one pot smoked sausage and rice

One Pot, One Skillet, Zero Stress: Smoked Sausage and Rice

Name: One Pot Smoked Sausage And Rice
Prep time: 12 min
Cook time: 28 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 14 ounces smoked sausage (like kielbasa - sliced into rounds); 1/2 cup onion (diced, about 1/2 medium onion for 1/2 cup); 1 red bell pepper (diced); 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon paprika (smoked paprika will give more flavor if you have it); 1 teaspoon oregano; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 2 cups chicken broth (low sodium); 1 cup white rice long grain; 3 tablespoons tomato paste

A weeknight sausage and rice dinner that leans on one good sear and one good pot, not a pile of dishes.

Dowell CooksAugust 7, 20266 min read Print this post

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A skillet of smoked sausage and rice, straight off the stove.

One pan, one hot sear, dinner in 40 minutes flat.

Some nights you need one pan, one pot, and a dinner that doesn't ask anything hard of you. This smoked sausage and rice is exactly that: sliced kielbasa, peppers, onion and rice, all in the same skillet. No fancy technique, no ingredient list you need a translator for, just good food that comes together fast.

Overhead view of Smoked Sausage, Onion, Red Bell Pepper, Olive Oil, Paprika, Oregano, Garlic Powder and Salt arranged on a table — Sliced kielbasa, diced onion and bell pepper, rice, broth, and tomato paste laid out before cooking.

Mise en place

15 minutes, and you’re ready to cook.

Get everything sliced, diced and measured before the burner even turns on, since this one moves fast once it starts.

Gather EquipmentGather a large sauté pan or 12-inch skillet with a lid, a small mixing bowl, a cutting board, a sharp knife, and a wooden spoon or spatula for stirring.
Slice the Smoked SausageRemove the smoked sausage from its packaging. Slice it into small rounds approximately ¼ inch thick. Place the sliced sausage in a prep container.
Prepare the OnionPeel the onion and remove the papery skin. Dice it into small pieces between ¼ and ½ inch. You'll need about ½ cup. Place in a prep container.
Prepare the Red Bell PepperRinse the red bell pepper. Remove the stem and seeds. Dice the pepper into small pieces between ¼ and ½ inch. You'll need about 1 cup diced. Place in a prep container.
Measure SpicesMeasure out ½ teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Combine all spices in a small bowl and set aside.
Measure Liquids and Remaining IngredientsMeasure out 2 tablespoons olive oil into a small container. Measure out 2 cups chicken broth and 1 cup long grain white rice into separate containers. Measure out 3 tablespoons tomato paste into a small bowl.
Stage IngredientsArrange all prepped ingredients near the stove in cooking order: sliced sausage, diced onion, diced bell pepper, spice mixture, olive oil, chicken broth, rice, and tomato paste. Ensure the skillet with lid is within reach.

Active time~15 min · hands-on

What you’ll need

Tools for this recipe.

Nothing fancy required here, just the basics you probably already have out.

large skillet
small bowl
cutting board
chef's knife
wooden spoon

How it actually goes

The sausage is already fully cooked, so it's tempting to just warm it through and move on. Don't. Get the pan properly hot first and let those sliced rounds sit long enough to brown on both sides, that color is where the flavor of the whole dish starts. Once the onion softens in that same fat, the tomato paste goes in and gets a real minute to cook down before any liquid touches the pan. That one minute turns it from sharp and raw into something deep and savory that seasons the rice as it simmers.

The onion is doing more work here than it gets credit for, especially once it meets the broth.

Pairs for Onion

OnionOlive Oil

Score 90

Shared aroma compounds and complementary structure.

OnionChicken Broth

Score 88

Shared aroma compounds and complementary structure.

OnionTomato Paste

Score 86

Shared aroma compounds and complementary structure.

What to put next to it

This dish is rich and savory on its own, so it wants something bright next to it rather than something else heavy. A simple green salad with a sharp vinaigrette, a squeeze of lemon over the top at the table, or even just some hot sauce passed around does the job. Anything with a little acid cuts right through the richness of the sausage and rounds the plate out.

Slicing smoked sausage while preparing One Pot Smoked Sausage And Rice — Sliced sausage browning in the skillet before the rice goes in.

Smart swaps

Substitutions that still taste like the recipe.

Missing something in the pantry? These swaps keep the dish on track.

sausage

breakfast sausage
Shares aldehyde compounds with sausage
Italian sausage
Shares aldehyde compounds with sausage
pancetta
Shares aldehyde compounds with sausage

onion

shallot
Shares sulfur compounds with onion
scallion
Shares sulfur compounds with onion
leek
Shares sulfur compounds with onion

white rice

cake flour
Shares maillard compounds with white rice
cornstarch
Shares maillard compounds with white rice
fufu flour
Shares maillard compounds with white rice

chicken broth

beef broth
Shares maillard compounds with chicken broth
seafood stock
Shares maillard compounds with chicken broth
court bouillon
Shares acid compounds with chicken broth

Common questions

Can I use brown rice instead of white rice?

Yes, but plan on stretching the simmer time by 10 to 15 minutes and adding a splash more broth, since brown rice takes longer to soften and drinks up more liquid.

Do I need to brown the sausage since it's already cooked?

Yes, don't skip it. The browning is where most of the flavor in this dish comes from, so even though the sausage is safe to eat straight from the package, a proper sear makes the difference between a flat dinner and one with real depth.

Can I make this ahead of time?

It reheats well the next day, though the rice will soak up more liquid as it sits, so add a splash of broth when you warm it back up.

What if my rice is still crunchy after the timer's up?

Add a couple tablespoons of broth or water, put the lid back on, and give it another 3 to 5 minutes off the heat before checking again.

That's the whole recipe: one skillet, one good sear, twenty minutes of mostly leaving it alone. Make it tonight, make it again next Tuesday, and browse the rest of the recipes here whenever you need another one that just works.

The recipe

One Pot Smoked Sausage And Rice

Serves 440 minAmerican

The Quarterly

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