The Puerto Rican Pasteles de Arroz is one of the many traditional ways of making a rice dish in Puerto Rico. They’re rice with meat that is wrapped in banana leaf and cook until you have delicious tender rice.
Pasteles de Arroz are the rice version of regular pasteles. They’re made with achiote oil, rice, and meat. These pasteles have Puerto Rican style carne de cerdo guisada. But they can be made with different types of meat.
Some people might think that eating a pastel is the same as having an arroz con salchichas recipe. But it is really not, and is because of the way it is cooked.
These pasteles de arroz are something that are popular during the holidays. That’s the only time my grandma made this because they’re a labor of love because there are a lot of steps to making these.
But you can make pasteles de arroz anytime of the year!
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Why This Recipe Works
- It’s a versitile recipe that can be modified to diferent tastes and diets.
- It is a good way to prepare a meal ahead of time and then cook whenever you want to enjoy it.
Recipe Ingredients
- Achiote oil & Sofrito- In this recipe, the achiote oil, along with the sofrito, will be the base flavors. The achoite adds color, but more importantly, just like the sofrito, it is the flavor that adds.
- Tomato sauce- The tomato sauce can always be replaced by half of the amount of tomato paste.
- Seasonings- There are many seasoning variations when it comes to pasteles; this is just the mix I prefer. I add salt, adobo, oregano, and sazon for color and flavor.
- Pork meat- For the pork, you can use pork but or shoulder.
- Water- No need for stock; we only use water.
- Achiote oil- The achiote oil will help to start the cooking process in the rice while also kind of making a barrier so a lot of moisture doesn’t go in the grain while boiling it.
- Sofrito– The sofrito gives it that Puerto Rican flavor we always have in a rice dish. But if you can’t get any, the best thing is to make a substitute for sofrito instead. You can make the Puerto Rican sofrito substitute recipe and use it instead.
- Seasonings- You only need a packet of sazon and salt because the meat will add flavor to the rice.
- Rice- I always use medium grain rice, and for this specific recipe, I feel that’s the grain to use. This is because short grain rice is starchier than long grain, so for this recipe, the rice shape will hold better.
- Olives & pimiento morrones- These are just traditional additions to add more flavor. But if you’re one of those people who can’t stand olives, then, by all means, eliminate them.
Substitutions & Variations
- Rice- As I mentioned earlier, medium-grain rice is best for this recipe, but if all you have is long-grain, then use it. But another thing I like to do is make these pasteles with the same ingredients as another rice dish. I like to do this a lot with pigeon rice.
- Meat- The most common meats to use in this recipe are either pork or chicken, but you can go with anything. You can use a vegetable mix if you’re trying to make vegetarian or vegan-friendly pasteles.
How to Make Pasteles de Arroz
- Photo 1: The first step is to cut the meat into ½ inch thick pieces. I think that the smaller you cut the meat, the better because you can add more pieces of meat.
- Photo 2: In a caldero, add the achiote oil, sofrito, tomato sauce, and seasoning. This is going to cook for 2 minutes, and then we add the meat to saute for 5 more minutes. Then we add the water, cove,r and cook for 40 minutes.
- Photo 3: We now cook the rice in a big caldero. Add the achiote oil over medium-high heat. Add the sofrito and saute for a minute, and then add the rice and seasonings. Cook the rice for 15 minutes while stirring because it will stick to the bottom and burn.
- Photo 4: Prepare the banana leaves by “cooking them”. We do this by passing them through heat until they start changing color. That’s how you know when to go to the other parts. Then, assemble each paper by putting a piece of leaf on each.
- Photo 5: Now, we are ready to assemble the pastel. Take about ¼ of a teaspoon of schiote oil and spread it in the middle of the leaf. Add 3 tablespoons of rice and 1 of meat. Add the olives and a piece of the red pimiento. Close the pastel by folding it 3 times. Then, tie the pastel.
- Photo 6: In a big pot, add about 10 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt over high heat. Add the pasteles and cooked cover for 1 hour.
Recipe Tips
- One of the most important steps is to cover the surface where ever you work on with old news paper, cardborad or a piece of plastic. This is because the achiote oil stains almost everything.
