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This one-pot Cajun sausage and rice is an easy, comforting dinner that never misses. It’s cozy, filling, and packed with plenty of flavor without requiring complicated steps or hard-to-find ingredients. When you want something soul-warming without standing over the stove all day, this is the recipe to make!
For more Cajun-inspired recipes, make my Cajun Chicken and Rice and Chicken and Sausage Jambalaya.
Easy Cajun Sausage and Rice
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy!
- 🕒 Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🥣 Cook Time: 40 minutes
- 🧑🍳 Total Time: 50 minutes
- 👪 Serves: 6 servings
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Andouille sausage, long-grain rice, fire-roasted tomatoes, green bell pepper, onion, celery, and Cajun seasoning
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This recipe is all about keeping dinner simple without giving up the bold, comforting flavor you want from a Cajun-inspired meal. Around here, we don’t play about flavor, so even when the ingredient list is short, we’re still making every single one count, okay? And that’s exactly what we did with this dish.
It’s cozy, filling, and exactly the kind of meal you’ll want in your weeknight dinner rotation, right alongside my Cajun Red Beans and Rice and Louisiana dirty rice.
Table of contents
Why You Need To Make This Recipe
Easy to make! Everything cooks in one pot and comes together with minimal hands-on work, making it a low-effort, high-reward dinner. You’ll have dinner made and on the table in no time!
Big Cajun Flavor! Smoky Andouille sausage, Cajun seasoning, fire-roasted tomatoes, and the classic combination of onion, celery, and bell pepper give this dish layers of bold, savory flavor. A quick squeeze of lemon at the end brightens everything up and keeps each bite from feeling too heavy.
Hearty and Family Friendly: This Cajun sausage and rice is warm, filling, and easy to serve straight from the pot. It works just as well for a casual family dinner as it does for feeding a hungry crowd, and the leftovers are even better the next day.
Key Ingredients
(full list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card)
- Andouille sausage adds smoky, spicy flavor and makes the dish hearty. You can also use kielbasa or chicken sausage if you can’t find andouille. For another cozy dinner featuring smoky sausage, try my Charleston Red Rice with Bacon too!
- Long-grain rice cooks directly in the seasoned broth and absorbs all that Cajun flavor. My preferred rice: Jasmine rice gives the dish a softer, slightly aromatic texture, while standard long-grain rice stays a little firmer and more separate.
- Green bell pepper, onion, and celery: This is the classic Cajun Holy Trinity. It builds the savory base of the recipe. This same aromatic base also adds tons of flavor to my Cajun shrimp and grits too.
- Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and onion powder: Give the rice its warm, savory spice.
- Tomato paste and fire-roasted diced tomatoes: Add richness, color, and a slightly smoky tomato flavor. Fire-roasted tomatoes alone gave the dish tomato flavor, but the tomato paste made it taste richer and more complex.
- Chicken broth: Provides the liquid needed to cook the rice while adding extra flavor.
- Lemon juice: Brightens the finished dish and balances the richness of the sausage and seasoned rice.
How To Make Cajun Sausage and Rice
Step 1: Brown the sausage and sauté the vegetables. Cook the Andouille sausage in a Dutch oven over medium heat until browned on both sides. Add the bell pepper, onion, and celery, then cook until softened, adding olive oil if the pot seems dry. Stir in the garlic, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, tomato paste, and butter. Add the rice and cook for 2 minutes to lightly toast it.
Step 2: Simmer the sausage and rice. Add the fire-roasted tomatoes, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Finish with lemon juice and chopped parsley.
Pro Tips
Rinse the rice: Rinse it under cool water until the water runs mostly clear. This removes excess starch and helps prevent gummy rice.
Check the seasoning before adding salt: Andouille sausage, Cajun seasoning, and chicken broth can all contain plenty of sodium. Use low-sodium broth when possible and adjust the salt after cooking.
While the rice cooks, keep the lid closed: Trapped steam cooks the rice evenly, so avoid lifting the lid repeatedly while it simmers.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the Cajun sausage and rice for up to 3 months. Reheat it with a small splash of broth or water to restore moisture.
Recipe FAQs
Long-grain white rice works best because it cooks up fluffy and absorbs the seasoned broth without becoming too sticky. Avoid instant rice or short-grain rice and brown rice because the cooking time and liquid ratio will be different.
Rinsing the rice helps remove excess surface starch, which can prevent the finished dish from becoming gummy. Rinse it under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain it well before adding it to the pot.
The heat may have been too high, or the liquid may have evaporated before the rice finished cooking. Add a few tablespoons of chicken broth, cover the pot, and cook over low heat for another 3-5 minutes.
Mushy rice is usually caused by adding too much liquid, cooking it too long, or stirring it frequently while it simmers. Measure the broth carefully and keep the lid closed as much as possible.
More Cajun Inspired Recipes
Main Course
Cajun Salmon Pasta
Main Course
Cajun Crawfish Etouffee
Main Course
Louisiana Shrimp Creole Recipe
Main Course
Easy Cajun Chicken and Rice
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If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below! You can also tag @BritneyBreaksBread on Instagram and hashtag #britneybreaksbread so I can celebrate your beautiful creations!
Cajun Sausage and Rice
Equipment
- Dutch Oven (or large cast iron skillet)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 14 oz Andouille Sausage, (sliced)
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, (diced)
- 1 Yellow Onion, (diced)
- 2 Celery Stalks, (diced)
- 4 cloves Garlic, (diced)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning
- 2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tsp Onion Powder
- 3 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 1 tbsp Salted Butter
- 1 cup Long Grain Rice
- 14 oz Fire Roasted Tomatoes
- 1 3/4 cups Chicken Broth
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- Hot Sauce, (for serving)
- Green Onions or Fresh Parsley, (for garnish)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add rice and rinse with ice cold water until the water runs clear.
- Warm a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes, until the pan is warm. Add 14 oz Andouille Sausage and cook for 3 minutes on each side, until it develop a nice brown crust. Then add diced green bell pepper, yellow onion, and celery. Continue to cook for about 5-6 minutes. Add 1 tbsp Olive Oil if needed. 1 Green Bell Pepper 1 Yellow Onion 2 Celery Stalks
- Add in diced garlic, Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, tomato paste, and butter. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until the tomato paste is even dispersed throughout the pan and the tomato paste is slightly deeper red. Then add rice and cook for 2 minutes, just to toast the rice slightly. 4 cloves Garlic 1 1/2 tbsp Cajun Seasoning 2 tsp Garlic Powder 2 tsp Onion Powder 3 tbsp Tomato Paste 1 tbsp Salted Butter 1 cup Long Grain Rice
- Add fire roasted tomatoes, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil and cover with a lid. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is fully evaporated. 14 oz Fire Roasted Tomatoes 1 3/4 cups Chicken Broth 1 Bay Leaf
- Remove the lid and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Stir to mix together and serve. Add chopped parsley or green onions for garnish. 1 tbsp Lemon Juice Hot Sauce Green Onions or Fresh Parsley
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
