Chef Julie’s Arroz con Gandules, a Puerto Rican Holiday Must-Serve

Arroz con gandules is on the holiday table every year at Julie Carrion’s New York City home. The longtime chef and culinary director of Chef’s Dinner Table grew up in Florida, but she was born in Puerto Rico and has always been very close to her Boricua side of the family. The island’s dishes and ingredients became an early defining influence, adding a counterpoint to her classical French training, she explains.

“A lot of our celebrations are anchored in the foods that are traditionally celebrated around the holidays, like Three Kings Day,” says Julie. Often called plain-old Reyes for short, this festive occasion takes place every January 6 (aka Epiphany in the Christian calendar), and is celebrated in many Latino countries.

In Puerto Rico, the holiday is a major event that involves setting out hay for the Magi’s camels and presents for small children. Reyes also marks the official end of the holiday season, which in Puerto Rico typically starts way back in Thanksgiving. Much sadness ensues after January 6 — for adults and kids alike. The six-week-long fiesta is over until next year. Just another reason why Three Kings Day is faithfully observed on the island. It’s the last-gasp blowout before the return to everyday normalcy.

“Growing up, I understood the emotional connection that food brings to these celebrations. And those create memories. I think it’s part of what connected me to cooking at a young age. I followed a more traditional path. I went to college and then went to culinary school afterward, but it was those holidays that reminded me of this part of my culture.”

Chef Julie usually makes arroz con gandules in two versions: traditional and no-meat. Every holiday, “my kids and I cook together,” she says. “They are both vegetarians so I have had to take the pork out and it still works. You just have the have the depth of flavor that comes from a really good sofrito, lots of love, and technique.”

Speaking of technique, here’s a tip she tells Familia Kitchen she learned when she first started cooking. It’s a simple one that makes all the difference in arroz success and can be summarized in four words: Don’t lift the lid. Let the arroz cook undisturbed. Sitting in its steam is essential to get that final fluffy rice everyone loves. So whether you’re making arroz con gandules or arroz con pollo, she says: “It all comes down to praying — and don’t open that top.”

Three Kings is just around the corner, as is Chef Julie’s weeklong stint executive cheffing Puerto Rican dishes aboard the Sea Cloud’s cruise line’s inaugural voyage to the island in January 2025. She will, of course, be making arroz con gandules for both occasions. “At the Three Kings Day party, I used to play with the recipes we’d make every year, and now it is the same every year. We don’t mess with it. Because it works!”

Ready to Make Chef Julie’s Arroz con Gandules?

Chef Julie’s Arroz con Gandules, a Puerto Rican Holiday Tradition

Recipe by Julie Carrion

5.0 from 1 vote

Cuisine: Puerto Rican

Servings

8 to 10

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp canola oil

• 2 oz bacon, cut into 1/4″ cubes

• 1/2 cup sofrito (Julie’s recipe here)

• 1/2 yellow onion, small, minced

• 2 cups white rice (long grain), rinsed

• 2 Tbsp tomato paste

• 2 cups chicken stock

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 3 1/2 oz alcaparrado (mixed olives, capers, and pimientos)

• 15 oz gandules or pigeon peas, cooked, drained (1 can)

• kosher salt, to taste

• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

• Heat oil in a 6-quart saucepan over medium heat.
• Add bacon. Cook until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Add sofrito and onion. Cook until soft, about 8 minutes.
• Add rice and tomato paste. Cook until lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
• Add stock, oregano, and olive mix. Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until rice is tender, about 30 minutes.
• Stir in peas. Cook for 10 minutes more.
• Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Notes

• Julie omits the pork when serving to her kids, who are vegetarian. The sabor is still delicioso and savory-rich, she says.