One-Pot Sausage and Rice

A super affordable, filling, and flavorful smokey sausage and rice skillet made in just one pot.

By Cressio Rinaldi

Sometimes dinner needs to be one pan, five ingredients and very little thinking. This recipe delivers. It is smoked sausage, onion, rice, broth and a can of tomatoes, and the whole thing cooks in a single skillet or pot.

The rice cooks directly in the broth and tomato juices, so every grain soaks up flavor. The sausage releases fat and smoky flavor into the pan as it browns, and the rice toasts in that fat before the liquid goes in. You end up with a dish that tastes far more layered than its ingredient list suggests.

The main rule is to leave the pot alone once the lid goes on. Lifting the lid lets out steam, and the rice depends on that steam to cook properly.

Read this first

1. Toast the rice in the pan for 1 minute before adding liquid.
2. Don’t lift the lid while it simmers.
3. Rest the rice covered for 5 minutes at the end.

Prep time: 10 mins · Cook time: 25 mins · Serves 4

Ingredients

• 14 oz Smoked sausage, sliced
• 1 cup White rice, uncooked
• 2 cups Chicken broth
• 1 can (14.5 oz) Diced tomatoes, canned
• 1/2 Onion, chopped

Instructions

1. In a large skillet or pot, brown the sliced sausage and chopped onion over medium-high heat until the onions are soft. Look for: Browned sausage edges, soft onion and a pan with brown bits on the bottom.
2. Stir in the uncooked rice and cook for 1 minute to lightly toast the grains. Look for: Rice grains that look slightly translucent at the edges and smell nutty.
3. Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes (with juices). Stir well to combine. Look for: The liquid is a rich orange-red, and the rice is just covered.
4. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Look for: A faint simmer under the lid, and steam coming from the edges.
5. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. Look for: Fluffy, separate grains, with all the liquid absorbed.

Nutrition

Amount per serving. Nutritional values are estimates calculated from the ingredients above and can vary.

• Calories: 530
• Fat: 26g
• Saturated Fat: 9g
• Carbohydrates: 54g
• Fiber: 1g
• Sugar: 3g
• Protein: 18g
• Sodium: 1360mg
• Cholesterol: 60mg

Notes

• Storage: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• Freezing: Freezes well for up to 2 months.
• Resting Off Heat: Letting it sit covered for 5 minutes after cooking, as directed, allows the rice to finish steaming evenly before fluffing.

Cook It With Me

Brown the sausage and onion

In a large, deep skillet or pot over medium-high heat, cook the 14 oz of sliced smoked sausage and the 1/2 chopped onion. Stir now and then for 5 to 6 minutes, until the sausage is browned at the edges and the onion is soft. Smoked sausage is already cooked, so you are browning it for flavor.

Toast the rice

Stir in the 1 cup of uncooked white rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring, until the grains look lightly toasted and coated in fat. This adds a nutty flavor and helps the grains stay separate.

Add the liquids

Pour in the 2 cups of chicken broth and the 14.5 oz can of diced tomatoes, with the juices. Stir well to combine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Simmer covered

Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight lid and simmer for 20 minutes. Don’t lift the lid.

Rest and fluff

Remove from the heat and let the pot sit, still covered, for 5 minutes. Then fluff the rice with a fork and serve.

The Ingredients, One by One

Smoked sausage

Kielbasa or any fully cooked smoked sausage works. It is salty, so you rarely need extra salt. Slice it into rounds about 1/2 inch thick.

Long-grain white rice

Don’t rinse it for this dish. The surface starch helps thicken the sauce slightly. Basmati and jasmine work, but the timing may vary a little.

Chicken broth

Two cups for one cup of rice, with the juices from the tomatoes making up the extra liquid. Low-sodium broth is a good idea, because the sausage is salty.

Diced tomatoes

A can with its juices adds sweetness, tang and body.

Onion

Half an onion, chopped, softens and melts into the rice.

The Technique Behind It

Why you brown the sausage first

Browning builds a layer of flavor in the pan, and the fat that renders out carries it into the rice.

Why you toast the rice

Coating the grains in fat keeps them separate and adds a nutty flavor.

Why you don’t lift the lid

Rice cooks in steam. Every time you lift the lid, you let out heat and moisture, and it will cook unevenly.

Mistakes That Cost You the Dish

• Lifting the lid The rice cooks unevenly.
• Too much heat The bottom burns before the rice is cooked. Keep it low.
• Skipping the rest The rice is wet on top and dry underneath.
• Stirring while simmering The rice turns gummy.
• Using the wrong pot A thin pot scorches. Use a heavy-bottomed one with a tight lid.

Fix It: If This Happens, Do This

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Rice is crunchy	Not enough liquid or cooking time	Add 1/4 cup of hot water, cover and cook for 5 more minutes.
Rice is mushy	Too much liquid	Uncover and cook for a minute to dry.
Bottom is burnt	Heat too high	Lower the heat and use a heavier pot.
Dish is too salty	Salty sausage or broth	Serve with extra rice or a squeeze of lemon.
Dish is bland	Not enough seasoning	Add black pepper, paprika or hot sauce.

What Each Ingredient Does (and What You Can Swap)

Ingredient	Its job	Swap, and what changes
Smoked sausage	Smoky, salty flavor	Andouille adds heat. Chicken sausage is lighter.
White rice	The base	Brown rice needs more liquid and time.
Chicken broth	Cooking liquid	Vegetable broth works.
Diced tomatoes	Acidity and body	Rotel adds heat.
Onion	Sweetness	Add bell pepper too.

Plan Ahead

• Prep ahead: Slice the sausage and chop the onion earlier in the day.
• Fridge: Up to 4 days.
• Reheat: With a splash of water, covered.
• Freezer: Freezes well for up to 3 months.

What to Serve With It

Serve straight from the pan with a green salad or steamed green beans. A sprinkle of parsley or green onions and a dash of hot sauce finish it nicely.

Questions People Ask

About the Author

Cressio Rinaldi

Cressio Rinaldi is the recipe developer behind Cressio Recipes. He cooks, tests, and writes every recipe on the site himself — refining each one until it's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough to make again. He's not a trained chef, just someone who cooks constantly and pays close attention to what actually makes a recipe work.