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.
Try other grains in this recipe like Quinoa. Don’t know how to cook Quinoa? Check out this article How to Cook Quinoa – The Ultimate Guide!
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and comment below! Take a picture and tag us @FusionCraftiness #FusionCraftiness on Instagram for a chance to be featured in our Insta Stories:)
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 (pigeon peas), drained
- 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
Cyn
Wednesday 21st of December 2022
I'm making this for a Christmas dinner. Do I drain the gandules or add it to the pot with the water? It looks delicious!
Tina
Thursday 22nd of December 2022
Drain the gandules, great question! Merry Christmas!
Anna
Sunday 7th of November 2021
Did I miss it? Where do the pigeon peas come in?
Tina
Sunday 7th of November 2021
Hello Anna, the pigeon peas are also known as gandules. In the recipe card it's located right under the olives. You use one can of the pigeon peas. I hope this helps!
Carlos
Friday 6th of November 2020
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
Monday 9th of November 2020
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
Wednesday 22nd of November 2017
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
Saturday 25th of November 2017
I know right?! It's so easy in a rice cooker:)
Jill
Wednesday 22nd of November 2017
I'm not familiar with Puerto Rican food, but this looks delicious. I'll try anything with green olives!
Tina
Saturday 25th of November 2017
This is a great gateway dish, it's so easy and so flavorful:)