Name: Skillet Dirty Rice & Beans
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 cup yellow onion, diced ((about 1 onions)); 3 plump garlic cloves, chopped; 12 oz fully cooked Smoked Beef Sausage Link, cut into chunks about the size of the kidney beans; 1 tsp Cajun seasoning, heaping **see note about salt ((I use Louisiana Fish Fry Cajun Seasoning)); 1 tsp smoked paprika, heaping; 1/4 tsp chili powder; 1/2 tsp each- garlic powder & onion powder; pinch red pepper flakes; 1 1/2 cups chicken broth; 14.5 oz diced tomatoes, do not drain; 1 cup long grain white rice (uncooked); 15.5 oz light or dark red kidney beans, drained

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Skillet Dirty Rice & Beans is a super easy skillet dinner, made in one pan. The rice is cooked with warm aromatics like onions, garlic, Cajun seasoning, and smoked paprika. Then you add diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and smoked beef sausage. Finally the kidney beans get added and you are left with a delicious dinner that is cooks in under 30 minutes, without a watchful eye.

All Clad skillet full of Dirty Rice and Beans

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This is not a spicy dish, it is simply full of warm and comforting flavors. Of course, you can make it spicy by adding extra red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.

A Perfect One Pan Dinner

I love a one pan dinner. There is nothing better than finishing dinner and only having one pan to wash.

This one skillet dinner is great on a night when you are busy and just want to be able to throw dinner in a pot and get on with your night.

A bowl of dirty rice and beans with two spoons to the side, an all clad skillet at the top of the picture

Some of our other favorite one pan dinners are my Healthy Sheet Pan Sausage & Veggies with Smoked Paprika Vinaigrette or my Instant Pot Cajun Rice with Chicken & Sausage.

What Makes Dirty Rice, Dirty?

I actually had to look this up when I thought about this recipe. So I thought I provide the information right here on Mom’s Dinner.

A bowl of dirty rice and beans with two spoons to the side, a skillet full of dirty rice and beans in the background.

What I found is that Dirty Rice is called dirty because when white rice is cooked with all the Cajun and Creole spices the rice takes on a dirty appearance.

Makes sense!

Cajun Seasoning

I like to use Louisiana Fish Fry Cajun Seasoning in this recipe.. and all my Cajun style recipes. It has a great mix of spices and salt.

Now if you choose to use a different Cajun seasoning check and see if it contains salt. If it does not, add a little less than ½ teaspoon of salt when you add the other seasonings to the onion-sausage mixture. Then wait to taste for additional salt at the end.

How to make Skillet Dirty Rice & Beans

This is a great set it and forget it recipe. Once all the ingredients are in the pot you have about 20-25 minutes to leave the kitchen and get other things done.

In a large skillet with a lid heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes.

While the onions and garlic saute chop the sausage into a dice, about the size of a kidney bean. Toss that into the skillet.

Add all the seasonings and stir to coat the onions and sausage.

All Clad skillet filled with Dirty Rice & Beans with a wooden spoon to the side

Pour the chicken broth and tomatoes into the skillet and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Now add the rice and bring the heat up to medium high and let the liquid come to a hard simmer.

Lower the heat to low and pop the lid on. Simmer on low for 18-20 minutes.

A wooden spoon full of rice, beans, sausage and tomatoes in a pan of dirty rice and beans

Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, with the lid on for 5 minutes.

Stir in the kidney beans and it is time to eat!