This is a weeknight recipe that performs like something you’d expect at a Sunday dinner — comforting, bright, and straightforward. Shrimp and Rice (Arroz Con Camarones) is about building layers: aromatic sofrito, well-cooked rice, and quick-seared shrimp folded together at the end so nothing overcooks. It’s practical, forgiving, and fast once you get the rhythm down.

The technique separates rice cooking from shrimp cooking. That little division prevents rubbery shrimp and waterlogged rice. It also gives you room to tweak finishing flavors — a splash of salsa Lizano and fresh cilantro change everything without much work.

Below you’ll find the exact ingredient list from the source recipe with notes, step-by-step instructions (kept in the original order and amounts), troubleshooting, and serving and storage guidance so you can make this reliably every time.

The Ingredient Lineup

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided — split between rice and shrimp stages to flavor and prevent sticking.
1 small onion, chopped and divided — half goes into the rice for gentle sweetness; the rest sautés with the pepper for the shrimp.
4 garlic cloves, minced and divided — garlic is layered in both stages for depth; divide exactly as instructed to avoid burning.
1 1/4 cups uncooked long grain rice, I use extra long grain — the rice cooks in broth for tender, separate grains; measure carefully.
2 1/2 cups chicken bone broth — flavors the rice; use the same volume for a consistent cook.
1 teaspoon Sazon seasoning with achoite — the rice’s main savory and color boost; stir in with the broth so it distributes evenly.
1 medium bell pepper, finely diced — adds texture and sweetness to the shrimp component; dice small so it softens quickly.
1/4 cup chopped cilantro, divided plus more for garnish — half cooks with rice, half warms with shrimp and brightens the finished dish.
1 1/4 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined — cook just until opaque; quantity yields generous servings for 3–4 people.
1 tablespoon salsa Lizano — finished into the skillet for a tangy, slightly sweet savory hit; it’s a final flavor binder.

The Method for Shrimp and Rice (Arroz Con Camarones)

In a medium heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat half of the olive oil (2 teaspoons) over medium heat. Add half of the chopped onion, half of the minced garlic, and half of the chopped cilantro. Sauté about 2 minutes, until softened.
Add the uncooked rice, chicken bone broth, and Sazon seasoning to the pot. Stir once to combine and make sure the rice is submerged.
Increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low, cover, and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and keep the pot covered. Let the rice sit, covered, for at least 5 more minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining olive oil (the other 2 teaspoons) in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining chopped onion and the diced bell pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until softened.
Add the remaining minced garlic to the skillet and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Stir in the remaining chopped cilantro to warm.
Transfer the fluffed rice into the skillet with the shrimp. Add the salsa Lizano and gently stir until everything is evenly combined.
Garnish with additional cilantro as desired and serve.

Why This Recipe Works

The recipe separates rice and shrimp, which is the biggest reason it turns out consistently well. Rice needs time and undisturbed heat to absorb liquid and steam to finish; shrimp needs quick, direct heat. Keeping those processes apart keeps texture where it should be: fluffy rice and tender shrimp.

Sazon and chicken bone broth do the heavy lifting for flavor. The Sazon provides color and subtle achiote notes while the broth brings savory depth. Garlic, onion, and cilantro layered in both stages give an undercurrent of aromatic complexity without overcrowding the shrimp’s natural sweetness.

Finishing everything in the skillet allows the flavors to marry briefly and keeps the dish warm for serving. A splash of salsa Lizano at the end acts like a glue — it harmonizes acidity and umami so each bite feels complete.

What to Use Instead

Keep the method and amounts the same but make these swaps only if necessary:

If you need to change the rice approach — use the same volume of another long-grain rice, but watch the pot during the final 5 minutes and extend resting time if needed; don’t increase broth without testing as grain size affects absorption.
If you can’t use the salsa Lizano — omit it and taste the finished dish; you may want a squeeze of citrus at the table to brighten flavors instead of the salsa.
For cilantro sensitivity — reduce the cilantro amount or reserve it entirely for garnish so the herb is optional for each diner.

Equipment Breakdown

Use gear that keeps heat even and lets you control moisture.

Medium heavy pot with tight-fitting lid — retains steam and cooks rice evenly; a heavy bottom is best for consistent heat.
Large deep skillet — gives space to cook the shrimp and fold in rice without crowding.
Heatproof spoon or spatula — for stirring and folding without smashing the rice or shrimp.
Fork — fluffing the rice with a fork keeps grains separate.

Troubles You Can Avoid

Common issues are easy to fix once you know where they come from.

Soggy rice: usually from too much liquid or lifting the lid while the rice cooks. Stick to the 2 1/2 cups of broth for 1 1/4 cups rice and don’t peek during the 15-minute cook.

