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    Published: Oct 4, 2019 by Neyssa

    Basic Puerto Rican Rice

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    Puerto Rican rice aka yellow rice is one of the pillars in the Latin cuisine. Flavorful, fluffy, and filling yellow rice is a canvas waiting to be filled with vegetables or meats of your choosing!

    wooden spoon in the center of white bowl filled with yellow rice

    This yellow rice recipe is the easy Puerto Rican rice recipe version. This is the recipe to build upon when you make Puerto Rican rice with corn, or Puerto Rican rice with  beans, Spanish rice with coconut, or my favorite arroz con pollo (Puerto Rican rice with chicken).

    What is Puerto Rican rice?

    Puerto Rican rice is a yellow rice recipe where the rice is cooked in a sauce mixture called sofrito and takes on a yellow coloring through the spices in either Sazon seasoning, turmeric, or through using annato oil. 

    Cooking rice with sofrito allows the rice to absorb the flavors of the onions, garlic, peppers, and seasonings to create a flavorful yellow rice recipe for the family. Truly, Puerto Rican rice is a pilaf. A pilaf is a cooking term that just means that the Puerto Rican rice has a base of oil, spices, and seasonings that is cooking before adding in water. 

    Why is yellow rice yellow?

    Rice is a canvas that takes on the color of it's environment. Yellow rice usually is yellow due to annato seed (achiote found in Goya sazon), turmeric, or saffron! The sauce is usually red in the beginning, but as the rice cooks, it takes on a beautiful orange yellow hue!

    Puerto Rican Rice vs Mexican Rice

    Most people think of yellow rice as Mexican rice. Mexican rice is flavorful, vibrant, and similar -but can be spicy! Puerto Rican rice is not spicy on a heat index (think mild, hot, fuego); it's flavorful due to the herbs and spices used such as oregano and cilantro, but you don't have to worry if you have acid-reflux, this yellow rice recipe is not spicy!

    Table set with yellow rice in a white bowl and a blue bowl with stewed oxtails and corn on the cob.

    How To Make Yellow Rice

    Before we step near the stove, let's answer some crucial questions on how to make yellow rice!

    What kind of rice do you use for yellow rice?

    Answer: Traditionally long grain rice (such as Canilla brand) is favorited by Puerto Ricans, and some will swear by Goya's Medium Grain Rice for Puerto Rican Rice. I say either long grain rice or basmati rice for yellow rice. Long grain or basmati rice is always best when making yellow rice or any kind of pilaf!

    Do you have to rinse rice?

    Answer: Yes, for individual grains of rice that is not sticky or mushy, rinsing your rice is necessary! The starches in the rice is what makes it sticky when it cooks.

    You don't have to rinse rice for intentionally sticky dishes, like our Tres Leches Rice Pudding Recipe!

    How do you rinse rice?

    Answer: To rinse white rice, you'll put the raw rice in a big bowl and cover it with water. With your hand, go in circular motions to move the rice around. Drain the water by tilting the bowl to it's side with your hand on the side to not allow the rice to pass. (This may take some practice!)

    Repeat this process until the water of the rice is clear. It takes 3-5 rinses. For the final rinse, I drain my white rice in a colander and give it a quick rinse before adding it to my pot.

    What kind of pot do you use to make yellow rice?

    Answer: A wide pot! You want a deep pot of about 4-6 inches, but width is what is more important! Puerto Rican's use caldero's for their Puerto Rican rice recipes. A caldero is a cast aluminum pot with a tight fitting lid. Here is an image of a caldero and an affiliate link to buy a caldero pot! The most important aspect is that it is wide! Quick tip: Use an oven mitt to hold onto the caldero while cooking, just like cast iron the caldero gets hot!

                                                                                                                         

    close up shot of yellow rice in a white bright bowl

    Ingredients In Puerto Rican Rice

    This is the basic recipe for Puerto Rican rice! You can add vegetables such as corn kernels, pigeon peas, or beans such as cooked red beans, or add in green olives and ham if you like!

