Arroz con Gandules

A savory Puerto Rican rice dish with meat, pigeon peas, and olives spiced up with a homemade sofrito for an extra delicious one-pot rice meal!

Course Side

Cuisine Puerto Rican

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Servings

Calories 288kcal

Author Imma

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, then drain.
In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the bacon until brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.
Remove the bacon from the skillet and transfer it to a paper-towel-lined plate. There should be 1-2 tablespoons of bacon drippings left in the pan.
Add a tablespoon of oil if desired to the pan, then add the sofrito to the skillet and sauté until fragrant, 2-3 minutes.
Toss in the onion, garlic, and cumin, and continue sautéing for about a minute.
Stir in the rice and continue stirring for 1-2 minutes. Then add the gandules, tomato sauce, olives, Sazon, and water.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover with a lid, and simmer until rice is cooked, 18-20 minutes. Stir occasionally from the sides to prevent burning, adding more water if needed.
Adjust the salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

To replace the Goya sazon, mix ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon turmeric or ground annato, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon coriander, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon onion powder, and ¼ teaspoon dried oregano.
If you make sofrito in batches and freeze it in ice cube trays, one cube is 2 tablespoons. I like extra flavor, so I use two cubes directly from frozen.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.