A must-have at every Dominican and Puerto Rican holiday meal, Arroz con Gandules is a flavorful rice dish made with pigeon peas and classic Latin seasonings. A hearty side dish that will feed a crowd or leave you with fabulous leftovers after a small family meal. This recipe was written so absolutely anyone can make it and enjoy a little taste of the Caribbean!
Growing up in the Dominican Republic, a meal without rice was unimaginable to me. You could say I no longer must have rice with every meal, but I do get cranky if I go more than 3 days without it. One of my favorite Caribbean rice dishes is arroz con gandules——or the more familiar name in the Dominican Republic, moro de guandules.
Arroz con gandules is the beloved national dish of Puerto Rico. But this one-pot rice dish is also a staple in many Dominican homes—especially during holidays or family gatherings. Made by cooking pigeon peas together with rice, it gets its distinct flavor from onions, garlic and green peppers sautéed with a blend of spices and a flavorful tomato sauce. It is not only extremely delicious, but soul-nourisihing.
Like most traditional dishes that we remember from our childhood, my version of this arroz gandules will be slightly different than your Tia’s, or your abuela’s. But rest assured, the rich flavors and comforting texture that make Dominican-style arroz con gandules so irresistible, are all here.
My adult children request this rice dish often and it always makes an appearance at our Easter table or when I need to feed a crowd. But regardless of your background or familiarity with this dish, this arroz con gandules is guaranteed to bring warmth, comfort, and a taste of the Caribbean to your table.
What Is Arroz Con Gandules?
Arroz con Gandules, or Rice with Pigeon Peas, is a classic Caribbean dish made with long-grain rice, pigeon peas, aromatics and seasonings, and sometimes meat or olives for added depth.
It is considered the national dish of Puerto Rico but, with a few variations, it is also very popular in the Dominican Republic where gandules are called gUandules. In Trinidad and Tobago, their version of this rice dish is called pelau.
Traditionally, arroz con gandules is the quintessential side dish served at just about every holiday gathering or special occasion celebration. In Puerto Rico, it’s always served alongside pernil, a roast pork that never fails to make an appearance at every Puerto Rican holiday table.
The secret of the best tasting arroz con gandules, as well as many other dishes, begins with a sofrito—a tangy blend of uncooked pureed onion, garlic, peppers, culantro and seasonings. The base of a sofrito varies from country to country, region to region and household to household but most Dominican and Puerto Rican homes have a jar of their favorite homemade sofrito in the fridge or freezer at all times.
For years I wouldn’t dare make any dishes that called for sofrito because there were so many ingredients that weren’t available to me. Through the years, as I got more confident in my cooking skills, I was able to recreate the same earthy, intensely flavored dishes that taste just like home, even without a pre-made sofrito.
What Are Pigeon Peas?
Gandules, or pigeon peas, are a type of legume that’s widely used in Caribbean, Latin American, African, and South Asian cooking. Their appearance is green when fresh and brownish or beige with spots when dried or cooked.
As for how they taste, I would say they taste similar to mung beans, mild with a slightly nutty flavor. When cooked, they have a firm but creamy texture—perfect for rice dishes, stews, and soups.
I have only ever bought them in cans and they are delicious. Most Latin or Caribbean grocery stores carry pigeon peas canned or dried. You can also find them online or in the international aisle of some supermarkets.
Lastly, don’t confuse pigeon peas with black-eyed peas. They look a bit similar but taste completely different and are not right for this recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Rice – More traditional recipes call for white medium-grain rice but I prefer to use white long-grain rice which I think cooks up a little fluffier.
- Gandules (Pigeon Peas) – I use canned but cooked from dry would also be great. You can find canned pigeon peas at most Latin American markets, or in the Latin section of a well-stocked grocery store. Note: I don’t drain the liquid from the cans because I find there is a lot of flavor in the liquid. I account for that in the overall liquid we add so if you prefer to drain the pigeon peas, Add 1/2 cup more water.
- Sofrito – For our Dominican-style Sofrito, we will be using garlic, onion, green and red bell pepper, and cilantro.