    • oil
    • tocino (salted pork or bacon, finely chopped), optional
    • chopped onions
    • chopped garlic
    • chopped peppers 
    • chopped cilantro (These "chopped" ingredients create a "sofrito", here is a complete homemade sofrito recipe you'll love!)
    • tomato sauce or paste
    • seasonings such as salt, pepper, and oregano
    • Goya Sazon for coloring, or use turmeric or ground annato seed to color your Puerto Rican rice. (Just a teaspoon or so!)
    • long grain rice
    • chicken broth or water

    whole white bowl with yellow rice and a green napkin to the side

    How To Make Puerto Rican Rice

    1. Rinse and drain rice, set to the side.
    2. Warm oil in a caldero over medium high heat.
    3. Cook tocino or ham for about two minutes before adding in sofrito. If making fresh sofrito with chopped ingredients, cook until vegetables have softened -about 3-4 minutes.
    4. Add in tomato sauce, seasonings, and any add-ins. Allow to cook about a minute, stirring occasionally before adding in the rice.
    5. Mix well to combine. Allow the rice to absorb the sofrito sauce for a minute or two before adding in chicken broth or water. (If you're using water, add chicken bullion to your rice!)
    6. Bring the liquid to a boil and lower to a steady simmer.
    7. Cook uncovered for 12-14 minutes not stirring until the water levels evaporates to where you see the top of the rice. 
    8. Stir, cover, and lower heat to low. DO NOT UNCOVER!
    9. Covered, allow rice to cook for 20 minutes.
    10. After 20 minutes DO NOT UNCOVER YET, remove pot from heat and let it steam for about 15 minutes before uncovering.
    11. Uncover and gently fluff with a fork before serving.

    wooden spoon lifting yellow rice from white bowl

    What To Serve With Puerto Rican Rice

    If you're wondering what to serve with Puerto Rican rice, I'd say it's important to realize what season you're in. 

    For the holidays, serving Puerto Rican rice with pork classics like Puerto Rican ham, or roasted pork "pernil" are crucial!

    Here are some great side dish ideas that go well with Puerto Rican rice:

    • Puerto Rican Potato Salad (We give a sweet twist and crunch by adding apples!)
    • Shrimp Macaroni Salad
    • Chayote Egg Salad (Fresh, light, and delicious!)
    • Tostones | Twice Fried Plantains (A classic side item!)

     

    Recipe

    Basic Puerto Rican Rice Recipe

    Fluffy, flavorful, firm and filling this easy to make Puerto Rican rice recipe is one the whole family will love!
    4.37 from 50 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Calories:
    Author: Neyssa

    Equipment

    • stove
    • colander

    Ingredients

    • 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
    • 2 ounces of salt pork optional
    • ¼ cup of homemade sofrito optional and see note
    • ½ cup of chopped onions
    • ½ red bell pepper chopped -if not using sofrito
    • ½ green bell pepper chopped -if not using sofrito
    • 2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
    • ¼ cup of cilantro rinsed and chopped
    • 4 ounces of tomato sauce
    • 2 tablespoons of salt
    • 1 tablespoon of dried oregano
    • ½ teaspoon of ground thyme optional
    • 1 packet of Sazon seasoning packet
    • 3 cups of long grain rice rinsed and drained
    • 4 ½ cups of good quality chicken broth or water see note
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions

    • Rinse and drain rice, set to the side.
    • Warm oil in a caldero over medium high heat.
    • Add salted pork and cook for about two minutes before adding in sofrito and onions or chopped vegetables, except for garlic.
    • Cook vegetables until softened, about 4 minutes, occasionally stirring.
    • Add in garlic and cook for thirty seconds before adding in tomato sauce, seasonings, and cilantro.
    • Let sauce come to a bubble and stir in rice.
    • Stir rice occasionally for two minutes for the rice to absorb the sofrito sauce.
    • Allow to cook about a minute, stirring occasionally before adding in the rice.
    • Pour in chicken broth or water with chicken bullion.
    • Bring the liquid to a boil and then lower to a steady simmer (think medium).
    • Cook uncovered for 12-14 minutes not stirring until the water levels evaporate to where you see the top of the rice and it the rice looks like craters.
    • Stir once and cover.
    • Lower heat to low. DO NOT UNCOVER!
    • Cook rice for twenty minutes. DO NOT TOUCH OR UNCOVER!
    • After 20 minutes DO NOT UNCOVER YET, remove pot from heat and let it steam for about 15 minutes before uncovering.
    • Uncover and gently fluff with a fork before serving.

    Notes

    If you're not using homemade sofrito, add in the chopped peppers. You can also add in two aji dulce peppers and 2 culantro leaves -if you have it.
    If you're using water, add in ham or chicken bullion. My favorite is Better Than Bullion or any powdered bullion will work, use about two teaspoons of it.

