Arroz con Gandules: Traditional Puerto Rican Rice & Pigeon Peas

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-07 · Updated 2026-04-07

A vibrant and aromatic dish where fluffy rice is cooked with tender pigeon peas, a fragrant sofrito, and a rich broth, creating a dish that's both comforting and celebratory. This Puerto Rican-inspired one-pot recipe, ready in about 90 minutes, pairs dried pigeon peas, long-grain white rice, onion for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 400 calories and feeds 6, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups (300g) dried pigeon peas
• 2 cups (400g) long-grain white rice
• 1 large, finely chopped (150g) onion
• 3 cloves, minced (15g) garlic
• 1, finely chopped (100g) green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil
• 1/2 cup (120g) tomato sauce
• 1/4 cup (60ml) red wine
• 4 cups (950ml) chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon (5g) dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5g) ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5g) salt
• 1/2 teaspoon (2.5g) black pepper
• 1/2 cup, diced (120g) smoked pork shoulder
• 1/4 cup (60ml) vegetable oil

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Instructions

1. Step 1: Drain and rinse the 1 1/2 cups soaked pigeon peas, then place them in a large pot with 4 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes until tender. Drain the pigeon peas, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and set aside.
2. Step 2: Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 large chopped onion, 3 minced garlic cloves, and 1 chopped green bell pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes until softened and fragrant.
3. Step 3: Stir in 1/2 cup tomato sauce, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 bay leaf. Cook for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
4. Step 4: Add 2 cups rice, the reserved 1 cup pigeon pea cooking liquid, and 4 cups chicken broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
5. Step 5: If using smoked pork, heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 cup diced smoked pork shoulder and fry for 5 minutes until crispy. Stir the crispy pork into the rice mixture, remove the bay leaf, and serve.