- Homemade sazón – To make a really delicious arroz con gandules you need sazón seasoning. You’re simply combining some dried spices together so it takes less than 5 minutes to make and chances are, you already have most of the ingredients in your pantry. You can find the recipe for my homemade sazón here, but basically all you need is garlic powder, onion powder, ground cumin, ground coriander, annatto powder, salt, and pepper. The one ingredient you might not have on hand is annatto powder. While it doesn’t add much flavor, it gives the rice that signature orange-red hue that makes this dish so visually appealing and instantly recognizable so it’s worth seeking out. If you can’t find the ground annatto, check out the post where I write about a great substitute you can use. And if you prefer to use store-bought sazón, you can find it at most Latin American markets.
- Oregano and turmeric – I didn’t include these two spices in my homemade sazón but they add more great flavor to this rice dish.
- Tomato sauce – The cans of tomato sauce used in Latin American dishes include other ingredients, not just tomatoes. I buy the no-salt Hunts cans which typically include tomatoes, onions, garlic, and other herbs for flavor and spice. If you prefer, you can use 1/4 cup of tomato paste instead.
- Bouillon cube – Many Latin American soup, stews and rice dishes call for a bouillon cube because it’s an easy and conveninet way to add umami-packed flavor without the need for homemade stock. But the most popular brands they use (Knorr and Maggi) are loaded with not-so-great ingredients so I use low-sodium Better Than Bouillon (chicken-flavored). It might not pack quite as much flavor but I always keep a jar of it in my fridge and use it for everything. Feel free to use a vegetable-based bouillon to keep it vegan.
- Spanish manzanilla olives – You don’t need to add a lot of olives but to me, the olives are essential to the unique flavor of this rice dish. You can also add a tablespoon of capers if you have them on hand.
What Is Sazón?
Sazón is one of those essential blends that brings Latin dishes to life. It’s usually made with spices like achiote, garlic, onion, cumin, and coriander, and it’s as key to Latin cooking as a sofrito. The word literally means “seasoning,” but in practice, it’s all about boosting flavor and color.
The most important ingredient in sazón is the ground annatto seeds, also known as ground achiote. While it doesn’t add much flavor, it gives the rice that signature orange-red hue that makes this dish so visually appealing and instantly recognizable.
Most Latin American home cooks prefer to buy sazón which is sold in convenient little packages. While I can easily find those packages at the Latin American stores near me, most brands use artificial dyes and additives that I prefer to avoid so I make my own.
My homemade sazón comes together in less than 5 minutes and I think tastes even better. If you can’t find ground annatto seeds, check out this post for my recommended substitute.
How To Make Arroz Con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)
Heat a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat, then add the oil. Add the onion and bell peppers along with a pinch of salt. Sauté until the vegetables have softened. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the olives, bouillon, sazón seasoning, oregano, pepper and turmeric, stirring until fragrant, another minute or so.
Next, add in the tomato sauce and simmer for another minute. Pour in the can of pigeon peas along with their liquid; stir to combine and let this mixture cook for 30 seconds or so.
Add the water and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then add the rinsed rice. Simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until almost all of the water has been absorbed, about 12 minutes. (During this time, you will want to gently stir the rice once or twice to ensure it isn’t sticking to the bottom of the pan.)
Once most of the water has evaporated, use a spatula to fold the rice from the outer sides of the pot to the center, then spread the rice back to an even layer. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro over the rice, then cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Cook over very low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, or until rice is tender but not mushy.
Remove the pot from the heat, and let it rest, undisturbed and still covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.
Top Tip
Don’t skip rinsing the rice! As a general rule, I always rinse rice (except for arborio). This will help to remove excess starch and avoid any clumping.
Frequently Asked Questions
In many Latin American homes they like to cook large rice dishes in a caldero. Pronounced cal-deh-row, it is a deep and wide pot, often made of cast iron or aluminum. The thick walls and heavy-bottom help maintain an even cooking temperature and allow the rice to cook thoroughly without burning. For those of us that do not own a caldero, any heavy-bottomed pot such as a Dutch oven or deep cast iron skillet will work just as well.