- Make sure you store your banana leaves in an airtight container or in a ziplock bag. If not, your leaves will dry out in the fridge. It is best to freeze them until you’re ready to use them.
- Keep the pasteles in the fridge for no more than 4 days. It is best to always freeze and cook them on the days you want to eat them. They can last in the freezer for 6 months.
Common Questions
Can I use cooked rice to make pasteles de arroz?
While you can use cooked rice, I don’t recommend it. This is because the texture in the finished dish is way different.
Can I freeze pasteles de arroz?
Yes, pasteles de arroz can be frozen and should be frozen if you are not going to make them in 4 days.
More Rice Recipes
Puerto Rican Pasteles de Arroz
This is a delicious hearty rice dish stuffed with pork and wrapped in banana leaves.
Ingredients
Pork meat
- 1 ½ pounds pork butt
- 1 ½ tablespoons achiote oil
- 1 tablespoon sofrito
- 1 tablespoon tomato sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon adobo
- ½ teaspoon crushed oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons sazon or 1 packet
- 1 ½ cups water
Rice
- 2 tablespoons achiote oil
- 2 tablespoons sofrito
- 1 ½ teaspoon sazon or 1 packet
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups medium grain rice
Assembly
- 6 pieces paper for pasteles or tamales
- 6 large banana leaves
- 6 36' pieces kitchen twine
- 6 manzanilla olives cut in halves
- 1 ounce pimiento morrones
- 1 ½ teapoons achiote oil
Instructions
- Prepare the meat. Cut the pork into ½ inch thick pieces and remove any excess fat from it. In a big pan over high heat add 1 ½ tablespoons of achiote oil, 1 tablespoon of sofrito, 1 tablespoon of tomato sauce, 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of adobo, ½ of teaspoon of crushed oregano and 1 ½ teaspoons of sazon. Saute this for 2 minutes and then add the meat and saute everything again for 5 minutes. Now add the 1 ½ cups of water and cover. Lower the heat to medium and finish cooking the meat for 40 minutes.
- Prepare the rice. While the meat is cooking, grab a large pan and over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons of achiote oil and 2 tablespoons of sofrito. Saute for 1 minute, then add the rice and mix everything. Add 1 ½ teaspoons of sazon and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix and cook for another 15 minutes. Stir constantly while cooking to prevent the rice from burning at the bottom. Once done, set it aside until it is time to assemble.
- Prepare the banana leaves. Take the banana leaves and slowly pass them over medium heat. You can do this over a gas stove or an electric stove. You'll know when to move the leaf around because it starts to change color into a darker green color. We now clean the leaves with a wet paper towel to remove any dirt on them. Then we need to cut the leaf into 8-10 inch pieces. Then take each leaf and place each on a piece of paper.
- Assembly. Take one paper with the banana leaf and add about ¼ teaspoon of achiote oil. Spread it around the middle and then add 3 big spoons full of rice or about ½ cup and spread it in the middle as well. Add 1 tablespoon of meat or ¼ cup. Enough meat to make a line side to side of meat. The add a 2 pieces of olive and a piece of the pimiento morron. Now to close the pastel fold the paper to about ⅔. Push the rice back a little over the paper and fold it twice. The end of the paper should almost cover the back part. Then fold on side of the pastel, put the pastel in an upright position and tap againts your table. This is so the rice can come down. Then fold the other side. Then tie the pastel up with the twine by bringing it to the middle then turn it so it can go to the other side. Then tie it inthe middle.
- Cooking time. Now in a large pot add about 10 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of salt. Add the pasteles and cook on high heat for 1 hour. Half way through check on the water level, and add more if needed. The pasteles should always be covered with water while cooking. When ready to serve, take the pastel thruough a piece of twine and let it drain. Then cut the twine, open the pastel and serve on the same paper or a plate. Enjoy!
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Recipe Notes
- Make sure you cover the table or surface you make this recipe in. This is because achiote oil stains almost anything and everything. What I like to do is use old newspaper and cover my table before I do everything.
- You can keep the pastel in the fridge for no more than 4 days. Freeze for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Calories: 362kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 0.1mg | Sodium: 1248mg | Potassium: 74mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 32IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 3mg
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