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When life gets busy, there’s nothing better than a hearty, delicious meal that comes together quickly in one pot. Today, we’re bringing you a recipe that’s perfect for lunch as well as weeknight dinners: one-pot rice, sausage, and peas. This dish is a fantastic combination of smoky, savory, and slightly sweet flavors that are sure to satisfy everyone in your household!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Minimal Cleanup: With everything cooked in one pot, you’ll save time on dishes. Who doesn’t like that?
- Quick & Easy: Ready in about 40 minutes, this recipe is ideal for quick lunches and busy weeknights.
- Customizable: You can easily swap ingredients to suit your preferences or what you have on hand.
Ingredients for one-pot rice, sausage, and peas recipe
- Polish Kielbasa (or any smoked sausage) – 1 full link: The Polska Kielbasa is your number one source of protein for this dish. It contains 7g of high-quality protein per serving. Besides, this smoked sausage provides a distinctively rich, savory, and smoky flavor that infuses the entire dish as it cooks. It also adds satisfying texture and depth to the meal.
- Rice (Uncle Ben’s variety) – 1 cup: Rice provides an ideal base for the dish, absorbing all the delicious flavors from the sausage, vegetables, and broth. Go for rice that holds its shape when cooked as this dish involves quite a bit of stirring. I prefer Uncle Ben’s variety of rice (CommissionsEarned) for this reason – its grains stay fluffy and separate even when fully cooked.
- Peas – 2 cups (frozen peas are okay): Peas add a pop of sweetness and vibrant color, balancing the smoky and savory flavors. They also provide additional proteins, a boost of fiber, and add several other nutrients to the dish.
- Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp: You’ll need vegetable oil to sautĂ© the sausage, onion, and garlic, helping to develop their flavors and ensuring nothing sticks to the pot.
- Onion – ½ cup (red or yellow): Onions bring natural sweetness and aromatic depth to the dish, enhancing its overall flavor profile. I like to use red onions, but a yellow onion would do an equally fantastic job.
- Garlic – 1 tsp: Garlic adds that much-needed aroma and warmth that complements the smokiness of the sausage and the sweetness of the peas and bell peppers.
- Red bell pepper (you can mix colors) – ½ cup: Bell peppers contribute a subtle sweetness, crunch, and vibrant color, making the dish more visually appealing and flavorful.
- Seasoning mix (Paprika – 1 ½ tsp; Black pepper – ½ tsp; Salt to taste): The seasoning mix is key to enhancing the flavors of the ingredients, with paprika adding smokiness, black pepper providing mild heat, and salt bringing everything together.
- Water or beef/chicken broth – 2 cups: The liquid is essential for cooking the rice, and using broth instead of water adds an extra layer of flavor, making the dish more savory and rich. That said, I used water in this recipe, and the results are super tasty and amazing.
Steps for one-pot rice, sausage, and peas recipe
- Prepare the ingredients: Rinse, dab dry, and slice the sausage into bite-size rounds. Chop the vegetables, gather the seasonings, and rinse the rice.
- Sauté the sausage: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook until browned on both sides, about 4-5 minutes. Stir constantly for even browning. Once ready, drain the sausage and set it aside. Keep the oil for the next step.
- Cook the aromatics: In the same pot, add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Add bell peppers and sauté for another minute, then add the seasoning mix (paprika, black pepper, and salt). Cook the aromatics for another minute to maximize the fragrance.
- Add water or broth: Pour in water or broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add rice and sausage: Pour in the washed rice followed by sausage. Stir and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is almost fully done, and the liquid is beginning to dry up (see the recipe video below for a better picture).
- Add peas: Pour in the frozen peas and spread them all over the top. Cover again and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of your peas. No need to stir them in at this point. Rather, just let the peas steam in the remaining liquid before the dish dries up. Simmer until the rice is tender and the peas are heated through.
- Fluff and serve: Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve hot.
My Amazon Affiliate Links
Please purchase any items you may need to make this recipe through these links to support this channel. I will earn commissions at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much!
- Pioneer Woman Complete Kitchen Set: https://amzn.to/4cl8lXg
- Blue Diamond Cookware Set (Non-stick): https://amzn.to/3LZjr9s
- Non-stick frying pan: https://amzn.to/3XacJEl
- Wooden spoons: https://amzn.to/3YBuDRp
- Bamboo cutting boards set: https://amzn.to/3YLL1ip
- Pioneer Woman knives set: https://amzn.to/3AjRkQ5
Tips for Awesome Results
- Use Good-Quality Sausage: The smoked sausage is the star of the dish, so choose one with a bold flavor.
