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Loaded with ground sausage full of delicious flavors, this Sausage Rice Recipe is one dish you definitely want to try making! As a main or a side, this is perfect all year long.
When I think of sausage and rice, immediately my Sausage Rice recipe comes to mind. If you need to use up any leftover rice this recipe is for you!
HERE IS WHAT OUR READERS ARE SAYING:
“I used spicy pork and since I had cooked my rice in broth, I only used water in recipe afterwards. The roux really brought it all together. I also appreciate having the measurements throughout the directions. It is so helpful not having to keep scrolling and down. I think I will add frozen kale or spinach next time, just to add more green, since I didn’t and don’t normally have scallions on hand.” – Anne
To be honest, this one pot Dirty Rice was the star of our meals! It is so loaded with flavor and sausage that it could be an easy meal on its own!
I loved mixing in some collards and a chunk of cornbread while eating this rice, yuuum! It is the perfect combination in my eyes.
The best part about this recipe is that it is SUPER easy to make! Easy clean-up too. Not much to it other than adding in some ingredients and mixing all together, remember one-pot meal!
Seriously, it will get you a five star rating with any crowd. I mean, you can’t go wrong with a rice dish. Bring on the busy weeknights!
We have been making this easy one pot sausage rice for a long time, it’s always been a family staple and gets asked to be made more often than not.
I’m always happy to whip up this sausage rice recipe because I may just be slightly obsessed with it! Trust me, when you try it, you’ll see the exact reason why!
Some of my other favorite side dishes we have on our site include: Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms, Italian Sausage Stuffing and Classic Baked Macaroni and Cheese.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- With easy-to-find ingredients and one pot, this is super easy to throw together.
- Leftover rice is perfect to use with this easy recipe!
- This is great as a main or a side dish; it’s your choice!
INGREDIENTS NEEDED (SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST FOR THE FULL RECIPE CARD):
- Unsalted butter
- All-purpose flour
- Ground pork sausage
- Ground cumin
- Black pepper
- Paprika
- Chicken stock
- Garlic
- Cooked white rice
- Scallions
HOW TO MAKE SAUSAGE RICE RECIPE:
- Start by making the roux, place the flour and the butter into a small skillet over medium heat and whisk together.
- Continue to whisk until the mixture turns medium to dark brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside off the heat.
- Place a Dutch oven or thick-bottomed large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sausage, cumin, pepper, and paprika. Sear the sausage hard, mixing it with the spices and letting it brown, while breaking it up into crumbles. Bits will stick to the bottom of the pan.
- Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of the stock, scraping off all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
- Add the garlic and mix in until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the roux and stir to combine.
- Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, adding in the rest of the stock slowly so the mixture doesn’t completely dry out. Stir occasionally.
- Add the rice, stir to combine everything, and serve with scallion garnish, optional.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS RECIPE:
WHAT IS DIRTY RICE?
I know you have asked yourself what is in dirty rice? Traditionally, dirty rice is made with roux and chicken livers.
In this sausage dirty rice recipe, I have replaced the chicken livers with ground pork sausage. The sausage helps to add flavor to the rice, along with a quick roux.
Some people would call this a not-so-dirty rice because there are no chicken livers in it. And I’m okay with that!
IS THIS SPICY?
Most Dirty Rice recipes I have eaten are very spicy. That is all dependent on your taste.
For my recipe below, I have made it non-spicy. But if you love a kick to your dirty rice, Here are a few options to add heat:
- Purchase a pork sausage that is spicy already.
- Add red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to the sausage. You can do that in step #2 below in the recipe when you add the ground cumin and paprika.
- Add hot sauce to taste while serving.
This is one version the whole family will love.
ANY ADDITIONS?
There is so much flavor in this rice!
So often it’s the simple meals that really hit the spot. For a great addition, try out these ideas!
- Bell peppers: Add diced red or green pepper for extra flavor and texture.
- Onions: Sauté diced onions with the sausage for more depth in the dish.
- Cajun seasoning: For a spicier kick, sprinkle in some Cajun seasoning or creole seasoning.
- Andouille sausage: Mix in some diced andouille sausage for a smoky flavor.
- Tomato paste: Stir in a tablespoon of tomato paste for a richer flavor.
- Red pepper flakes: Sprinkle red pepper flakes for extra heat.
- Fresh parsley: Garnish with fresh parsley for a pop of color and freshness.
ANY SUBSTITUTIONS?
A great way to find your favorite flavor is to try out new things.
This is one of those busy weeknight dinners that I can’t get enough of.
- Ground turkey or chicken sausage: Use ground turkey or chicken sausage for a leaner version.
- Brown rice: Swap white rice for brown rice for a healthier option.
- Quinoa: Replace rice with quinoa for more protein and a unique texture.
