Easy Arroz con Gandules (Dominican Rice with Pigeon Peas)

If there’s one dish that instantly brings warmth and nostalgia to a Dominican or Puerto Rican kitchen, it’s Arroz con Gandules. A fragrant rice cooked with pigeon peas, sofrito, and all the sazón that reminds us of home.

In my family, this dish shows up at every celebration — from Christmas Eve (Nochebuena) to Sunday lunch. The sound of rice sizzling in the caldero, the smell of garlic and peppers filling the kitchen. It all feels like comfort, tradition, and love in a pot.

Dominicans and Puerto Ricans both claim this rice as their own, and honestly, we’re all right to! It’s the kind of meal that connects us — rich in flavor, culture, and memories. Serve it with Pollo Guisado (Dominican Stewed Chicken), Pernil, or Tostones (Fried Green Plantains) for the ultimate Dominican feast.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Start by making the sofrito. In a food processor, blend the onion, green bell pepper, garlic, and cilantro until finely chopped. This fresh base is what gives the rice its depth of flavor and that unmistakable aroma of Dominican cooking.

In a large caldero or cast-iron pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the sofrito mixture, tomato sauce, chicken bouillon cubes, oregano, adobo, black pepper, and alcaparrado. Sauté everything together for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and the vegetables start to soften.

Next, stir in the pigeon peas (gandules) along with their liquid, followed by the water. When the liquid begins to boil, add the rice, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Once the rice has absorbed most of the liquid and starts to dry out, lower the heat to low. Cover and let it cook for about 25 minutes. After that, uncover and carefully stir the rice. Cover again and cook for another 5 minutes to let it steam.

When it’s done, the rice should be fluffy, flavorful, and have that perfect concon (crispy layer at the bottom that we all fight over). Serve warm and enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

This Arroz con Gandules is the star of every Dominican and Puerto Rican celebration. It’s perfect for holiday feasts like Nochebuena, but simple enough for a comforting weekday dinner.

Pair it with Pollo Guisado or Beef Picadillo for a hearty meal, or serve it alongside Maduros (Fried Sweet Plantains) for a full Dominican comfort plate.

If you love coconut flavor, try my Moro de Guandules con Coco for a delicious variation made with creamy coconut milk.

Storage Tips

To Store: Keep leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days.

To Reheat: Warm gently on the stovetop over low heat. Add a splash of broth or water to loosen it up as it reheats.

To Freeze: Cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight and reheat before serving.

Helpful Notes

• Can’t find pigeon peas? Substitute with black beans or kidney beans for a similar texture and taste.
• For the best texture, use long-grain rice and rinse it before cooking to remove excess starch.
• A caldero (traditional Dominican pot) gives the rice that authentic flavor and crispy concon layer.
• Add a few sprigs of cilantro while it steams for extra aroma and richness.
• This dish pairs beautifully with stewed and roasted meats for any festive meal.

Arroz con Gandules aka Moro de Guandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)

Author: Vanessa

A flavorful Dominican rice dish made with pigeon peas, sofrito, and Latin spices. A one-pot favorite served at every Dominican and Puerto Rican celebration — simple, hearty, and full of tradition.

4.85 from 46 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Dominican, Puerto Rican

Servings 8 servings

Calories 315 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Caldero

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ▢ ½ cup 80 g red onion, chopped
• ▢ ½ cup 75 g green bell pepper, chopped
• ▢ 3 garlic cloves minced (about 9 g)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons 8 g cilantro
• ▢ 3 tablespoons 45 ml vegetable oil
• ▢ 2 tablespoons 30 g tomato sauce
• ▢ 2 cubes chicken bouillon about 10 g total
• ▢ 1 teaspoon 1 g oregano
• ▢ ½ teaspoon 2 g adobo
• ▢ ½ teaspoon 1 g ground black pepper
• ▢ 1 tablespoon 15 g alcaparrado
• ▢ 1 15 oz / 425 g can green pigeon peas (gandules verdes), with liquid
• ▢ 2 cups 480 ml water
• ▢ 3 cups 600 g rice

Instructions

 

• In a food processor, pulse the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and cilantro until finely chopped to make the sofrito.
• Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sofrito, tomato sauce, bouillon cubes, oregano, adobo, black pepper, and alcaparrado. Sauté for 2–3 minutes until fragrant.
• Stir in the pigeon peas with their liquid and water. Bring to a boil.
• Add the rice and stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
• Once the liquid has mostly absorbed, lower the heat to low. Cover and cook for 25 minutes.
• Stir gently, cover again, and cook for 5 more minutes.
• Fluff the rice and serve warm.

Notes

• Substitute pigeon peas with black or kidney beans if needed.
• Leftovers keep for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently with a splash of water or broth.
• Serve with stewed or roasted meats for a classic Dominican meal.

Nutrition

Calories: 315kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 6gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 0.1mgSodium: 280mgPotassium: 145mgFiber: 2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 67IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 35mgIron: 1mg

The nutritional information of this recipe and all recipes on mydominicankitchen.com is only an estimate. The accuracy of any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Keywordarroz con gandules recipe, How to make arroz con gandules

Tried this recipe?Tag @my.dominican.kitchen on Instagram