One-Pot Smoked Sausage And Rice (2024)

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Easy one-pot smoked sausage and rice is a quick and easy meal that’s great for any weeknight. Full of savory smoked sausage, tender diced pepper in a flavorful tomato rice, this quick and easy meal will satisfy the whole family including picky eaters!

Why We Love Smoked Sausage And Rice

• Easy And Quick Meal – I love one pot meals for getting dinner on the table fast. This rice skillet is perfect for busy weeknights and only one pan to clean is the best part!
• Budget-Friendly Simple Ingredients – When my budget is stretched a little thinner, this dish is a great recipe to serve without breaking the bank. The simple ingredients in this easy sausage and rice recipe are items I often already have in the refrigerator.
• Similar to Jambalaya – I am not Cajun, don’t have roots in New Orleans, and this recipe is not authentic. However it is a filling and inexpensive meal that my whole family loves and yours will too. Check out this jambalaya recipe if you are looking for a more authentic version. This version satisfies my picky eater and can be a great jumping off point for trying more complex flavors.

Ingredients For Smoked Sausage And Rice

• 14ouncessmoked sausage– like polish kielbasa – sliced into rounds. You can use smoked Italian sausage,polish sausage, a spicy sausage like andouille sausage, or any beef or pork smoked sausage. Chicken and turkey smoked sausage is also delicious. Any size 12-14 ounces will work whether it’s Hillshiere Farms, Aidelle or whatever your favorite brand is.
• 1/2cuponiondiced, about 1/2 medium onion for 1/2 cup
• 1red bell pepperdiced
• 2tablespoonsolive oil
• 1/2teaspoonpaprikasmoked paprika will give more flavor if you have it
• 1teaspoonoregano
• 1/4teaspoongarlic powder
• 1/2teaspoonsalt
• 1/4teaspoonblack pepper
• 2cupschicken brothlow sodium
• 1cupwhite rice long grain. This is regular long grain white rice, you can not use instant rice or Minute rice in this recipe as the liquid will be off and the rice will be too wet.
• 3tablespoonstomato paste

How To Make Smoked Sausage And Rice

1. Slice the kielbasa into small rounds that are about ¼ inch thick. Dice the onion and bell pepper into small pieces between ¼ and ½ inch. In a small bowl mix together the paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper, then set to the side.
2. In a large sautee pan or 12 inch skillet with a lid, add a tablespoons of olive oil and turn a burner on to medium high heat. Add the sliced kielbasa to the pan. Cook the sausage for 5-6 minutes until browned on each side, stirring occasionally. Add onions and sauté until the onion begins to brown and soften, another 3-4 minutes.

3. To the pan add the chicken broth, rice, tomato paste, bell pepper, and the spices mixed together, the paprika, oregano, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Stir well until fully mixed. Bring the liquid in the pan to a boil.

4. Once boiling, cover the pan with a lid and turn the heat down to medium low to keep the liquid simmering. Cook covered for 20-23 minutes until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is gone. A little liquid still in the pan is ok as long as the rice is tender but it shouldn’t be runny. Top with a light sprinkle of fresh parsley or chopped green onions, then enjoy!

Variation Ideas

This dish is similar to jambalaya. While I don’t have cajun or creole roots, I can take some of the same ideas used in jambalaya and add it to the pot for a delicious dinner and you can too. This dish is flexible, you can add extra items you may already have in the refrigerator.

• Add Some Heat – I have kept this recipe fairly mild because it tends to be what my child will eat. However if you like a little heat you can kick this up a few notches. Try adding 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, a few dashes of hot sauce or 1/2 teaspoon of a cajun seasoning blend before you cook the rice for a little extra kick. Feel free to adjust any of these spices to your own taste preferences.
• Spice It Up At The Table– Hot sauce or red pepper flakes can be used to give this dish more kick at the table without having to make the entire one – pot meal spicy.
• Mix Up The Vegetables – This is a really easy recipe to use up some of the leftover vegetables in the fridge as long as you dice them small. A large carrot, a zucchini, a stalk or two of celery, or even mushrooms can all be easily thrown into this one pot dish easily.
• Add More Proteins – Both chicken and shrimp go well in this dish. You can add precooked pieces of most proteins you may have on hand, it’s a great way to use up a little leftover chicken or even steak. If the protein you have is not cooked, you can sautee it with a little extra oil until cooked after the onions but before adding the sausage.
• Try Beans- A 16 ounce can of drained red beans like kidney beans or black beans can also be added to round out this dish or make it stretch a little further.

Is Smoked Sausage Already Cooked?

Yes, smoked sausage has been cooked during the smoking process. It is still important to brown this sausage though because it adds a lot of flavor to the dish and the texture of the sausage will be more delicious.

You can also use the mini little smoke sausages like is used in this BBQ little smokies appetizer or pigs in a blanket.

Can I Use Raw Sausage In This Recipe?

You can use raw sausages like Italian sausages or brats in this dish if that’s what you have but you must cook the sausage all the way through before adding the rice, broth and other ingredients.

If using raw sausages bake or boil the sausages before slicing them, or you can even cook sausages in the instant pot pretty fast (even from frozen!) Raw sausages when sliced will fall apart into ground meat, which won’t give you the the big juicy pieces of meat in this dish.

Using a raw sausage will change the overall flavor of the dish. The smoking process adds a lot of smoky flavor to the finished recipe.

Can I Use Smoked Turkey Sausage or Smoke Chicken Sausage?

Yes, you can find many really delicious smoked turkey sausage and chicken sausage options in the grocery store. I have found almost all go well with this dish.

Why Is My Sausage And Rice Mushy?

Once the lid has covered the pot, you don’t want to stir it a lot. This allows the rice to steam and soak up all of that delicious broth.

Overcooking the rice can also sometimes cause it to be mushy. You want a little bit of liquid still left in the pan once finished cooking so the rice steams well.

Adding extra ingredients with a lot of water in them straight to the dish can lead to a mush rice. Dicing and cooking vegetables with the onions can help remove that water so the rice doesn’t end up mushy.

How Long Will Smoked Sausage And Rice Last?

Expect this dish will last for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator if stored in a covered airtight container.

Leftovers of this recipe reheat easily the next day in the microwave and are great for meal prep. I will sometimes sprinkle a little water or broth lightly onto the rice if it is close to the end to help keep the rice from drying out further in the microwave.