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Arroz con Salchichas y Maiz in a green bowl on a countertop with a bowl of salad, a pot of the rice, and a tin of salchichas.

Arroz con Salchichas (Puerto Rican Rice with Sausages)

Course: dinner, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: Afro-Caribbean, Caribbean, Hispanic, Puerto Rican, Puerto Rican/Hispanic
Keyword: arroz, corn, rice, sausage
Prep Time: 12 minutes
Cook Time: 23 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 8 dinner-size portions
Calories: 324kcal
Author: Marta Rivera
Arroz con salchichas is a budget-friendly recipe that doesn't skimp on flavor. This one-pot recipe with yellow rice, flavorful sausage, and sweet corn proves that deliciousness doesn't have to break the bank
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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

  • 4.5 quart caldero or heavy bottomed pot

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil (decrease to 1 tablespoon/15mls if you use beef and pork sausages)
  • 10 ounces (2 5-ounce cans) Vienna sausages drained, rinsed, and sliced 1/2 inch (1.3 cm) thick
  • 4 tablespoons sofrito
  • 2 cups long-grain rice rinsed and drained 3 times
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons sazón con azafrán (or 1 packet)
  • 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 8 ounces sweet corn kernels
  • 10 ounce can light beer preferably Medalla Light
  • 1 cup chicken stock or water

Instructions

Heat the Sausages and Sofrito

  • Heat the olive oil in a 4 1/2-quart caldero over medium-high heat.
  • Once the oil starts shimmering in the caldero, slide the sliced salchichas into the pot.
    Brown the sausages slightly for 3-4 minutes.

Add the Rice and Corn

  • Stir in the rice and corn kernels, tossing them into the salchichas and sofrito.
    Pour in the beer and chicken stock.
    Stir the liquids into the rice and sausages.
  • Bring the liquid in the pot to a boil, then lay a piece of aluminum foil over the top.
    Press the pod's lid onto the foil to create a tighter seal.

Steam the Arroz con Salchichas

  • Once you cover the pot, decrease the heat to low and cook the arroz con salchichas for 20 minutes.
    After twenty minutes, turn the heat off and fluff the rice with a spoon or fork.

Fluff the Rice, Adjust the Seasoning, Then Serve

  • Once you fluff you're rice, adjust the seasoning to taste by adding a pinch of kosher salt or adobo.
  • Serve arroz con salchichas with a garden salad and avocado or a light side dish.
    If you're serving arroz con salchichas as a side dish, serve it with fried, grilled, or steamed proteins.

Notes

Swaps and Substitutions:
  • You can also make arroz con salchichas with longaniza, but that will extend the cooking time because you'll spend more time rendering fat. Longaniza is also harder to find and is more expensive. 
  • You can replace the beer in this recipe with chicken stock.
  • Replace the long-grain rice with jasmine rice or basmati for a more floral flavor.
Optional Add-ins:
  • Decrease the chicken stock to 3/4 cup and add 1/4 cup of tomato sauce in with the liquids. 
  • Add 1/2 of a small yellow onion, diced, and 2 teaspoons of minced garlic to the pot with the sofrito. Increase the chicken stock by 1 1/4 cups.
  • Add 1/2 of a medium green bell pepper or red bell pepper, diced, with the sofrito.
  • Slice 12 Manzanilla olives and a tablespoon of capers and stir into the arroz con salchichas with the corn and rice.
  • Stir in 1 can of drained and rinsed beans (pinto, light red kidney, or garbanzos). Increase the chicken stock to 1 1/2 cups to compensate for the drier beans.
Tips and Techniques:
  • Use fresh, frozen, or canned corn in this arroz con salchichas:
    • leave the frozen kernels in a bowl on the counter to allow them to thaw while you're gathering the other ingredients.
      If the corn thaws completely, you can add any liquid to the pot with the corn.
    • Drain the liquid first if you're using canned corn for this recipe.
    • If you plan to use fresh corn, add 1/4 cup of chicken stock (or water's fine here) with the beer.
  • Creating a seal with the foil helps steam the rice more efficiently.
  • If you want to avoid pegao in your rice, cover and decrease the heat when the liquid in the pot comes to a simmer, not to a boil.
  • Crunchy arroz con salchichas?
    1. Stir in a 1/2 cup of water or chicken stock into the rice.
    2. Cook the rice over medium-low heat for an additional 15 minutes or until the rice is tender.
  • Mushy rice?
    1. Dry it out by continuing to steam it for another 15 minutes, uncovered.
    2. Adding too much liquid is what causes mushy arroz con salchichas. Drying it out may help, but often doesn't, so try to stick with the measurements.
  • Double this recipe and freeze half for later (instructions below).
Storage Instructions:
  • Transfer leftover arroz con salchichas to a covered food storage container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
  • Sprinkle a tablespoon of water over the rice, then reheat it, partially covered, for 1 minute on high in the microwave.
Freezing Instructions:
  • Pack the room temperature arroz con salchichas into 2 1-gallon freezer storage bags (or an airtight container).
  • Squeeze out the excess air, then seal the bags.
  • Freeze the rice while the bags lay flat, which allows you to stand the bags up once frozen, taking up less space.
  • Arroz con salchichas can be frozen for up to 4 months.
  • Defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat according to the instructions above.

Nutrition

Calories: 324kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 419mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg