Name: Pegao (Puerto Rican Crispy Rice)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 cups Jasmine rice (rinsed thoroughly); 3 cups water; 1 1/2 tsp sea salt; 2 tbsp olive oil (divided)

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Pegao or Puerto Rican crispy rice is a delicacy on our island and other parts of the Caribbean as well. It goes by many different names but it is usually made the same way. Although it takes some practice making perfectly crispy pegao, once you learn the technique, it will become quite easy. Serve pegao alongside bistec encebollado, pollo al horno, pollo guisado, habichuelas guisadas, or any of your favorite dishes. Follow my recipe and tips for cooking perfect pegao every time!

What is pegao?

Pegao is the crispy rice that forms at the bottom of the pot. It is also referred to as scorched rice. In the Dominican Republic it is called concon. Raspa or raspita in Cuba. In Haiti, it is called graten and in Jamaica it is called bun bun.

Pegao comes from the word “pegado,” which translates to “stuck,” since pegao sticks to the bottom of the caldero in which it is cooked. To make good pegao, first you have ro master making good white rice. Once you can do that, you can easily make delicious pegao with just a few extra steps. My secret weapon in mastering perfect pegao is oil. Adding a bit of oil helps crisp up the rice and also helps make scraping much easier too.

What’s the best rice to use for making pegao?

My favorite rice to cook is Jasmine but you can also use long-grain or medium-grain white rice. These types of rice will yield the best pegao.

Tips for making perfect pegao:

Use a caldero to make the rice. This pot will make the best pegao.
Add a light drizzle of oil to help the rice crisp up.
Turn up the heat to medium, keep an eye on the rice to make sure it doesn’t burn.
Scrape the crispy rice from the pot right after it’s done crisping up, and serve immediately. Otherwise it will become chewy.

Ingredients for making pegao:

Rice
Water
Sea salt
Oil

How to make perfect pegao?

The key to making perfect pegao is to make perfect white rice. It is very important to get the rice to water ratio correct. This will depend on the type of rice that you are using. Also, follow the instructions on the packaging for best results. I prefer Jasmine rice. The rice to water ratio for Jasmine rice is 1 to 1 1/2.

As a rule of thumb, for every 2 cups of Jasmine rice, use 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tbsp oil, and 3 cups water. Always taste the water and adjust salt, if necessary. It is better to under-salt than over-salt.

Once the water, rice, salt, and oil are in the pot bring to a boil and after 3-5 minutes, cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25 minutes. Uncover the pot and fluff the rice. This method always results in perfect rice for me.

Once the rice is fully cooked, remove it from the caldero and set it aside. Add a drizzle of oil to the pot and turn up the heat to medium. Also, keep an eye on the rice to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Once the rice is crispy, scrape the pegao from the pot using a large spoon. Serve immediately, otherwise it will become chewy.

What to serve with pegao?

Pegao can be served with almost any main dish but some of my favorites include bistec encebollado, pollo al horno, pollo guisado, picadillo, and pastelón.

Pastelón Sweet Plantain Lasagna — Pastelon | Sweet Plantain Lasagna

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Pegao (Puerto Rican Crispy Rice)

Pegao or Puerto Rican crispy rice is a delicacy on our island and other parts of the Caribbean. It takes some practice making perfectly crispy pegao, but once you learn the technique, it will become quite easy!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 35

Total Time 40

Servings 4 people

Equipment

1 Caldero (Dutch oven) see notes for links

Ingredients

2 cups Jasmine rice rinsed thoroughly
3 cups water
1 1/2 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp olive oil divided

Instructions

Thoroughly rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear.
Place a caldero (pot) over high heat.
Add water, rice, salt, and 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. Stir to combine. Taste the water and adjust salt, if necessary.
Bring to a boil and after 3-5 minutes, cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 25 minutes.
Uncover, and fluff the rice. Remove it from the caldero and set it aside.
Add a drizzle of oil to the pot and turn up the heat to medium. Keep an eye on the rice to make sure it doesn't burn.
Once the rice is crispy, scrape the pegao from the pot using a large spoon. Serve immediately, otherwise it will become chewy.
Enjoy with your favorite main dish and stewed beans. ¡Buen provecho!

Notes

Tips:

As a rule of thumb, for every 2 cups of Jasmine rice, use 1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tbsp oil, and 3 cups water.

Always taste the water and adjust salt, if necessary. It is better to under-salt than over-salt.

Use a caldero to cook the rice. The caldero has to be at least twice as large as the amount of rice and water combined for best results. Using a caldero that is too small will result in unevenly cooked rice.

A caldero will make the best pegao. Add a light drizzle of oil to help the rice crisp up. Turn up the heat to medium, keep an eye on the rice to make sure it doesn’t burn. Scrape the crispy rice from the pot right after it’s done crisping up, and serve immediately. Otherwise it will become chewy.

Keyword concon, crispy rice, pegao, puerto rican pegao, Puerto Rican recipes, raspa, recetas Puertorriqueñas, scorched rice