Cooking rice with beans or legumes is a completely different beast than cooking plain rice. For this recipe, we use an almost one-to-one ratio of rice to liquid and we let the water almost completely evaporate before covering the pot. This ensures the rice steams with very little liquid so it doesn’t get mushy. Particularly if you’ve never made arroz con gandules before, I highly recommend you follow the recipe instructions to “T” and I promise your rice will be cooked to perfection.
Adobo is another common Latin American seasoning that is very similar to sazón but rarely includes the achiote (annatto seeds). It’s a little more savory and considered more all-purpose than sazón.
For this recipe, we don’t use a traditional adobo seasoning because I feel the flavors overlap with the sazón. However, we do add some oregano and turmeric which are often found in adobo.
What To Serve With Arroz Con Gandules
The great thing about this arroz con gandules is that it’s very filling and satisfying all on its own. Many times I have it for a dinner with just a fried egg on top—so good! For a more complete meal, here are some great suggestions:
Latin meats: For a traditional Latin meal, serve your moro de guandules with this Pollo Guisado, this turkey Picadillo, or this Ropa Vieja. It’s great with pork roast or pork chops of any kind, especially pernil—a Latin-style pulled pork.
Grilled chicken or beef: This arroz con gandules would be excellent alongside any meat or fish that comes off the grill. Try it with this Spatchcocked Cilantro and Lime Chicken, this Grilled Chimichurri Chicken, Peruvian-Style Chicken with Green Sauce, or this Jamaican Jerk Chicken (my fave!).
Fish: Recently I had a version of rice with pigeon peas in the Bahamas with a whole fried fish and I’m pretty sure I’ve never had anything better. Truth be told I have never fried a whole fish but this rice would be great with these Pineapple Salmon Kebobs, or any other pan-fried or grilled fish.
Vegetables and salads: Make it a vegetarian feast and serve the rice dish with fried plantains (to stones or madras), with any roasted vegetables, sliced avocados drizzled with lime juice, a tomato salad, this Kale Caesar salad or this Mexican Chopped Salad.
Storage Tips
- To store: Leftover arroz con gandules can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
- To reheat: For best results, reheat with a splash of water in a skillet over medium low heat until warmed through. You can also microwave it gently until warmed through.
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Thank you!~Sandra
Arroz con Gandules (Moro de Guandules)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper, stem, ribs and seeds removed, then diced
- 1/4 medium red bell pepper, stem ribs and seeds removed, then diced
- Kosher salt
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup Spanish manzanilla olives with 2 tablespoons brine
- 2 teaspoons Homemade Sazón Seasoning (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon low-sodium, chicken-flavoured Better Than Bouillon (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, optional
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce or 2 tablespoons tomato paste (see notes)
- 1 15-ounce can of gandules (pigeon peas) with liquid
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained (see notes)
- 1/4 cup cilantro with tender stems roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat a large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat, then add the oil. Add the onion, green pepper, red pepper and a pinch of salt and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the olives with 2 tbsp brine, sazón seasoning, bouillon, oregano, pepper and turmeric, if using. Cook until fragrant, another minute or so, then add in the tomato sauce and simmer for another minute.
- Pour in the can of pigeon peas along with their liquid; stir to combine and let this mixture cook for 30 seconds or so. Add the water and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat, then add the rinsed rice and give it a good stir. At this point, taste the liquid. It should taste flavorful and just a bit salty. If not, add a pinch more salt.
- Lower to medium-low heat and continue to simmer, uncovered, until almost all of the water has been absorbed, about 10 to 12 minutes. (During this time, you will want to gently stir the rice once or twice to ensure it isn't sticking to the bottom of the pan.)
- Once most of the water has evaporated, use a spatula to fold the rice onto itself, then spread the rice back to an even layer. Sprinkle the chopped cilantro over top of the rice, then cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Cook over very low heat for 30 to 35 minutes, or until rice is tender but not mushy.
- Remove the pot from the heat, and let it rest, undisturbed and still covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve.
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