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Mom’s Authentic Puerto Rican Rice and Beans

A classic Puerto Rican dish of tender beans and fluffy rice seasoned with sofrito, adobo, and sazon for authentic Caribbean flavor.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Puerto Rican
Calories: 360
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beans
  • 1.5 cups dried red kidney beans or 2 cans, drained
  • 1 onion finely chopped
  • 1 bell pepper diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp sofrito
  • 2 tbsp tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp adobo seasoning
  • 1 packet sazon with annatto
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 cups water or broth
  • to taste salt and pepper
  • optional ham hock or bacon
Rice
  • 2 cups long-grain white rice rinsed
  • 2.5 cups water or broth
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • to taste salt

Equipment

  • Medium pot
  • Large pot
  • Knife and cutting board
  • Mixing spoon

Method
 

  1. If using dried beans, soak overnight and rinse. Drain before cooking.
  2. In a medium pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, bell pepper, garlic, and sofrito until fragrant.
  3. Add tomato sauce, adobo, sazon, optional ham hock or bacon, and beans with water or broth. Add bay leaf.
  4. Bring to boil, then simmer covered until beans are tender (1–1.5 hours for dried beans; 20–30 minutes for canned).
  5. In a separate pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add rice and toast for 2–3 minutes.
  6. Add water or broth and salt, bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 18–20 minutes.
  7. Remove bay leaf and ham hock. Combine beans with rice or serve over rice.
  8. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve warm.

Notes

Use homemade sofrito for best flavor. Adjust seasonings according to taste.