Undercooked rice: if you find the rice still firm after resting, return it to very low heat with the lid on for 3–5 minutes — don’t add large amounts of extra liquid; small splashes and time usually solve it.

Rubbery shrimp: happens when shrimp are cooked too long. Tight timing helps — cook shrimp only until opaque, about 3 minutes as directed, and fold them into the rice just to warm through.

Flat flavor: taste before serving. Salsa Lizano and cilantro are final flavor engines; if the dish tastes a little muted, add more cilantro or a small extra drizzle of the salsa at the table.

Seasonal Twists

Work with what’s in season from the list’s framework:

If your bell peppers are especially sweet in summer, dice them a little larger to enjoy texture. In cooler months, rely more on the aromatics — don’t be afraid to slightly increase the onion portion you use in the rice stage (still within the recipe’s divided approach) to add depth. Cilantro picks up seasonally too; when it’s vibrant, use a touch more as garnish to bring freshness.

Testing Timeline

Here’s a realistic timeline to plan your cooking:

Prep (chopping, measuring): 10–15 minutes. Chop onions, garlic, cilantro, and bell pepper; peel and devein shrimp if needed.
Rice cook: 15 minutes covered at very low heat, plus at least 5 minutes resting covered — 20 minutes total in-pot time.
Shrimp & finishing: while rice cooks, the skillet stage is about 8–10 minutes total: 2–3 minutes to soften veggies, 1 minute garlic, 3 minutes shrimp, then folding and finishing — another 2–3 minutes.
Total active time: about 25–30 minutes. Total elapsed time from start to table is roughly 35–45 minutes depending on prep speed.

Freezer-Friendly Notes

Shrimp and rice freeze okay, but the texture shifts. If you plan to freeze:

Cool completely before packing into airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags.
Freeze in portion-sized batches to avoid reheating more than you need.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water or broth to refresh the rice. Microwave reheating works, too; cover and add a teaspoon of liquid per cup to prevent dryness.

For best texture, freezing separates the rice and shrimp if you can — freeze rice alone and shrimp alone, then combine when reheating. This helps control shrimp texture on reheating.

Your Questions, Answered

Q: Can I make this gluten-free? A: Yes. All ingredients in the list are naturally gluten-free; just verify the salsa Lizano and Sazon you buy are labeled gluten-free.

Q: Can I scale the recipe up or down? A: Scale ingredients proportionally. Keep cooking times similar for rice, but use a pot size appropriate to avoid crowding.

Q: How do I keep the rice grains separate? A: Use the indicated rice-to-broth ratio, keep the lid closed during the 15-minute simmer, and fluff with a fork after the resting period.

Q: Any tips for testing doneness of the rice? A: After the 15-minute cook and 5-minute rest, taste a grain. It should be tender but not mushy. If it needs a touch more time, cover and return to very low heat for 2–3 minutes.

Save & Share

If this version of Shrimp and Rice (Arroz Con Camarones) becomes part of your regular rotation, save a note about any small tweaks you make — extra cilantro, a touch more salsa Lizano, or a swap in rice type — so you can repeat the result you love. Share the recipe with friends who like quick weeknight dinners that taste like comfort food without a lot of fuss.

Make this once as written, and you’ll know exactly where to push the flavor next time. Happy cooking — and enjoy the way the shrimp’s sweetness meets the seasoned rice.

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Shrimp and Rice (Arroz Con Camarones)

There’s something incredibly comforting about a bowl of Shrimp and…

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 teaspoonsextra virgin olive oil divided
1 smallonion chopped and divided
4 garlic cloves minced and divided
1 1/4 cupsuncooked long grain rice I use extra long grain
2 1/2 cupschicken bone broth
1 teaspoonSazon seasoning with achoite
1 mediumbell pepper finely diced
1/4 cupchopped cilantro divided plus more for garnish
1 1/4 poundsshrimp peeled and deveined
1 tablespoonsalsa lizano

Instructions

In a medium heavy pot with a tight-fitting lid, heat half of the olive oil (2 teaspoons) over medium heat. Add half of the chopped onion, half of the minced garlic, and half of the chopped cilantro. Sauté about 2 minutes, until softened.
Add the uncooked rice, chicken bone broth, and Sazon seasoning to the pot. Stir once to combine and make sure the rice is submerged.
Increase heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to very low, cover, and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, turn off the heat and keep the pot covered. Let the rice sit, covered, for at least 5 more minutes. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining olive oil (the other 2 teaspoons) in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the remaining chopped onion and the diced bell pepper. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until softened.
Add the remaining minced garlic to the skillet and cook about 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the shrimp to the skillet and cook about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are opaque and cooked through. Stir in the remaining chopped cilantro to warm.
Transfer the fluffed rice into the skillet with the shrimp. Add the salsa Lizano and gently stir until everything is evenly combined.
Garnish with additional cilantro as desired and serve.