Pigeon Peas and Rice (Arroz con Gandules Recipe)

This easy, 30-minute arroz con gandules (pigeon peas and rice) recipe has flavors of pork and sofrito and gets its deep yellow color from a mixture of sazón, adobo and tomato. Serve it with your favorite meat dish and a side of fried sweet plantains!

Above all things, I’m a lover of rice. If you grew up in a Latin, Caribbean or African household, you’ve most likely had this dish in some form. It’s one of those island staple dishes that each culture has its own version of!

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
• 📋 Key Ingredients
• Substitutions
• 🔪 Step by step instructions
• 💭 Tips and tricks
• 🥘 Serving suggestions
• ❓Recipe FAQ’s
• ⭐ Other recipes you’ll love
• Pigeon Peas and Rice (Arroz con Gandules Recipe)

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• This recipe has many elements of Puerto Rican-style arroz con gandules, which is made with medium-grain rice and flavored with sofrito, pork and a combination of sazón and adobo.
• Cooks in just 30 minutes! Canned pigeon peas and other store-bought ingredients make this dish super-approachable, even on weeknights. This rice has minimal prep and needs 10 additional minutes to rest before serving.
• It can be made ahead and served with a variety of dishes during the week. Hello meal-prep! This recipe yields about 6 servings.

📋 Key Ingredients

• This recipe starts off with pork fat (either bacon grease or lard) which is used to sauté the sofrito (described below).
• Sofrito is a pureé of onions, peppers, cilantro, garlic and seasonings. It’s the base of a most Latin American and Caribbean dishes. Puerto rican versions of sofrito don’t usually contain tomato, which is why tomato paste is also used in this recipe.
• Medium-grain rice is recommended because the short, fluffy grains absorb the tomato and seasonings.
• Canned pigeon peas – ‘green pigeon peas’ are often written on the label even though they actually appear brown. Make sure not to drain the liquid.
• Sazón and adobo are both seasoning blends that are commonly used in Latin-American and island dishes. Each is made from a unique combination of herbs and spices.

Substitutions

• Use long grain rice if you have trouble finding medium-grain rice.
• Recaito is a cooking base that can be used in place of sofrito. The main ingredient is culantro (also called recao) which has a stronger flavor than cilantro.
• For vegetarian/vegan-friendly rice with pigeon peas, replace the pork fat/grease with olive oil.
• Homemade sazón, sofrito and adobo are healthier than store-bought versions.
• Alcaparrado is is a mixture of green olives, capers and pimiento peppers that you can use in place of the olives.

🔪 Step by step instructions

Step 1: Heat the lard/bacon grease in a large heavy-bottomed pot. Add the sofrito and let it cook for just a few seconds. Then add the tomato paste, oregano, cumin, adobo, sazón and bouillon to the pan. Use a wooden spoon to break up the bouillon cube.

Step 2: Add 2 cups of water to the pan and stir until the tomato paste is fully dissolved and you’re left with a red broth.

Step 3: Add the pigeon peas (with liquid from the can) and olives to the pot. Taste the liquid and add salt and pepper as needed. Bring the pot to a simmer.

Step 4: Once the water starts simmering, rinse the rice and add it to the pot. Stir and bring the pot to a simmer again. Cover the pot with a lid, turn the burner down low and cook the rice for 25-30 minutes. Don’t lift the lid or mix the rice while it’s cooking.

Note: Maintain a very low flame while the rice cooks. Don’t lift the lid or mix the rice while it’s cooking!

Step 5: Lift the lid and taste the rice. All the water should be absorbed and the rice should be tender. Turn the burner off and re-cover the pot with a lid. Let the rice rest for 10 minutes.

Step 6: Fluff the rice with a fork (without scraping the bottom of the pan) and serve.

💭 Tips and tricks

• You’ll need a heavy-bottom pot – at least 3.5 quarts in size. I use an enamel dutch oven, but a caldero (aluminum pan used in island/Latin American cooking) is even better.
• Wash and rinse the rice before adding it to the pan. This removes extra starch and chemical residue.
• Placing a sheet of foil over the rice before putting the lid on can help trap steam in and aid with cooking the rice. Another trick you can try is laying a damp paper towel over the rice (still cover it with a lid) while it cooks.
• Don’t mix the rice while it’s cooking! You only need to stir it once before you put the lid on the pan, but other than that – hands off!
• It’s normal for the rice to stick to the bottom of the pot. Keep a low flame at all times so it doesn’t burn.

🥘 Serving suggestions

• This recipe yields about 6 servings. Double (or triple) for holidays and large gatherings. I use a rice to water ratio of 1:1 whenever I double or scale a recipe.
• Serve arroz con gandules with your favorite braised meat dish and a side of potato salad.
• Sweet plantains or tostones also taste great with this rice dish.
• The rice that sticks to the bottom of the pan can be reserved to make pegao. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan then add a splash of water and let simmer for a few seconds. Add the rice and fry until crispy.

❓Recipe FAQ’s

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