This is my family’s Puerto Rican style Spanish Rice made in my Instant Pot. Full of Flavor and perfectly cooked, this recipe is made with smoked sausage, homemade sofrito, tomato paste, gandules (pigeon peas), and jasmine rice.

Arroz con Gandules

I grew up eating arroz con gandules for every special occasion. This dish was always on the table for every birthday, every holiday, and every large family gathering. The rice I ate growing up was perfectly cooked, seasoned with sofrito, and full of gandules and salchichas. Every family has a little twist on how they prepare their version, and this is my family’s version. It is served with gandules and salchichas.

“Gandules” is the spanish word for pigeon peas. Pigeon peas are a popular ingredient for people who grew up in Caribbean communities. They come in fresh, frozen, dried, or canned varieties. I find the canned version super easy to work with. Also, gandules are small and green and resemble a pea, but they taste nuttier in flavor.

“Salchichas” is the word we use for sausage, specifically vienna sausage. As an adult, I no longer buy vienna sausage, but I have found some better quality sausage that reminds me so much of that flavor I loved as a child. Also, when I was a kid I would pick the gandules out of my rice, but as an adult I look forward to eating them.

Spanish Rice in the Instant Pot

Traditionally, my family would make their Spanish Rice in a caldero, which is similar to a dutch oven. A caldero is a pan with a very heavy bottom. It is super durable, and generations pass it down from one generation to the next because it lasts a very long time. In this recipe, I am going to teach you how to use your instant pot to create the same delicious recipe in much less time.

How do you cook rice in an Instant Pot?

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp Olive Oil or avocado oil
1 pk Smoked Sausage sliced
2 cups Rice rinsed
2 tbsp Tomato Paste
15oz can Gandules rinsed and drained
1 packet Sazon
3 tbsp Sofrito
2 cups Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp Sea Salt

Optional

2 tablespoons Olives chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Use the saute function and saute the sliced sausage in the olive oil.
Once the slices start to brown, add in the sofrito, olives if you are using them, and tomato paste. Cook for an additional 3 minutes.
Add in the rinsed rice, rinsed gandules, sazon, and mix well.
Add in the chicken broth and mix.
Seal your Instant Pot, press the “rice” button, and cook for 12 minutes with a 5 minute Natural release.