Arroz Con Gandules
featured in Recipes That Will Transport You To Spain
A traditional Puerto Rican dish, arroz con gandules is rice cooked with green pigeon peas. This orange-hued dish is full of flavor from the herby, peppery sofrito and pairs nicely with stewed chicken, pork, or red beans. Don’t worry if the bottom layer burns a bit as you finish cooking the rice--this crispy layer is called pegao and is one of the best parts of the dish!
Tasty Team
October 20, 2019
95% would make again
Total Time
1 hr 15 min
1 hr 15 min
Prep Time
20 minutes
20 min
Cook Time
55 minutes
55 min

Total Time
1 hr 15 min
1 hr 15 min
Prep Time
20 minutes
20 min
Cook Time
55 minutes
55 min
Ingredients
for 6 servings
- ½ small bunch fresh cilantro
- ¼ white onion, roughly chopped
- ¼ red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- ¼ green bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup canola oil (60 mL)
- 10 pimento-stuffed spanish olives, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 tomato sauce
- 2 teaspoons dried adobo seasoning
- 2 packets Sazón with culantro and achiote seasoning
- 1 can pigeon peas, drained
- 3 cups water (720 mL)
- 3 ⅓ cups medium grain white rice (465 g)
Nutrition Info
- Calories 509
- Fat 50g
- Carbs 18g
- Fiber 11g
- Sugar 6g
- Protein 4g
Estimated values based on one serving size.
Preparation
- To the bowl of a food processor, add the cilantro, culantro, onion, red and green bell peppers and garlic. Pulse until combined. Add the cumin and oregano and pulse a few more times to incorporate. The sofrito should have the consistency of a tapenade.
- Heat ¼ cup of canola oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the sofrito and fry, stirring constantly, until deepened in color but not brown, about 3 minutes. Add the olives, tomato sauce, adobo seasoning, Sazón seasoning, pigeon peas, and water, and stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the rice. Cook for 15–20 minutes, until the liquid is fully evaporated and the rice around the edges of the pot looks dry.
- Stir, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook the rice for another 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the rice is tender and fluffy.
- Serve the arroz con gandules warm alongside dishes of your choice.
- Enjoy!
- Don't just wing it -- plan it! Use our meal planner tool in the Tasty app. Download here.
