice cube trays. Simple to pop out and use later on!
How to Make Arroz Con Gandules Video
I recently started my first YouTube channel! It was a long time coming, but one of my new year goals is to get more comfortable talking on screen so I thought it was time. It’s a super, under 5 minute recap of the recipe above (plus my mom is super cute). Enjoy!
I recently made Arroz Con Gandules all by myself, using the above recipe, and it went off without a hitch! The recipe didn’t take as long as I thought and I was able to make enough to have dinner leftovers during the week (we are only a two-person household). Want to save this post for later? Use the pins below!
