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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
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
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.