Need a dinner that’s fast, hearty, and doesn’t make a mountain of dishes? This dirty rice with sausage is a go-to for busy weeknights.
It’s ready in about 30 minutes, tastes like comfort in a bowl, and even picky eaters will ask for seconds.
🛒 Ingredients
- Sausage – I like using pork breakfast sausage because it adds tons of flavor without needing much extra seasoning. Any sausage works though, turkey or chicken sausage makes it lighter.
- Rice – Long-grain rice, like basmati, keeps the texture fluffy instead of mushy. If you only have jasmine, that’s fine too, just rinse it well.
- Cajun spice – This is what gives the dish its kick. Store-bought works great, but if it’s too spicy for your crowd, just go lighter or mix it with paprika.
- Celery, onion, and bell pepper – The classic “holy trinity” in Cajun cooking. Don’t skip these; they bring balance and depth.
- Chicken broth – If you’re trying to cut back on sodium, I like this low-sodium broth for better control over the flavor.
- If you like more sausage recipes, try cabbage and sausage skillet, cajun shrimp and sausage pasta, or italian sausage soup.
👩🍳 You'll find the complete list of ingredients below the recipe card.
🥘 How To Make Pork Dirty Rice
- Cook the sausage: Break it into small pieces in a skillet and cook until browned. Drain the fat and set aside.
- Sauté the veggies: In the same skillet, cook the onion, bell pepper, and celery until soft. Stir in garlic and Cajun spice for a quick hit of flavor.
- Add the rice: Stir in the uncooked rice so it toasts slightly before adding liquid.
- Add broth and herbs: Pour in chicken broth, toss in thyme and bay leaves, then return the sausage to the pan.
- Simmer: Cover and cook on low until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
- Fluff and serve: Remove bay leaves and thyme, fluff with a fork, and garnish with green onions or cilantro.
Rita's Tip
Toast the rice for a minute before adding broth, it makes the whole dish taste richer.
📋 Tips
- Slice your veggies a little chunky so they don’t disappear as they cook.
- Don’t rush browning the sausage, that golden color means flavor.
- Go easy on the salt until the end, since sausage and broth can already be salty.
- A squeeze of lemon at the end brightens everything up.
- Add a little hot sauce on top if you like it fiery.
- Swap the sausage for ground chicken or beef if that’s what you have.
- Toss in frozen peas or corn at the end for extra color and sweetness.
- I make this in my favorite cast-iron skillet — it browns the sausage perfectly and lasts forever. If you don’t have one yet, a good nonstick sauté pan makes cleanup so much easier after weeknight dinners like this.
👨🍳 Rita's Favorite Equipment
- Tools - A sturdy wooden spoon is great for breaking up sausage and stirring rice without scratching your pan.
- Rice Cooker (optional) - This multi purpose cooker makes perfect fluffy rice every single time — I like to use it whenever I double this recipe for meal prep.
- You can also make this in a large Dutch oven if you prefer everything cooked in one pot (less dishes = more relaxing evenings!).
🍱 Storage Instructions
- 🍱To Store. For leftovers, I love using these glass meal prep airtight containers. They reheat beautifully and make weekday lunches so easy.
- 🥶Freezing. Portion into freezer bags, flatten, and freeze for up to 2 months.
- 🔥To Reheat. Warm in a skillet with a splash of broth or water so it doesn’t dry out.
What To Serve With Pork Dirty Rice
More Dinner Recipes You'll Like
📖Recipe
Dirty Rice With Sausage
This Dirty Rice with Sausage is a quick, easy, and family-friendly one pan dinner that’s loaded with Cajun flavor. Perfect for busy weeknights!
Ingredients
- 11 ounce Pork breakfast sausage, I used Cumberland or similar, the skins removed
- 1 cup brown onion, finely diced
- 1 cup green bell pepper, medium small dice, not very fine it will wilt during cooking
- ¾ cup celery about 2-3 stalks, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, about 1 heaping teaspoon
- 2 teaspoon cajun spice
- 1 cup long grain rice such as basmati, uncooked
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2-3 thyme sprigs or dried thyme 1 teaspoon
- Salt to taste, seasoning will depend on which broth is used, best to use low sodium and add salt just a little, this dish has plenty of flavor and seasoning from the broth and sausages
- 2 large bay leaves
- Green onion, scallions or cilantro for garnish
- Black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Sausage: In a large skillet, cook the sausage meat, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spatula. Cook until no longer pink. Drain the fat and remove to a side plate.11 ounce Pork breakfast sausage
- Sauté the Vegetables: In the same skillet, add the onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook until the onion is translucent. Stir in garlic, Cajun spice, salt, and black pepper, cooking for another 30 seconds.1 cup brown onion, 1 cup green bell pepper, ¾ cup celery about 2-3 stalks, 4 garlic cloves, 2 teaspoon cajun spice, Salt to taste, Black pepper to taste
- Toast the Rice: Stir in the uncooked rice (washed and rinsed beforehand) so it absorbs the flavors.1 cup long grain rice such as basmati
- Add Broth and Herbs: Pour in the chicken broth, add the bay leaves and thyme, then return the cooked sausage to the skillet. Stir well.
- Simmer the Rice: Bring everything to a boil, then cover with a lid and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 18 minutes until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Finish and Garnish: Fluff the rice with a fork, remove thyme and bay leaves, and garnish with green onions, scallions, or cilantro before serving.Green onion
Nutrition
Calories: 264kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 12gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 761mgPotassium: 352mgFiber: 2gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 640IUVitamin C: 28mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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