Mom’s Authentic Puerto Rican Rice & Beans – The Cozy Island Comfort Dish That Feels Like Home

There are certain dishes that don’t just fill your stomach—they warm your spirit, bring back childhood memories, and wrap you up in the kind of comfort only home-cooked meals deliver. For so many Puerto Rican families, Arroz con Habichuelas, or Puerto Rican Rice & Beans, is that dish. It’s humble, deeply flavorful, and one of the first recipes many moms and abuelas teach their children. Whether it’s served alongside pollo guisado, bistec encebollado, chuletas fritas, or simply eaten on its own as a cozy bowl of goodness, this classic meal is woven into the fabric of Puerto Rican culture.

Today, I’m sharing a lovingly detailed, fully authentic version of Mom’s Puerto Rican Rice & Beans—the one simmered slowly with sofrito, the one seasoned with adobo and sazon, the one that perfumes the whole house and lets everyone know dinner is going to be so good. This recipe honors that heritage and brings those flavors straight into your kitchen, even if you’ve never made Puerto Rican food before.

What makes this rice and beans special isn’t just the ingredients—though the ingredients matter—it’s the method. Puerto Rican cooking is all about layering flavors. First comes the sofrito, that magical blend of onions, peppers, garlic, cilantro, and culantro. Then the tomato sauce, spices, and oil bloom together into a fragrant base that builds the final dish. Finally, the rice absorbs all of that flavor as it steams, turning a pot of simple grains into something beautifully savory, tender, and lightly tinted with the iconic Puerto Rican golden hue.

This recipe embraces everything that makes Puerto Rican cuisine unforgettable: warmth, love, patience, and flavor that hits your palate with both comfort and celebration. So let’s step into the kitchen and make a dish that has crossed generations and continues to be the heart of countless family tables.

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Ingredients:

For the Rice

• 2 cups long-grain white rice (preferably Canilla or Carolina brand)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sofrito
• 1 packet sazon with culantro y achiote
• 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
• 3 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
• 3 cups water
• 1 bay leaf

For the Beans

• 1 can (15 oz) pink beans (or red kidney beans), rinsed and drained
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons sofrito
• 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
• 1 packet sazon with culantro y achiote
• 1 teaspoon adobo seasoning
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½ small onion, finely diced
• ¼ green pepper, finely diced
• 1 ½ cups water or broth
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fresh cilantro for garnish

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Instructions:

Make the Rice

1. Rinse the rice under cool water until the water runs mostly clear. This removes excess starch and helps the rice cook fluffy instead of sticky.
2. Heat the olive oil in a medium caldero or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
3. Add sofrito and sauté for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
4. Stir in the tomato sauce, sazon packet, adobo, and bay leaf. Cook for another minute to bloom the spices.
5. Add the rinsed rice and stir to fully coat every grain in the seasoning mixture.
6. Pour in 3 cups water and add the salt. Stir once.
7. Bring to a gentle boil. When you start seeing the water level drop and bubbles breaking through the top of the rice, reduce the heat to low.
8. Cover the pot tightly and cook for 22–25 minutes, undisturbed. No lifting the lid! The steam is crucial.
9. Turn off heat and let rest for 5 minutes, still covered.
10. Fluff with a fork and keep warm.

Make the Beans

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add sofrito, onion, garlic, and peppers. Sauté until softened, about 3–4 minutes.
3. Stir in tomato sauce, adobo, oregano, and sazon packet.
4. Add the drained beans, then pour in the water or broth.
5. Drop in a bay leaf, stir, and bring to a simmer.
6. Reduce heat and simmer 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
8. Remove bay leaf before serving.

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Tips & Tricks

• Use a caldero if you have one. It heats evenly and produces that slightly crispy pegao at the bottom—pure gold!
• Avoid jasmine or basmati rice. Their texture and fragrance don’t match authentic Puerto Rican arroz.
• Don’t over-stir the rice. Stirring during cooking breaks grains and makes sticky rice.
• Pink beans are traditional, but you can use Roman beans or red kidney beans.

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Variations

• Arroz con Habichuelas Guisadas: Cook the beans longer until they form a thicker stew.
• Arroz con Salchichas: Add sliced Vienna sausages to the rice for a nostalgic Puerto Rican classic.
• Vegetarian Option: Use vegetable broth in the beans and rice to deepen flavor.

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Serving Suggestions

• Serve with pollo guisado, chuletas fritas, bistec encebollado, or pollo al horno.
• Add a simple side salad with lemon and olive oil for brightness.
• Top your rice with fresh cilantro or a squeeze of lime.

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Storage Information

• Stored separately, rice and beans last up to 4 days in the fridge.
• Beans freeze beautifully for up to 3 months.
• Reheat rice by microwaving with a damp paper towel to restore moisture.

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FAQ

Q: Can I use brown rice?
Yes, but you must add extra water and increase cooking time by 15–20 minutes.

Q: What if I don’t have sofrito?
Blend onion, garlic, cilantro, and pepper—or use store-bought.

Q: My rice comes out mushy. Why?
Likely too much water or stirring during cooking.

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History / Fun Facts

• Puerto Rican rice & beans became popular in the early 1900s when rice became affordable and widely available on the island.
• It is considered a daily staple, not a special-occasion dish. Many Puerto Ricans eat it 4–6 times per week!
• The fragrant color comes from achiote, an earthy seed often infused into oil for extra depth.
• Every family has their own version, but almost all agree: sofrito is the heart of the dish