30-Minute Arroz con Camarones (Rice with Shrimp)
An easy, 30-minute Arroz con Camarones recipe that’s loaded with authentic Puerto Rican flavor from achiote oil, sazon, and sofrito. This fluffy red rice with shrimp is a Latin staple that comes together in one pan and makes a fabulous weeknight meal.
When I think about Latin & Puerto Rican cuisine, I’m almost always thinking about rice.
We have a way of infusing our rice with so much flavor, it’s usually the star of the table and rarely just a side dish.
This arroz con camarones (shrimp with rice) recipe pulls flavor from achiote oil, sazon seasoning, and sofrito, three of the island’s most notorious cooking staples.
While the rice is cooked to fluffy perfection, the shrimp gets tossed with melted butter and sazon. From there, the shrimp gets mixed into the hot rice and cooks from the residual heat. This method results in perfectly cooked shrimp and rice, in only 30 minutes!
If you love this fluffy rice with shrimp, you have to try these classic Puerto Rican rice recipes: arroz con gandules, arroz con pollo, & arroz con salchichas.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this one pot rice dish:
- achiote oil or olive oil
- sofrito
- sazon seasoning
- long grain white rice
- chicken or vegetable broth
- peas, fresh or frozen
- butter, melted
- shrimp, deveined (peeled optional)
- salt & pepper to taste
- optional garnish: sliced lime & cilantro, minced
Find the full ingredient list with exact quantities in the recipe card below.
Step by Step Instructions
Important: The cook time for the shrimp will depend on the size/variety of shrimp you use. Be mindful of this and look for pink, opaque color in your shrimp to know they are fully cooked.
Perfectly Cooked Shrimp, Every Time
Many rice with shrimp recipes fall short because shrimp is a really easy protein to overcook. Here are some tips on how to get perfectly plump & juicy shrimp, every time:
- Watch for color: Make sure to check for that pinkish orange, opaque color to know when your shrimp is fully cooked.
- Be mindful of your shrimp variety: I usually use large or jumbo shrimp when making arroz con camarones, but you could use any variety you like. Just know that the cooking time will vary depending on the size of your shrimp.
- Make sure to cover the pan with a tight fitting lid: The trick with adding the shrimp to the rice at the end of this recipe will only work if you have a tight fitting lid for your pan. This allows the residual heat and steam to cook the shrimp.
Perfect Pairings
This recipe is a great main dish. I like serving it with beans, roasted veggies and/or a fresh salad. Here are some recipe ideas:
I’m also really into serving sauces with my rice. If that sounds good to you, I recommend trying this Puerto Rican Pique (hot sauce) or this easy cilantro lime sauce!
Easy Adaptations
Like many of my favorite rice dishes, this one is pretty easy to adapt based on your needs/taste.
Check out my suggestions:
- Add carrots and/or corn: It’s super common to see this recipe made with carrots or corn! If you want to add them, I recommend adding anywhere from ½ -1 cup (they can be fresh or frozen) when you add the broth.
- No sofrito? No problem: If you don’t have sofrito on hand, you can instead use ½ of an onion (diced), a few cloves of minced garlic, and a minced bell pepper. Cook them in the oil, the same way you would with sofrito. They may need a few more minutes to turn fragrant.
- Cook the shrimp separately: If you’ve got picky eaters who don’t do shrimp, you can easily cook the seasoned shrimp in a separate saucepan and serve on top of the rice for those that want it.
Special Equipment
As mentioned in the recipe notes, it’s really important to use a saucepan or pot that has a tight fitting lid. This will ensure there is enough residual heat to cook the shrimp fully.
More Tasty Rice Recipes
Buen provecho,
30 Minute Arroz con Camarones (Fluffy Rice with Shrimp)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree, Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Puerto Rican, Latin, Caribbean, American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
An easy, 30-minute Arroz con Camarones recipe that’s loaded with authentic Puerto Rican flavor from achiote oil, sazon, and sofrito. This fluffy red rice with shrimp is a Latin staple that comes together in one pan and makes a fabulous weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 4 tsp achiote oil or olive oil
- 1/2 cup sofrito
- 1 tbsp sazon seasoning
- 1 1/3 cups long grain white rice
- 2 2/3 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup peas, fresh or frozen
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 lb shrimp, deveined
- salt & pepper to taste
- optional garnish: sliced lime & cilantro, minced
Instructions
- Warm the sofrito, spices & rice. Warm the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat before adding the sofrito and half of the sazon seasoning. Cook until fragrant (about 2 minutes), then add rice, stir to coat and toast lightly.
- Add broth & cook rice. Add the broth & peas, turn the heat up to high to bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cover the saucepan. Cook on low for 15 minutes.
- Season the shrimp. While the rice cooks, mix the melted butter with the remaining half of the sazon seasoning in a bowl. Add the shrimp and toss to coat evenly with the seasoned butter.
- Cook the shrimp in the rice. Once the rice has cooked for the full 15 minutes, uncover and add the seasoned shrimp to the pan. Fold the shrimp into the rice so it’s evenly distributed. Cover the pan again, keeping the heat on low and let the residual heat from the rice cook the shrimp until it’s pink and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
- Taste & serve. Add salt & pepper to taste before serving with minced cilantro and a slice of lime as an optional garnish.
Notes
The cook time for the shrimp will depend on the size/variety of shrimp you use. Be mindful of this and look for pink, opaque color in your shrimp to know they are fully cooked.