- Select Good-Quality Rice: If you cannot get your hands on Uncle Ben’s variety of rice (CommissionsEarned), go for any other variety that can withstand stirring when fully cooked. Note that even long-grain rice varieties, which stay separate when cooked, can get mushy when stirred a lot, so be sure to pick carefully.
- Adjust Seasonings: Taste and adjust the spices as you cook to suit your palate.
Variations for one-pot rice, sausage, and peas recipe
- Vegetarian Option: Swap the smoked sausage for plant-based sausage or roasted mushrooms.
- Add Vegetables: Incorporate diced bell peppers, carrots, or zucchini for extra nutrients and color.
- Spicy Twist: Add a pinch of red pepper flakes or a dash of hot sauce for some heat.
Print the Recipe
Easy and Delicious One-Pot Rice, Sausage, and Peas Recipe
Course: MainCuisine: American, GlobalDifficulty: Easy6
servings5
minutes35
minutes40
minutesA quick and easy recipe that also allows a degree of flexibility with the ingredients.
Ingredients
Polish Kielbasa (or any smoked sausage) – 1 link
Rice (Uncle Ben’s variety) – 1 cup
Peas – 2 cups (frozen peas are okay)
Vegetable oil – 1 tbsp
Onion – ½ cup (red or yellow)
Garlic – 1 tsp
Red bell pepper (you can mix colors) – ½ cup
Seasoning mix (Paprika – 1 ½ tsp; Black pepper – ½ tsp; Salt to taste)
Water or beef/chicken broth – 2 cups
Directions
- Prepare the ingredients: Rinse, dab dry, and slice the sausage into bite-size rounds. Chop the vegetables, gather the seasonings, and rinse the rice.
- Sauté the sausage: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook until browned on both sides, about 4-5 minutes. Stir constantly for even browning. Once ready, drain the sausage and set it aside. Keep the oil for the next step.
- Cook the aromatics: In the same pot, add the chopped onion and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Add bell peppers and sauté for another minute, then add the seasoning mix (paprika, black pepper, and salt). Cook the aromatics for another minute to maximize the fragrance.
- Add water or broth: Pour in water or broth and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add rice and sausage: Pour in the washed rice followed by sausage. Stir and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes or until the rice is almost fully done, and the liquid is beginning to dry up (see the recipe video below for a better picture).
- Add peas: Pour in the frozen peas and spread them all over the top. Cover again and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of your peas. No need to stir them in at this point. Rather, just let the peas steam in the remaining liquid before the dish dries up. Simmer until the rice is tender and the peas are heated through.
- Fluff and serve: Remove the pot from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork, garnish with fresh parsley if desired, and serve hot.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Use Good-Quality Sausage: The smoked sausage is the star of the dish, so choose one with a bold flavor.
Select Good-Quality Rice: If you cannot get your hands on Uncle Ben’s variety of rice (CommissionsEarned), go for any other variety that can withstand stirring when fully cooked. Note that even long-grain rice varieties, which stay separate when cooked, can get mushy when stirred a lot, so be sure to pick carefully.
Adjust Seasonings: Taste and adjust the spices as you cook to suit your palate.
Conclusion
This one-pot rice, sausage, and peas recipe is bound to become a staple in your home. It’s comforting, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make. What’s more, you can serve it to kids too! My 3-year-old loves this meal. I hope you give this recipe a try whether you’re cooking for your family or meal-prepping for the week. This dish will not disappoint. Give it a try, and please share in the comments how it turns out!
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My Amazon Affiliate Links
Please purchase any items you may need to make this recipe through these links to support this channel. I will earn commissions at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much!
- Pioneer Woman Complete Kitchen Set: https://amzn.to/4cl8lXg
- Blue Diamond Cookware Set (Non-stick): https://amzn.to/3LZjr9s
- Non-stick frying pan: https://amzn.to/3XacJEl
- Wooden spoons: https://amzn.to/3YBuDRp
- Bamboo cutting boards set: https://amzn.to/3YLL1ip
- Pioneer Woman knives set: https://amzn.to/3AjRkQ5