Caribbean Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. 
Serving Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Arroz con Gandules
Puerto Rican rice and pigeon peas cooked with sofrito, salted pork, achiote oil, and sazón for a savory, deeply colored one-pot dish.
No common allergens detected
Based on this recipe's ingredient list. Always verify with your own brands and labels.
Good to know
- One-pot
Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: one-pot dinners
Instructions
5 steps- 1
Render the pork: In a large caldero (heavy pot), heat the achiote oil over medium heat. Add the diced salted pork or bacon and cook until the fat renders and it gets crispy.
- 2
Build the flavor base: Stir in the sofrito, tomato sauce, and sazón packet. Sauté for 3 minutes until fragrant and slightly reduced.
- 3
Add peas and rice: Add the undrained can of gandules and the washed rice. Stir everything together so the rice absorbs the color and flavors of the oil and sofrito.
- 4
Simmer the liquid: Pour in the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil uncovered until the liquid evaporates to the level of the rice and crater-like holes appear on the surface.
- 5
Steam to finish: Stir once, cover the pot tightly, reduce heat to the lowest setting, and cook for 25 minutes without lifting the lid. Fluff before serving.
Images are for illustrative purposes only, may be inaccurate, and do not guarantee the presence or absence of specific ingredients. Listahan Family Score™
73/100
Good fit for most families
Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.
Nutrition
per serving1950
Calories
66 g
Protein
306 g
Carbs
48 g
Fat
Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.
Listahan cooking guide
Chef notes & practical guide
Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.
Cultural context
Arroz con gandules, rice with pigeon peas, is the unofficial national dish of Puerto Rico and the rice that anchors every holiday table. It is built on sofrito and achiote, with a prized layer of toasted crust called pegao at the bottom of the pot. Traditionally cooked in a heavy aluminum caldero, it is the partner to roast pork and pasteles at Christmas.
Listahan note
This version boils the rice uncovered until crater holes appear, then steams it sealed on the lowest heat without lifting the lid, because that undisturbed final steam is what sets fluffy grains and forms the pegao crust.
Technique cues
- Rendering the salted pork first builds a savory fat base, and that rendered fat is what carries the sofrito and achiote color into every grain.
- Boiling uncovered until the liquid drops to the level of the rice and crater holes appear tells you exactly when to seal and steam, with no guesswork.
- Not lifting the lid for the full 25 minutes lets steam circulate evenly and lets the bottom layer toast into pegao instead of going gummy.
Kitchen flow
- Parallel prep
- Have the sofrito, sazon, and broth measured before you render the pork so the base comes together fast.
- Make-ahead
- Sofrito keeps for weeks frozen in cubes, so batch it ahead and the dish starts in minutes.
- Leftover move
- Crisp leftover rice in a hot oiled pan to rebuild the pegao texture the reheat otherwise loses.
- Cleanup rhythm
- Soak the caldero so the pegao crust loosens, then save those toasted bits rather than scrubbing them away.
Ingredient brief
Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.
medium-grain rice
Main starch
Purpose: Medium grain holds its shape while clinging just enough to form the prized pegao crust at the bottom.
Handling: Wash it until the water runs nearly clear so excess surface starch does not make the rice gummy.
Adaptation: Long-grain works but stays more separate and forms a thinner pegao; avoid sticky short-grain.
gandules (pigeon peas)
Signature legume
Purpose: Pigeon peas are the defining ingredient, lending an earthy, slightly sweet bite throughout the rice.
Handling: Add the can undrained so the flavorful liquid counts toward the cooking liquid.
Adaptation: Black-eyed peas are the nearest substitute in size and texture if gandules are hard to find.
sofrito
Flavor base
Purpose: This aromatic puree is the foundational seasoning that flavors the whole pot from the start.
Handling: Saute it in the rendered pork fat until fragrant so its raw edge cooks off.
Adaptation: A homemade blend of bell pepper, onion, garlic, culantro, and cilantro stands in for jarred sofrito.
salted pork (or bacon)
Savory fat
Purpose: Rendered crisp, it seasons the cooking fat and studs the rice with salty, meaty bits.
Handling: Dice and render it slowly until the fat releases and the bits crisp before the sofrito goes in.
Adaptation: Bacon or diced ham works; for a meatless pot, use extra achiote oil and a touch more salt.
sazon
Color and seasoning
Purpose: This seasoning packet deepens the color and adds the savory, faintly earthy note typical of the dish.
Handling: Stir it into the sofrito base so it dissolves and disperses before the rice goes in.
Adaptation: A mix of ground annatto, cumin, garlic powder, and a little salt approximates a sazon packet.
Technique notes
- Resist lifting the lid during the 25-minute steam; every peek releases the steam that cooks the top grains.
- Watch for the crater holes before covering; sealing too early leaves the rice wet, too late and it scorches.
- Use a heavy-bottomed pot so the heat is even and the pegao forms without burning through.
Ingredient swaps
- Vegetarian direction
- Skip the pork and use extra achiote oil with a little smoked paprika for the savory, smoky depth.
- Lower-sodium direction
- Use unsalted broth and fresh pork in place of salted; the sofrito and sazon still carry the flavor.
- Gluten-free direction
- Confirm the sazon and tomato sauce are gluten-free, as some seasoning packets contain wheat fillers.
Serve alongside
- Pernil (roast pork)
- Pasteles
- Tostones (fried green plantains)
- Aguacate (sliced avocado)
- Coquito
- Cold Medalla lager
- MaltA
Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.
Storage & reheating
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheat in a covered pan with a splash of broth, or crisp it in oil to rebuild the pegao.
- Freeze for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge and reheat with a little added liquid.
Equipment
- Heavy caldero or Dutch oven
- Tight-fitting lid
- Fork for fluffing
- Wooden spoon
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