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Arroz con Gandules from Puerto Rico

Arroz con Gandules

Rice with pigeon peas cooked in sofrito, the national dish. · Puerto Rico

📍 Nationwide ★ 4.5
Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Rice with pigeon peas cooked in sofrito, the national dish.

About Arroz con Gandules

Rice is cooked with pigeon peas, pork and the herb-and-pepper base sofrito tinted golden with achiote, forming a crusty pegao at the bottom of the pot. It is the national dish of Puerto Rico, central to Christmas.

🏛️ History & Culture

Arroz con gandules emerged from Puerto Rico's colonial-era blending of Spanish, African, and Taíno culinary traditions, with pigeon peas (gandules) introduced to the Caribbean through the transatlantic slave trade and later cultivated widely on the island. The dish's foundation lies in sofrito, a sautéed mix of peppers, onions, garlic, and herbs that is a cornerstone of Puerto Rican cooking, while achiote imparts the characteristic golden hue. Its exact origins are not documented in a single source, so the precise timeline of its creation is debated, but it solidified as a staple over generations in home kitchens rather than through any single inventor.

Today, arroz con gandules is widely considered the national dish of Puerto Rico and is inseparable from Christmas celebrations, often served alongside pernil (roasted pork shoulder) and pasteles at holiday gatherings. Regional variations abound, with families adjusting the amount of achiote for color, choosing different cuts of pork—from ham hocks to bacon—and fine-tuning the prized pegao, the crispy crust at the bottom of the pot that is either savored or contested depending on the household. Beyond the holidays, it appears at communal feasts and Sunday meals, embodying the island's identity through its humble ingredients and the shared ritual of preparing a dish that bridges everyday cooking and festive tradition.

🍳 How to make Arroz con Gandules

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

Arroz con Gandules (Puerto Rican Rice with Pigeon Peas)

This one-pot Puerto Rican classic combines rice, pigeon peas, and pork in a flavorful sofrito and achiote broth, finished with a crispy pegao crust at the bottom.

Prep
20 min
Cook
45 min
Total
65 min
Serves
6
Difficulty
Medium

Recipe ingredients

  • 400 g (2 cups) long-grain rice, rinsed and drained
  • 425 g (1 can (15 oz)) canned pigeon peas (gandules), drained and rinsed, or 200 g / 1 cup dried soaked and precooked
  • 300 g (10½ oz) pork shoulder, cut into 2 cm cubes, or use bacon or ham hock
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) achiote oil, see note: heat 60 ml vegetable oil with 1 tbsp annatto seeds until red, then strain
  • 120 g (1 cup) sofrito, homemade or store-bought (see note below)
  • 1 whole bay leaf, or 2 if small
  • 1 tsp dried oregano, or 1 tbsp fresh
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt, adjust to taste, plus more for pork
  • 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
  • 720 ml (3 cups) water or chicken broth, hot, more if needed
  • 1 tbsp olive oil, or more achiote oil, for browning pork

Steps

  1. 1 Season the pork cubes with a pinch of salt and pepper. In a large heavy-bottomed pot (preferably a caldero or Dutch oven), heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the pork and brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove the pork with a slotted spoon and set aside; leave the drippings in the pot.
  2. 2 Reduce heat to medium. Add the achiote oil to the pot. Stir in the sofrito and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until fragrant and slightly darkened, about 3 minutes.
  3. 3 Add the bay leaf, oregano, cumin, and the remaining salt and pepper. Stir for 1 minute.
  4. 4 Return the pork to the pot. Add the drained pigeon peas and stir to combine.
  5. 5 Add the rinsed rice to the pot and stir well, coating the grains with the oil and sofrito mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, to lightly toast the rice.
  6. 6 Pour in the hot water or broth. Stir everything together, then taste the liquid for seasoning (it should be slightly saltier than you want the final rice, as the rice will absorb salt). Bring to a rapid boil.
  7. 7 Reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Do not lift the lid.
  8. 8 After 15 minutes, uncover and check the rice: it should be almost tender and the liquid mostly absorbed. If it still looks wet, cover and cook 5 more minutes. Fluff the rice lightly with a fork, then press it down evenly with the back of a spoon to create a compact layer.
  9. 9 To form the pegao (crispy crust), increase heat to medium-low and cook uncovered, without stirring, for 5–8 minutes. Listen for a gentle crackling sound; when you smell a toasty, nutty aroma and the bottom is lightly browned, the crust is ready. Do not let it burn—if it starts to smell scorched, remove from heat immediately.
  10. 10 Remove the pot from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. To serve, spoon the rice onto a platter, making sure to scrape up the crispy pegao from the bottom and scatter it over the top.
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Ingredients
Steps

Arroz con Gandules — frequently asked questions

What is Arroz con Gandules?

Rice is cooked with pigeon peas, pork and the herb-and-pepper base sofrito tinted golden with achiote, forming a crusty pegao at the bottom of the pot. It is the national dish of Puerto Rico, central to Christmas.

What is Arroz con Gandules made of?

Arroz con Gandules is made with rice, pigeon peas, sofrito, pork and achiote.

Where does Arroz con Gandules come from?

Arroz con Gandules comes from Puerto Rico, and is especially associated with Nationwide. Arroz con gandules emerged from Puerto Rico's colonial-era blending of Spanish, African, and Taíno culinary traditions, with pigeon peas (gandules) introduced to the Caribbean through the transatlantic slave trade and later cultivated widely on the island.

Where can I eat Arroz con Gandules?

A Puerto Rican Christmas table, with roast pernil.

How do you make Arroz con Gandules?

Making Arroz con Gandules at home takes about 20 minutes of prep and 45 minutes of cooking. The recipe on this page serves 6 and is rated medium. Full ingredient list and step-by-step method are in the recipe section above.

→ More traditional dishes from Puerto Rico

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