Smoked Sausage And Rice Recipe

Ash Tyrrell

Smoked Sausage And Rice Recipe

I made this Smoked Sausage and Rice Skillet Dinner on a hectic weeknight, and I was so happy with how fast and satisfying it turned out. The smoky sausage, crisp vegetables, fluffy rice, and melted cheese all came together in about 20 minutes — just enough time for me to catch my breath from a busy day.

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil — for sautéing; the fruity flavor helps lift vegetables without burning.
1 tablespoon butter — adds richness and helps get a nice browning on onions/sausage.
1 cup onion diced small — small dice ensures even cooking and better distribution.
2 cloves garlic minced — fresh garlic gives aroma; don’t substitute with too much powder unless you have to.
12 ounces smoked sausage sliced — smoked sausage is already cooked, so it gives a big flavor quickly.
2 cups broccoli chopped — raw broccoli keeps a bit of crispness; frozen will work but texture is softer.
1 cup yellow bell pepper sliced — bell peppers give color, sweetness, and freshness.
1 cup red bell pepper sliced — contrast in color plus added antioxidants and flavor.
2 cups minute rice fully cooked — minute rice is super convenient; leftover cooked rice works great too.
1 teaspoon seasoned salt — gives a quick flavor base; adjust depending on how salty your sausage is.
½ teaspoon cracked pepper — freshly cracked gives a better bite than pre-ground.
1 teaspoon garlic powder — balances the fresh garlic and flavors the rice.
1 teaspoon onion powder — same as above; adds depth.
1 cup cheddar cheese grated; optional — freshly grated melts more smoothly and gives better texture than pre-shredded.

Method

I heat olive oil and butter in the skillet over medium-high until the butter melts and oil shimmers. Then I add the diced onion and cook until softened (about 4 minutes), followed by adding minced garlic for about 30 seconds, and then the sliced smoked sausage, letting it brown lightly for ~2 minutes.
Once the sausage is lightly browned, I stir in chopped broccoli and bell peppers (yellow + red), reduce heat, cover the skillet and let the veggies cook for about 5 minutes. If the skillet seems dry, I add a splash of chicken broth or water to help them steam without sticking.
After the veggies are tender-crisp, I fold in the fully cooked rice, seasoned salt, cracked pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and mix well so flavors are distributed. I then take the skillet off heat, sprinkle grated cheddar cheese on top and stir in, letting the residual heat melt it gently instead of risking it burning.

Notes

I always use fresh grated cheese — it melts more evenly than pre-shredded, which often has anti-caking agents that affect texture.
I cut vegetables fairly uniform in size so they cook evenly; over-large pieces tend to be undercooked when rice is done.
I taste salt after combining rice; sometimes sausage plus seasoned salt make it saltier than I expect, so I adjust.
I cook a minute (or leftover) rice ahead, so the cooking process doesn’t wait on rice to finish.
I like to finish with something bright — a squeeze of lemon or sprinkle of fresh herbs like parsley or green onion — to cut through richness.