Skillet Dirty Rice & Beans

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

Skillet Dirty Rice & Beans for Dinner

This is meant to be an easy dinner without a lot of sides. The recipes contains your starch, protein, and veggies (if you consider beans and tomatoes veggies?!). So I would simply serve this with a big glass of milk, bottle of beer, or glass of wine.

Keep it Simple!

I hope you give this recipe for Skillet Dirty Rice & Beans a try in your kitchen!

Love-Susie

Skillet Dirty Rice & Beans

Skillet Dirty Rice & Beans is a one pan dinner that is easy to make and full of Cajun flavors and spices. 

4.88 from 16 votes

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Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Resting Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 5 people

Author: Susie Weinrich

Ingredients

• ▢ 1 tablespoon 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 could use Andoullie sausage for more spice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning, heaping **see note about salt (I use Louisiana Fish Fry Cajun Seasoning)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, heaping
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon each- garlic powder & onion powder
• ▢ pinch red pepper flakes
• ▢ 1 ½ 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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Instructions

• In a large skillet with a lid heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes, stirring often.

  Add the diced sausage and give a stir or two.
• Sprinkle in all the seasonings and spices. Stir to coat the onions and sausage.

  Stir in the (uncooked) rice.
• Pour the chicken broth and tomatoes into the pot and scrape up and browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

  Turn the heat to medium high and bring the liquid to a hard simmer for a minute.

  Turn the heat to low and pop the lid on the pot. Cook for 18-20 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the burner and let sit, with the lid on, for 5 minutes.

  Stir the bean into the mixture and serve.

Notes:

**If you use a different Cajun seasoning that does not contain salt, add a little less than ½ teaspoon salt when you add the other seasonings to the onion-sausage mixture.

For extra heat add a dash or two of cayenne pepper.

 

If you use a different type of rice (ie: basmati, jasmine, or brown rice) the cooking times will vary.

Did you try this recipe? Connect with me & let me know how it turned out by commenting below!

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If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.