There are certain dishes that go beyond flavor — dishes that tell stories, carry memories, and feel like home from the very first bite. Mom’s Authentic Puerto Rican Rice & Beans is one of those treasures. For generations across the island and throughout Puerto Rican households worldwide, arroz con habichuelas has been the heart of everyday meals. It’s soulful, comforting, budget-friendly, deeply aromatic, and truly timeless.

This recipe captures the exact warmth and savoriness that Puerto Rican moms and abuelas have been making for decades: fluffy medium-grain rice, tender beans simmered in a rich sofrito-based sauce, and that unmistakable island flavor created by sazón, adobo, and a touch of tomato. It’s simple but incredibly layered — a perfect example of how Puerto Rican cuisine transforms humble pantry ingredients into a vibrant, irresistible meal.

Whether served as the star of the plate or as the sidekick to roasted chicken, pernil, or bistec encebollado, Puerto Rican rice and beans always deliver. This guide brings you a fully authentic, traditional, from-scratch version with all the home-cooked details, cultural context, and pro tips that make this dish turn out just like mom makes.

Why This Recipe Works

This version stays true to the roots of Puerto Rican cooking:

1. The Flavor Starts With Sofrito

Puerto Rican sofrito — a mixture of peppers, onions, garlic, culantro, cilantro, and herbs — is the backbone of the recipe. It’s sautéed until fragrant to create the base of the beans and infuse all the aromatics into the sauce.

2. Sazón + Adobo for Classic Island Taste

These two pantry staples add color, depth, umami, and savory warmth. They’re essential and instantly recognizable.

3. Medium-Grain Rice (Not Long Grain!)

Traditional Puerto Rican rice uses medium-grain rice because it cooks tender yet slightly sticky — the perfect texture for absorbing flavor without turning mushy.

4. Slow Simmered Beans for Maximum Flavor

Whether canned beans or dried beans, the magic happens when the beans simmer in sofrito, tomato sauce, herbs, and broth until silky, thick, and perfectly seasoned.

5. A Two-Pot Recipe for Authenticity

Yes, many modern versions combine everything in one pot. But the classic mom-style method always cooks the beans and rice separately to control texture and flavor.

Ingredients

For the Beans (Habichuelas Guisadas)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup sofrito (store-bought or homemade)
• ½ medium onion, diced
• ½ green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (15 oz) pink beans or red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 packet sazón con culantro y achiote
• 1 ½ tsp adobo seasoning
• ½ cup tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth or water
• 1–2 bay leaves
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• Optional: diced potatoes or calabaza (pumpkin) for a heartier sauce
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

For the Rice

• 2 cups medium-grain rice, rinsed
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 ½ cups water
• Optional: 1 tsp sazón or annatto oil for color

Instructions

Make the Beans

1. Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat.
2. Add sofrito, onions, bell pepper, and garlic. Sauté 3–4 minutes until fragrant.
3. Stir in sazón, adobo, and tomato sauce. Cook another minute to bloom the spices.
4. Add beans, broth, and bay leaves. Stir well.
5. Simmer on low heat 20–25 minutes until thickened.
6. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
7. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Make the Rice

1. Rinse rice until water runs clearer.
2. Heat oil in a caldero or heavy pot.
3. Add rice and salt, stirring to coat grains in oil.
4. Pour in water and bring to a boil.
5. Once bubbling heavily, reduce heat to low and cover.
6. Cook 18–20 minutes until water is absorbed.
7. Fluff with a fork and let steam 5 minutes before serving.

Tips for the Best Puerto Rican Rice & Beans

Use a caldero if you have one

The heavy aluminum pot gives rice the perfect texture and prevents sticking.

Sofrito matters

Homemade sofrito adds incredible aroma — but store-bought works great.

Don’t rush the simmer

The beans thicken and become silky only when given enough time to reduce.

Make it vegetarian

Swap broth for water and add diced potatoes for extra body.

Want spicy?

Add a pinch of crushed red pepper or a spoon of spicy sofrito (sofrito picante).

Mom’s Authentic Puerto Rican Rice & Beans

A traditional Puerto Rican arroz con habichuelas made with sofrito, sazón, and perfectly simmered beans served alongside fluffy medium-grain rice.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Course: Dinner, Side Dish

Cuisine: Caribbean, Puerto Rican

Calories: 320

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Beans

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 0.5 cup sofrito
• 0.5 onion diced
• 0.5 green bell pepper diced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 packet sazón con culantro y achiote
• 1.5 tsp adobo seasoning
• 0.5 cup tomato sauce
• 1 can pink beans drained and rinsed
• 1 cup broth or water
• 1-2 bay leaves

Rice

• 2 cups medium-grain rice rinsed
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2.5 cups water

Equipment

• Pot for beans
• Caldero or heavy pot
• Wooden spoon
• Measuring cups

Method

 

1. Heat olive oil in a pot and sauté sofrito, onions, peppers, and garlic until fragrant.
2. Stir in sazón, adobo, and tomato sauce.
3. Add beans, broth, and bay leaves, then simmer 20–25 minutes.
4. Rinse rice until water runs clearer.
5. Heat oil in a caldero, add rice and salt, stirring to coat.
6. Add water, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover for 18–20 minutes.
7. Fluff rice and serve with beans.

Notes

For added richness, use homemade sofrito. Beans thicken more as they cool.

Serving Suggestions

• With roasted chicken or pernil
• With fried pork chops
• With tostones or maduros
• With sliced avocado and lime
• As a main dish topped with cilantro and onions

This dish is incredibly versatile and tastes even better the next day.

Cultural Context: The Heart of Puerto Rican Cuisine

Puerto Rican rice and beans reflect the very soul of island cooking — African, Spanish, and Taíno influences blending into a dish that’s hearty, aromatic, colorful, and comforting. Every family has its own version, passed down through mothers and grandmothers who cook with intuition rather than measuring spoons. This recipe respects that tradition while providing exact steps to help you recreate that magic at home.