Puerto Rican rice with squid is a flavorful rice dish made with aromatics and squid in ink. The squid ink turns the rice black. I add sofrito, garlic, onions, and peppers for added flavor and pair this meal with maduros and salad. It comes together in 25 minutes or less, making it a great option for busy weeknights!
If you love rice dishes, check out these other recipes: arroz con gandules, arroz con pollo, arroz con salchichas, arroz mamposteao, arroz apastelado, arroz blanco, and arroz moro.
Arroz con calamares ingredients:
- Rice
- Squid in ink
- Sofrito
- Tomato sauce
- Chicken bouillon paste
- Water
- Garlic
- Bell pepper
- Onion
- Adobo
- Sazón
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Oregano
- Olives
- Roasted red peppers
- Cilantro
I make my own homemade blend of adobo and sazón. They are much healthier than most store-bought seasonings, they are cost effective, and last up to three years when stored in an air tight container.
*Find the full recipe with measurements at the bottom of this post or click the Jump to Recipe button at the top of this page.
How to make rice with squid:
Place a pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, garlic, onions, peppers, and sofrito. Sauté a few minutes until fragrant. Add seasonings, chicken bouillon, tomato sauce, olives, and roasted red peppers, if using.
Add the squid along with its ink. Measure out the water for the recipe and use some of it to rinse out the cans. Make sure you get all of the ink in the pot. Stir well.
Add the rice and the water. Stir everything until well combined. Taste the liquid for seasoning and adjust to your liking, if necessary. Allow this to boil for a few minutes until some of the liquid is absorbed. Add a few sprigs of fresh cilantro on top. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low. Allow the rice to cook for 25 minutes, covered.
Uncover the caldero and remove the cilantro springs. All of the liquid should have been absorbed by the rice. If there is still some liquid left, cover and continue cooking 5 minutes more. Carefully fluff the rice by lifting and flipping over spoonfuls of rice with a large kitchen spoon. The grains of rice should be fluffy and fully cooked. Serve with maduros and salad. Enjoy! ¡Buen provecho!
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Arroz con Calamares (Puerto Rican Rice with Squid)
Equipment
- 1 Caldero see notes
Ingredients
- 2 cups Jasmine rice
- 2 cans squid in ink 4 oz each
- 1/4 cup sofrito
- 1/4 cup tomato sauce
- 1/2 tbsp chicken bouillon paste Better than Bouillon
- 3 cups water
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1/2 green bell pepper finely diced
- 1/2 small onion finely diced
- 1/4 tsp adobo
- 1/4 tsp sazón
- 1/4 tsp ground oregano
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp pimiento stuffed olives optional
- 2 tbsp roasted red peppers (pimientos morrones) optional
- 4-5 sprigs fresh cilantro optional
Instructions
- Place a pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil, garlic, onions, peppers, and sofrito. Sauté a few minutes until fragrant.
- Add seasonings, chicken bouillon, tomato sauce, olives, and roasted red peppers, if using.
- Add the squid along with its ink. Measure out the water for the recipe and use some of it to rinse out the cans. Make sure you get all of the ink in the pot. Stir well.
- Add the rice and the water. Stir everything until well combined. Taste the liquid for seasoning and adjust to your liking, if necessary.
- Allow this to boil for a few minutes until some of the liquid is absorbed. Add a few sprigs of fresh cilantro on top. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low.
- Allow the rice to cook for 25 minutes, covered.
- Uncover the caldero and remove the cilantro springs. All of the liquid should have been absorbed by the rice. If there is still some liquid left, cover and continue cooking 5 minutes more.
- Carefully fluff the rice by lifting and flipping over spoonfuls of rice with a large kitchen spoon. The grains of rice should be fluffy and fully cooked.
- Serve with maduros and salad. Enjoy! ¡Buen provecho!
Notes
Tips:
If your rice is too wet and mushy (amogollao) that means you added too much liquid. The best way to fix this is to uncover it and cook for about 10 minutes, uncovered on super low heat. This will allow some of the excess moisture to evaporate. But don’t keep it on the heat for too long or the rice will overcook. If your rice is too grainy and the grains are hard in the center, that means you added too little liquid. Add about 1/2 cup of water and cook covered for 15 more minutes. This should fix it. If it’s still grainy, repeat the steps. Pro tip: Make sure your caldero is twice the size of the amount of rice.How to store arroz con calamares?
Store leftover arroz con calamares in an air-tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. For longer storage, store in freezer-safe containers or freezer ziplock bags and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator for easier reheating.Shop my kitchen faves on Amazon:
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Check out my other Caribbean recipes!
Arroz con Pollo (Chicken and Rice)
Alcapurrias (Puerto Rican Fritters)
Churrasco with Chimichurri Sauce
Arroz con Gandules (Rice with Pigeon Peas)
Puerto Rican Potato Salad (Ensalada de Papa)
Arroz con Salchichas (Rice with Sausage)
Pegao (Puerto Rican Crispy Rice)
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