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    About Neyssa

    Neyssa is a Latina food blogger who shares her Cuban and Puerto Rican family recipes for home cooks to make.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Barbara says

      December 31, 2020 at 2:58 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve been making Arroz Amarillo for years but I’ve never been satisfied with the taste. This recipe knocked my socks off! It was the best tasting rice I’ve ever eaten and my husband couldn’t stop eating it. It is over the top! I’d give it more than a 5-star rating if I could.

      Reply
    2. Shannon says

      January 02, 2021 at 7:35 am

      Can A rice cooker be used fir this ?

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        February 04, 2021 at 1:20 pm

        Yes.

        Reply
    3. Leila Villarreal says

      March 05, 2021 at 1:05 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for sharing your recipe! I made it and the flavor was "on", the only drawback was my using a medium grain rice, should have stuck with long grain. Little confused about the sofrito and recaito? Read somewhere that Puerto Ricans don't use the red sofrito, used the green recaito (sp?).Anyway loved it, gonna make it again. Aloha

      Reply
    4. Tara Sahno says

      May 22, 2021 at 1:21 pm

      5 stars
      Best recipe ever. Every time I wanted to take the kid off before the time was up, I had to remind myself in big letters... DO NOT UNCOVER! This is hands down the best recipe with the best directions. Thank you so much.

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        April 03, 2024 at 5:16 pm

        LOL, yes KEEP IT COVERED!

        Reply
    5. Linda Stone says

      June 09, 2021 at 1:37 am

      5 stars
      Delicious recipe! Made this rice to go with the new Puerto Rican style grilled chicken recipe in the July/August 2021 Cook's Illustrated issue. I do have one question. The print version of the Basic Rice recipe calls for two TABLESPOONS of salt in the ingredient list. Should this be two teaspoons salt? The Sazon has salt, and so does the chicken broth. I used one tablespoon of salt, and otherwise followed the recipe, without using salt pork or ham. The rice was on the salty side. When I make this again, I will use less salt.

      Reply
    6. Brandy says

      July 28, 2021 at 1:10 pm

      Theres no amounts listed for everything so I did the best I could

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        April 03, 2024 at 5:12 pm

        Right above the recipe there's a ingredient list, next to each ingredient a measurement. Hope this helps:).

        Reply
    7. Nia Hayes - ShunCy says

      September 15, 2021 at 9:56 pm

      After spending about a week with family in Puerto Rico, I’m celebrating the end of our trip with a post on one of my favorite dishes: Arroz con Pollo (Puerto Rican Rice and Chicken)! We had this dish in Puerto Rico at least three times during our stay and it was delicious each time.

      Reply
    8. Debbie says

      October 01, 2021 at 7:35 pm

      5 stars
      Delish the best!

      Reply
    9. Papo says

      April 06, 2022 at 3:56 pm

      5 stars
      Love your recipe, amigo

      Reply
    10. Sharon D. Allen says

      April 08, 2022 at 12:50 pm

      5 stars
      I just found this recipe last night, and just made it. OMG!!!! This is the first time I have ever made Arroz con Gandules, and it is AMAZING!!!!! Thank you Latinamommeals!!! I will be making this on a regular basis from now on!

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        April 03, 2024 at 4:57 pm

        Thank you for the support!<3

        Reply
    11. Beth says

      April 15, 2022 at 10:57 pm

      5 stars
      This is very yummy but I think the recipe may have an error on the amount of salt. 2 Tablespoons must be too much. I put in only 2 teaspoons in case that was correct and it was still too much. Other than that it's so good. I plan to make it again. Thank you for sharing.

      Reply
    12. Katrina Council says

      February 04, 2023 at 8:12 pm

      5 stars
      There is far too much salt in this recipe, but it was AMAZING my wife and I are gonna have it for breakfast tomorrow.

      Reply
    13. KPM says

      September 08, 2023 at 10:37 pm

      5 stars
      Outstanding!
      Made it for my amazing PR/Nica wife and she loved it.

      Thank you!
      - your typical white dude cooking’

      Reply
    4.37 from 50 votes (40 ratings without comment)

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    Neyssa is a Puerto Rican and Cuban self-taught home cook who lives right outside of Philly and is on a mission to share recipes that are inspired by her Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage.

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