Cajun Sausage and Rice Skillet (One Pan Dinner!)

Start With Simple Ingredients

The best part of an easy weeknight dinner like this Cajun Sausage and Rice recipe is that it’s got minimal prep. You have a few veggies & some sausage to slice, but you get to use a few little shortcuts, too! Let’s take a look:

• KIELBASA SAUSAGE. Mild, flavorful kielbasa sausage starts the flavor base of our Cajun sausage and rice skillet. I love that it adds smoky flavor without a lot of heat, which makes it a great option for little ones. Feel free to use pork, beef, turkey, or chicken sausage. Whatever you like!
• BELL PEPPERS. Next comes some color with 2 bell peppers. I like using two different colors (red + green or red + yellow), to make things more colorful and bright. We eat with our eyes first, and pretty colors always pull me in!
• GREEN ONIONS + GARLIC. Green onion adds a layer of onion flavor with a more subtle texture. Along with the garlic, I love the flavor it adds to our sausage and rice skillet!
• SPINACH. If you’ve got it on hand, a few handfuls of spinach make a great addition to this recipe. I recommend chopping or tearing the spinach into small pieces. That way, it’ll wilt down to practically nothing and blend right in with the rice and other veggies.
• A QUICK SAUCE TO FLAVOR THE RICE. Our most impactful punch of flavor comes from a quick sauce we mix up in the pan to flavor the rice. You’ll use a combination of tomato paste, chicken or veggie broth, and Cajun seasoning. It adds a gorgeous color to the rice and adds flavor to every single bite. YUM!
• COOKED WHITE RICE. After cooking the sausage, veggies, and sauce, you’re ready to mix in cooked white rice. Feel free to make this in advance to save time later, or use frozen packets in a pinch! It’ll absorb all that lovely sauce and taste amazing.
• A FEW FINISHING TOUCHES. Right before serving, add a little cilantro or parsley for a pop of fresh color and flavor. I love doing this!

• GET YOUR COOKBOOK
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How To Make This Cajun Sausage & Rice Skillet, Step By Step

As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!

1. First, Cook The Sausage. Warm butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced sausage and cook 8-10 minutes, or until browned and caramelized to your desired preference. Remove sausage from pan and set aside on a large clean plate/bowl.
2. Cook Peppers. Add diced bell peppers to the same skillet and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until crisp-tender. (Cook 1-2 minutes longer if you don’t want any bite at all.)
3. Add The Rest Of The Veggies. Add sliced green onions, minced garlic, and spinach to the peppers. Cook 1-2 minutes longer on medium heat, until spinach is wilted and the garlic is fragrant. Remove vegetables and set aside.
4. Build Flavor. Add tomato paste, broth, 1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning and the salt to the pan and cook, whisking or stirring until the mixture is smooth. Cook the mixture for 3-4 minutes, or until slightly thickened and smooth. Taste and add additional salt or Cajun seasoning, to taste. (You want it to be a bit strong-tasting since the rice and veggies will dilute the flavor a bit.)
5. Assemble The Dish. Return the cooked sausage and vegetables to the pan and add the cooked rice. Give it a good stir to coat with the sauce. Cook just 1-2 minutes longer to encourage the rice to absorb some of the liquid and allow the flavors to meld. Taste and add salt or pepper, to your liking. Garnish with cilantro or parsley.
6. Serve & Store. For best results, enjoy right away. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. 

On The Side. Depending on your hunger levels & how many people you’re feeding, this cajun sausage skillet can be a complete meal on its own, but to stretch it further

Mix It Up With One Of These Variations

Now that you know how to make our one-pot Cajun sausage and rice, let’s talk about variations! Here are a few ways to mix things up:

• LIGHTEN IT UP! Feel free to use turkey or chicken sausage in place of pork or beef. It’ll reduce the fat and calories if that’s your preference.
• TRY IT WITH OTHER VARIETIES OF SAUSAGE. The easiest way to play with the flavors in this sausage and rice skillet is to swap out the sausage! Trade out the kielbasa we used for Andouille sausage, red pepper, and garlic sausage, smoked sausage, or even something like Italian sausage!
• PLAY WITH THE VEGGIES. Get creative with the veggies you add to this recipe. Feel free to add some sliced zucchini or mushrooms along with the bell peppers, or change out our green onions for a red onion, yellow onion, or sweet onion. You could also swap out the spinach we use for kale or other greens, depending on what you have in your crisper drawer!
• MAKE IT SPICY! Since we’re using kielbasa and a modest amount of Cajun seasoning, this recipe isn’t super spicy as written. If you want to turn up the heat, you can swap out the kielbasa for spicy Andouille sausage (playing up those delicious Cajun flavors!), add a little more Cajun seasoning, or sprinkle in a bit of cayenne pepper. Easy-peasy!

FAQ + Tips For The Best Cajun Sausage & Rice Skillet

IS THIS SPICY? Our Cajun sausage and rice skillet isn’t really super spicy as written, though there are plenty of ways you can turn the heat up (see the last section above this one for tips!). The real determining factor will be the type of sausage you use (we use kielbasa which isn’t spicy) and the brand of Cajun seasoning you use. We almost always use this one, which isn’t spicy when used in small amounts, like we do here. Do be sure to read your labels, since some brands are made to be H-O-T!

SHORTCUTS TO MAKE THIS EASIER. One extra-quick shortcut is using frozen packets of pre-cooked rice. I can find these almost everywhere these days–Trader Joe’s, Sprouts and more carry frozen packets of jasmine rice with no added ingredients that work well here. They take 3 minutes to warm up in the microwave and you can add them right to the recipe! (We also love frozen garlic cubes since they have no added ingredients and taste exactly like fresh.)

CAN I USE BROWN RICE INSTEAD? I haven’t tested it with brown rice yet, but I do think it would work. The texture will be different–less light and fluffy/more dense and chewy–since you’re using brown rice, but since you’re adding cooked rice, it shouldn’t impact the ratios of sauce and seasonings much, if any.

CAN I USE CAULIFLOWER RICE INSTEAD? I wouldn’t recommend cauliflower rice here without playing with the ratios of sauce and seasonings, since cauliflower rice doesn’t absorb liquid the way white rice does. You might like our Paleo Jambalaya recipe if you want to go that route!