Skillet Cajun Chicken Sausage and Rice

Craving a homemade meal without all the dirty dishes? My Skillet Cajun Chicken and Sausage Rice has come to the rescue! This recipe takes less than an hour and cooks up in one skillet. Made with fresh veggies, aromatic spices, smoky sausage, and tender bites of chicken, it’s a dinner I gravitate towards every week.

Given the name of my blog, you can only imagine what the kitchen looks like when I’m done with it. “Like a bomb went off” doesn’t even do my work justice. With this unavoidable curse that’s been bestowed upon me, I’m constantly trying to conjure up recipe ideas that will limit the disaster I’ll have to clean up at the end of the night.

Maybe you don’t suffer from the same ailment, but I’m going to go out on a limb and assume you’ll appreciate dinner with all the fixings, made in just one skillet. When I think of a fully rounded meal, I’m looking for protein, carbs, and veggies. I had that in mind when I was testing this recipe. No need to serve anything else for dinner; everything you need will be in each bite!

Ingredients in skillet cajun chicken sausage and rice

Looking for the full recipe including ingredient amounts? Click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page or keep on scrolling down to the recipe card. Stick around and check this section out for extra detail and ingredient substitutes.

• Olive oil – To sear and sauté. Other types of oil that work for high heat are grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, avocado, and vegetable.
• Smoked sausage – Andouille is ideal but for some reason, I can NEVER find it. I used a Texas chili smoked sausage. Other great types are kielbasa, bratwurst, or chorizo. 
• Chicken – Chicken breast. Skinless and boneless thighs will work too.
• Salt & pepper – Season to taste.
• Onion – Onion to sauté, any type you like, and green onion for garnish at the end.
• Bell pepper – Any color you like best.
• Tomato – Both tomato paste and fire-roasted tomatoes. If you can’t find any fire-roasted (but for the love of all that is holy I hope you do), use regular diced tomatoes instead.
• Garlic – As much or little as you like. (Emphasis on much).
• Rice – Medium or long grain.
• Spices – Smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning.
• Red pepper flakes – Is 1/2 tsp a laugh for you? Well, then, fine! Use more. Not so much into spice? Use less or leave them out completely.
• Chicken broth – Or any type of broth/stock you have handy.

How to make skillet cajun chicken sausage and rice

1. Sausage: Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage in an even layer. Cook for 2 minutes per side, or until browned. Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside.
2. Chicken: Add the chicken to the skillet along with the salt and pepper. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until browned.
3. Veg: Add the remaining tbsp of olive oil to the skillet along with the onion and bell pepper. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion softens and begins to turn translucent.
4. Rice: Stir the garlic and tomato paste in with the veggies. Cook for 1 minute, then add the rice and stir well. Let the rice toast for 1-2 minutes, stirring often.
5. Remaining ingredients: Add the chicken and sausage back to the skillet along with the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, fire-roasted tomatoes, and chicken broth. Stir well to combine.
6. Simmer: Bring the mixture to a boil, then cover with a lid and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 20-25 minutes until the rice is tender, stirring the mixture and scraping the bottom of the skillet every 5 minutes or so.
7. Finish: Taste for seasoning and add salt & pepper as needed. Garnish with green onion and serve.

Can I add anything else?

To me, these types of “one-pot” or “one-skillet” meals always feel like an opportunity to use up some extra ingredients I have hanging out in my kitchen. Here are some ideas I think would be great additions to your meal:

• Corn
• Peas/ snow peas
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Green beans
• Canned beans, rinsed & drained
• Garnish: fresh avocado, tomatoes, cilantro

Tips for making the perfect skillet cajun chicken sausage and rice:

• Keep the simmer low. We want the rice to steam more than we want it to boil.
• If you don’t have a particularly tight-fitting lid for your skillet, keep some extra broth on hand to make up for evaporated liquid.
• If you find the rice is still a little firm but most of, or all, the liquid has been soaked up, you can add 1/4 – 1/2 cup more broth or water.
• Make sure to stir every 5 or so minutes to ensure you don’t have any burning rice at the bottom of the skillet.

How to store leftovers

Make sure the leftovers have cooled down to room temperature before storing.

Fridge

Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, microwave at 30-45 second intervals, stirring in between. You can also reheat on a skillet over medium heat. Use a splash of broth if you find the leftovers are drying out.

Freezer

Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 6 months. To reheat, let the leftovers thaw overnight in the fridge and follow the directions detailed above. If you try to reheat straight from the freezer, you’ll risk breaking the rice and turning into mush as you stir.

Did you like this recipe? I bet you’ll love these:

• One-Pot Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
• Turkey Chili
• Chicken and Shiitake Coconut Curry
• One Pan Herb Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
• Tortellini Soup

[ss_social_follow networks=”facebook;pinterest;instagram” scheme=”light”]