Puerto Rican rice dish with pigeon peas and green olives. A classic Puerto Rican recipe made in a rice cooker!
Puerto Rican cuisine is somewhat new to me, my loss for sure. My first experience with this recipe was as a grateful recipient of a large serving of hot, steamy and savory deliciousness. The scene was circa 1995, U.S. Army field operations. The food was decent on the food line but not special. The mess sergeant was from Puerto Rico and so was my squad leader. Need I say more? I don’t think so… I was just a lucky tag-a-long when the head cook gestured toward my squad leader to follow him into the back recesses of the kitchen, I felt special and trespassing at the same time. Before I knew it, I had a canteen cup full of Arroz con Gandules in my grateful hands. That’s my first experience with this amazing rice dish, what’s yours?
If you can’t find Sofrito, make your own, pssst it’s easy! Follow my recipe here.
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Arroz con Gandules
A classic Puerto Rican rice made in a rice cooker.
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice, long grain white
- 4 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 1 Sazon packet, small
- 2 Tbs tomato paste
- 2 Tbs Sofrito
- 1 cup green olives with pimiento
- 1 can gandules
- Salt to taste, I don't think you will need any
- Note* Sazon and maybe Sofrito is in your ethnic aisle of your grocery store. You can make your own Sofrito though.
Instructions
Add ingredients to rice cooker, stir.
Cook rice until done in cooker, alternatively you can cook this on the stove top in large sauce pan, just simmer on low heat, covered for 20 minutes (without peeking), let rest (still no peeking) for 10 minutes more.
Enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 252Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 851mgCarbohydrates: 20gFiber: 3gSugar: 1gProtein: 7g
Carlos says
Thank you for this recipe. I laugh when people are amazed at cooking Arroz Con Gandules in a rice cooker, that’s the way we do it in my house (for years) but do it the other way too, if there are a lot of people coming. Sazon from Goya is fine…I still use it with the Annatto Oil. I use the low sodium Sazon packet. And Goya Sabor A Jamon (low sodium) packet if you don’t have any cooking ham around, which is great for anything, needing a smoked ham flavor..
Tina says
I’m glad to know somebody else who cooks this in a rice cooker. I use my rice cooker all the time for food other than white rice. I didn’t know that about the Goya Sabor A Jamon, thank you for that nugget. I still want to try substituting Sazon for Annatto seed. I’m curious.
Jeni @ Biscuits & Booze says
I love Puerto Rican food, but would never have thought of making this in the rice cooker. It’s a great idea and now has me thinking of other rice based dishes I could make that way too!
Tina says
I know right?! It’s so easy in a rice cooker:)
Jill says
I’m not familiar with Puerto Rican food, but this looks delicious. I’ll try anything with green olives!
Tina says
This is a great gateway dish, it’s so easy and so flavorful:)
Marie - Not Enough Cinnamon says
I really don’t know much about Puerto Rican cuisine unfortunately but this rice dish sounds fantastic – would love to give it a go!
Tina says
This is a great gateway dish, it’s easy and not hot-spicy. The rice cooker makes this a weeknight go-to:)
Edyta at Innocent Delight says
This recipe sounds amazing. I want to make it asap. I just need to look for granules 🙂
Amy says
This sounds like a delicious and unique rice dish! I love trying new variations on such an important staple ingredient!
Tina says
Enjoy Amy, it’s definitely a weeknight go-to recipe, made easy because of the rice cooker. If I could only keep one appliance, it would be my rice cooker:)
Sandra says
I would like to make a suggestion as a Puerto Rican who learn to cook country style before Sazon and adobe was created. Sazon has a chemical flavor and also has msg and LOTS of salt. We used to make our own coloring by heating olive oil and adding some Annato seeds and then turn off the flame then strain and use this instead of plain oil. It’s healthier. If you prefer to use the sazon packets then use the LA Flor Sazon brand it comes in a container and it tastes much better. It also doesn’t have MSG. Another suggestion, adobo is VERY salty so I put 1/4 of the container into an empty jar and add more good graduated garlic and medium course black pepper allowing you to add more flavor to your meats without making it too salty. Enjoy..:-)
Tina says
Sandra, I love your recommendations! Thank you very much:) I knew about the MSG but I didn’t know there was an alternative. The annatto seed in oil is very creative, I have some, hopefully it is easy for most people to find. I find adobo salty too, nice fix!