- Turkey sausage: It’s a great recipe to use turkey sausage for a lighter option.
- Olive oil: Use olive oil instead of butter for a lighter, dairy-free option.
HOW TO STORE:
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze this recipe, place in a freezer-safe container or bag and it will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To defrost move to the refrigerator overnight, you can reheat in the microwave.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- Leftover rice is perfect for this recipe.
- We like ground pork sausage for this but hamburger or another sausage can be used.
- Double this recipe if you want to serve a large gathering.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- You can make this as spicy or less spicy as you’d like, see my tips above.
Looking for a delicious main or side dish recipe? You absolutely have to make a batch of my Sausage Rice Recipe!
It’s comfort food, if there ever was one.
If you like this recipe, you might also like:
If you’ve tried this SAUSAGE RICE RECIPE, let me know in the comments how it turned out! You can follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Easy Sausage Rice Recipe (Cajun Dirty Rice)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 pound ground pork sausage
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 3/4 cup chicken stock divided
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 3 cups cooked white rice
- 2 scallions thinly sliced for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Start by making the roux, place the flour and the butter into a small skillet over medium heat and whisk together.2 tablespoons flour, 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Continue to whisk until the mixture turns medium to dark brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside off the heat.
- Place a Dutch oven or thick-bottomed large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the sausage, cumin, pepper, and paprika. Sear the sausage hard, mixing it with the spices and letting it brown, while breaking it up into crumbles. Bits will stick to the bottom of the pan.1 pound ground pork sausage, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika
- Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of the stock, scraping off all the browned bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.3/4 cup chicken stock
- Add the garlic and mix in until fragrant, about 1 minute.3 cloves garlic
- Add the roux and stir to combine.
- Cook uncovered for 10 minutes, adding in the rest of the stock slowly so the mixture doesn’t completely dry out. Stir occasionally.
- Add the rice, stir to combine everything and warm the rice. Serve with scallion garnish, optional.3 cups cooked white rice, 2 scallions
Video
Notes
- Leftover rice is perfect for this recipe.
- We like ground pork sausage for this but hamburger or another sausage can be used.
- Double this recipe if you want to serve a large gathering.
- This can be frozen, see my tips above.
- You can make this as spicy or less spicy as you’d like, see my tips above.
Nutrition
Love This Recipe?
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Yummy! The changes I made were to brown the vegetarian Impossible Savory sausage with the garlic and onion. I used less black pepper and sprinkled some red pepper flakes. I did not use the full amount of rice. Maybe half. Will definitely make again and maybe add some corn…who knows what the next time will bring, am grateful I found this recipe! Thank you!
Great job
I used spicy pork and since I had cooked my rice in broth, I only used water in recipe afterwards. The roux really brought it all together. I also appreciate having the measurements throughout the directions. It is so helpful not having to keep scrolling and down. I think I will add frozen kale or spinach next time, just to add more green, since I didn’t and don’t normally have scallions on hand.
Love the Recipe! Left out the Rue. The rice has enough starch. 🙂
Delicious and super easy! I had purchased Vidalia onion and cheese ground sausage from a small butcher and didn’t know what to cook with it. It was perfect in this recipe. Thank you for sharing!
Amazing. It’s super good. Gonna add this to the regular menu. Thank you!
Huge hit!! Thank you for an easy, quick, low ingredient recipe!! We used deer sausage and it was awesome!
Great tips, thanks Jacqueline!
My man loved this! I only had an electric skillet to make this with, so the order of steps was a bit different.
I didn’t have flour so I used cornstarch. No fresh ingredients avail. I used powdered garlic. I did a little research for the cumin substitute…..I chose saffron. The sausage, Jimmy Dean sage, was an impulse buy by my boyfriend.
Thank you for this recipe to go by. My first time making dirty rice ever! (I just turned 62 yo and I’m semi homeless)
Jacqueline
It turned out fantastic
I made this for the first time tonight and it was a HIT!! My boys, 2.5 and 1, absolutely loved it! It was super yummy and flavorful.
The amount of chicken stock would not be enough to cook the rice. However, I’m sure that method would work with a different measure of ingredients! If you try it, please let us know how it comes out.
Could the sausage and rice be cooked together adding chicken stock after the sausage is browned?
I did 1.5 batch and added a bit more spice including chili powder. Even my 13 year old enjoyec it. Even after draining the sausage i was struggling to get it to brown so i stirred in some flour and that did the job. In the end i added a bit extra water being i added that flour.
This is the first recipe that I have used to make this dish. I have made it several times now, and while I have tweaked it more towards my family’s personal tastes; it is a staple. Thank you for a great recipe!
Yum! I added in a couple of bell peppers that I needed to use up, as well as fresh mushrooms and Cayenne pepper. Turned out amazing!