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5 from 12 votes

Cape Verdean Rice with Tuna - Arroz de Atum

Cape Verdean Arroz de Atum (tuna rice) is quick, easy and surprisingly satisfying! It's made with rice and tuna and (olives or beans are optional) and takes about 30 minutes to prepare. This easy to follow, step by step recipe will show you how to cook the perfect rice! Arroz de atum is super-satisfying on its own or as part of a larger meal.
Prep Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Cape Verdean
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 13.58 ounce can of Cape Verdean or Portuguese tuna or any tuna packed in olive oil
  • 2 cups of long-grain rice I use jasmine
  • 1 small diced onion
  • 1 tablespoon of crushed garlic
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 small tomato quartered
  • 2 and ½ cups of water
  • 1 cup of manzanilla olives
  • 1 packet of yellow sazon OR 1 teaspoon of paprika + 1 teaspoon of annatto
  • 1-2 teaspoons of salt
  • ½ teaspoon of black pepper

Instructions

  • Drain the oil from the tuna, reserve the oil and set both the tuna and oil aside.
  • Add about 3-4 tablespoons of the reserved oil to a deep pot or Dutch oven, then add the crushed garlic, onions and tomato. Saute for about 5-7 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the tomato cooks down (you can break up the tomato with a wooden spoon if you would like as it's cooking).
  • Add seasonings, saute everything for about 30 seconds, and then add the tuna.  Use a wooden spoon to break the tuna apart slightly (I like to leave larger pieces of tuna in-tact).
  • Add the olives, bay leaf and water, and bring the pot to a boil. Add your rice, stir it and then cover the pot. Let let the rice cook over a very low flame for 20-25 minutes. Do not mix or uncover the rice while it is cooking.
  • After 20 minutes is up, taste the rice and if you are satisfied with the texture, turn the flame off, re-cover the pot with the lid, and let the rice rest for 5- 10 minutes. If you decide that the rice is not soft enough, let it continue to cook for another 5-10 minutes then turn the flame off and let the covered pot rest for 5-10 minutes.
  • Once the rice has rested, fluff it with a fork and serve.