Arroz Con Mariscos (Puerto Rican Seafood Rice)
This Puerto Rican style seafood rice (Arroz con Mariscos) is a fabulously delicious, less complicated version of Spanish Paella. Loaded with a blend of seafood, onion, pepper, and a flavorful rice base, it’s incredibly cozy with minimal effort required.
This Puerto Rican seafood rice is one of those weeknight meals that feels too good to be true.
Arroz con mariscos is like the younger, less uptight sibling to Paella. Loaded with seafood and a super flavorful rice base, it’s a one pot meal that will have all seafood lovers going back for seconds.
It’s got all the components of a fancy, elaborate dish you’d save for guests or special occasions, except it’s easy, easy, EASY!
Meaning you can make this for yourself on a Monday. And if that’s not a sign of a low-effort meal, idk what is.
Drizzle with a little (or a lot) of this incredible cilantro lime sauce for an extra saucy and delicious finish.
And if you’re into seafood rice, check out my 30 minute arroz con camarones (rice with shrimp) for another weeknight friendly meal.
The Grocery List
- frozen seafood mix, or a combination of your favorite fresh seafood (see note)*
- olive oil or achiote oil
- yellow onion, diced
- peppers (could be bell, canned fire roasted, pimento, piquillo, etc.), diced
- garlic, minced
- sofrito
- sazon seasoning
- short to medium grain white rice, rinsed
- water
- frozen (or fresh) peas
- salt
- optional: cilantro and lime to garnish
Find the full ingredient list with exact quantities in the recipe card below.
Step by Step Instructions
Frozen Seafood or Fresh?
I grew up in a household where we considered fresh seafood the only way to go.
We had a local seafood company where I would go with my dad to pick out clams, mussels, and scallops the same day we planned to cook a paella, clam chowder, or ciopinno. The quality was incredible and you could always taste it in the end result.
That said, I am not above using frozen seafood when in a pinch. In fact, I’ve come to learn that frozen seafood can actually be superior in certain circumstances.
- Freezing seafood immediately after it’s caught can lock in freshness
- It allows for flexibility in timing, meaning you can grab a bag on Monday and prepare it on Friday, without any compromises in quality
- Buying frozen is often more affordable, making it a win-win
All this to say, don’t feel weird about using and enjoying frozen seafood! Both fresh and frozen work beautifully in this Puerto Rican seafood rice.
I grabbed this bag of mixed seafood at the same local shop I used to visit with my dad, but you can find similar packages at your local grocery store in the freezer aisle.
Recommended Seafood
It’s up to you what kind of seafood you’d like to include in your rice, but I like to stick to the more traditional paella seafood mix.
This is typically a blend of shrimp, scallops, mussels and/or clams, and/or calamari.
If there are any of those you don’t enjoy, feel free to skip them. You can also choose to use shell on or off for any of these!
Tips for Success
A few quick tips before you get started on your arroz con mariscos:
- Plan ahead if using a package of frozen seafood and read the directions to ensure it’s ready when you’re ready to start cooking!
- Brush up on your Puerto Rican staples (sofrito and sazon). You can find these at the store or make your own in a few simple steps.
- Toss any clams or mussels that don’t open up while cooking – these are no good.
More Puerto Rican Rice Recipes
Buen Provecho,
Arroz Con Mariscos (Puerto Rican Seafood Rice)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Entree, Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Puerto Rican, Latin, Spanish
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Puerto Rican style seafood rice (Arroz con Mariscos) is a fabulously delicious, less complicated version of Spanish Paella. Loaded with a blend of seafood, onion, pepper, and a flavorful rice base, it’s incredibly cozy with minimal effort required.
Ingredients
- 1 package frozen seafood mix, or a combination of your favorite fresh seafood (see note)*
- 1 tbsp olive oil or achiote oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1/2 cup peppers (could be fresh bell, fire roasted, pimento, piquillo, etc.), diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup sofrito
- 2 tsp sazon seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 cups short to medium grain white rice, rinsed
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup frozen (or fresh) peas
- optional: cilantro and lime to garnish
Instructions
- Prep the seafood mix. Thaw the seafood mix if directed to in package directions so that it will be ready to go when you’re ready to start the rice. The mix I’m using can be cooked from frozen.
- Sauté the veggies, sofrito, sazon, and salt. In a caldero or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium high heat before adding diced onion. Cook until the onions begin to turn translucent then add garlic and sofrito and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Toss in pimento peppers, olives, sazon, and salt and mix to combine.
- Add seafood mix. Toss the prepared seafood mix into the pot and stir to incorporate everything together. Cook for a few minutes over medium high heat.
- Add rice and water. Add the rice and water and bring to a boil, continue to boil rapidly for a few minutes, stirring often.
- Cook the rice and seafood on low. Cover the pot and turn the heat to low. Cook for 15-25 minutes, or until the seafood is fully cooked and the rice is cooked through.
- Fluff in peas and serve. Fluff the peas into the rice. Add any additional salt or pepper to taste and serve with minced cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice, if desired.
Notes
- Frozen seafood mix can be substituted for ¼ – ½ lb of each: shrimp, mussels, squid, and clams. Note that you may need to prep the seafood (slice, clean, devein, etc.) depending on the kind you buy.
