Savory Puerto Rican Rice (Arroz con Gandules)
This traditional Puerto Rican rice is the kind of one-pot side that quietly steals the whole plate. Bacon renders down first to build a savory base, then onions and garlic soften in that fat before long grain rice gets toasted right in the pot. Broth, pigeon peas, and a handful of warm seasonings finish it off, and it all simmers low under a lid until every grain is tender and packed with flavor. Use bacon, swap in ham, or leave the meat out entirely — it comes together the same way.
The day I filmed this, the rice was the supporting act — I served it alongside chipotle lime chicken and sweet cornbread — but it's the part of the plate worth memorizing, because the amounts couldn't be simpler: two cups of rice, two cups of broth, two cups of pigeon peas (the "pig and peas," as I call them in the video). A cup of chopped onions and half a cup of bacon round it out.
The part I'd point you to is the toast: once the bacon has browned and the onions and garlic have gone soft, the rinsed rice gets stirred into all of it for about three minutes before any broth goes in. After that the pot mostly minds itself — a boil, a lid, and ten to fifteen minutes on the lowest setting, with you close by to peek in now and then.
Watch me make it — video from my YouTube channel
The recipe
Savory Puerto Rican Rice (Arroz con Gandules)
Ingredients
- 1 cup onions, chopped
- 1/2 cup bacon, chopped (or ham, or leave the meat out)
- minced garlic, to taste
- a little olive oil (optional — the bacon renders its own grease)
- 2 cups long grain white rice, rinsed until the water runs clear
- 2 cups chicken broth (or beef broth)
- 2 cups pigeon peas
- adobo seasoning, to taste
- cumin, to taste
- salt, to taste
How to Make It
- Chop 1 cup of onions, trimming away the tough core.
- Add the bacon to the pot, along with a little olive oil if you like, and render down the fat until it begins to brown.
- Push the bacon to the side of the pot and add the minced garlic.
- Sauté the onions and garlic until the vegetables are soft, then stir everything together.
- Add 2 cups of pre-rinsed long grain white rice and toast it, stirring, for about 3 minutes until lightly toasted.
- Pour in 2 cups of chicken or beef broth.
- Add 2 cups of pigeon peas.
- Stir in the adobo, cumin, and salt, spreading the seasoning evenly throughout.
- Once it comes to a boil, cover the pot with a lid.
- Reduce to the lowest heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, checking periodically.
- Cook until the rice is thick and tender, then serve.
Curtis's Tips
- The meat is flexible — use bacon, swap in ham, or go meatless entirely.
- There's no need to add extra oil; the bacon renders plenty of its own grease.
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear before it goes in the pot.
- Toasting the rice for a few minutes before the liquid goes in builds extra flavor.
- Chicken broth and beef broth both work well here.
- Keep the heat as low as it will go and stay near the pot, checking it now and then so the rice cooks evenly.
- It pairs beautifully with chipotle lime chicken and a side of sweet cornbread.
Why this works
Half a cup of bacon pulls double duty in this pot. As it renders down and starts to brown, it makes its own grease — that's why the olive oil is optional — and the garlic and onions soften in that fat before everything gets mixed together. The rice gets a head start too: rinsed until the water runs clear, then toasted with the bacon and vegetables for about three minutes before the broth, pigeon peas, and seasonings go in. Once the pot boils, the lid goes on and the heat drops to the lowest temperature for ten to fifteen minutes. I check it periodically so it cooks evenly, and it's ready when it's thick.
FAQ
Do you wash the rice first?
Yes — the rice goes in pre-rinsed, washed until the water runs clear, before its three-minute toast.
Can I make it without the bacon?
You can. I give three options on camera: bacon, ham, or no meat at all. Bacon is my pick — rendering it down is what greases the pot — but any of the three works.
Chicken broth or beef broth?
I cooked this one with chicken broth — two cups — but I say right in the video that beef broth works too.
How do I know when it's done?
The cue is thickness — cook it until it's thick and ready to serve. Lid on, lowest temperature your stove will hold, ten to fifteen minutes — and stay close enough to check it periodically, which is how it cooks evenly.
Estimated nutrition, per serving (recipe makes about 6 servings): ~390 calories · 11 g protein · 9 g fat · 65 g carbs. Computed from the ingredient list using standard reference values — an estimate, not a lab analysis; your exact brands and portions will vary.
