Pork Sausage and Rice Skillet Dinner
This pork sausage and rice skillet dinner is a one-pan dinner that is easy to make, delicious, and a breeze to clean up afterward. In fact, it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner, even when you’re exhausted and limited on time.
I used my enamel coated iron casserole that is sort of a mini Dutch oven. But you can use any iron skillet, “Always” pan, or frying pan with a lid if that’s what you have. The results will be amazing, regardless of what pan you use.
Ingredients
You only need a few ingredients to make this delicious and oh-so satisfying one-pan meal. I like the fact that I typically have most of these ingredients in my pantry.
Here’s what you need:
- Ground pork sausage
- Uncooked white rice
- Can of diced tomatoes
- Water
- Chopped onion
- Minced garlic
- Cooking oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Sliced zucchini (optional)
I like to add the zucchini, but if I’m serving a side salad, I sometimes leave it out. Other delicious veggies you can add are green beans, broccoli, spinach, kale, or Brussels sprouts. You’ve probably noticed that all of the vegetables I recommended are green. That’s intentional. Green is opposite red on the color wheel (to balance out the tomatoes), so it’s a very colorful dish. I love lots of color on the plate.
If you want to print this recipe, go to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page.
How to Make Pork Sausage and Rice Skillet Dinner
First, pour the oil into your skillet and heat on medium-high. Add the pork sausage and chopped onion.
Cook until the sausage is done and the onion is translucent. Next, stir in the minced garlic until all of the ingredients are well mixed. Then, add the tomatoes, zucchini (optional), rice, and water. Stir again.
Finally, put a lid on the pan, turn the heat down to low, and let it cook until the rice is tender. This should take about 20 minutes.
Serve hot. If you’re super hungry, serve this delicious dinner with some homemade southern-style cornbread.
Ingredient Variations
You can also add more spice if you want. Here are some seasonings you might enjoy:
- Cinnamon
- Jalapeños
- Cajun seasoning
- Italian seasoning
The key is to make it the way you know your family will enjoy it. If you’re not sure about something, test it on a small amount of the dish. That way, you’ll know for sure.
Versatility of Pork
Pork is one of the most versatile forms of protein you can eat. We like to broil it, fry it, bake it, and cook it in any of our “makers,” such as our slow cooker, Instant Pot, and air fryer. It also makes an excellent main ingredient in a Dutch Oven or other specialty pot or pan. I love the fact that there are so many ways to cook pork. You can also add whatever seasonings you like to get the flavor you enjoy.
For example, we love these flavor-packed creamy ranch pork chops that give us something to look forward to at the end of a long day. We also enjoy this yummy slow cooker pork tenderloin that’s super easy to make in the Crock Pot. Just put the ingredients into the pot, turn it on, and come back a few hours later to an amazing main dish.
If you’re looking for something different but flavorful, try this cheesy zucchini ham bake. Serve it over rice, with potatoes, or all by itself. These easy Crock Pot pork chops are absolutely delicious! They only require 3 ingredients, and you can cook them in your slow cooker.
Extra Tips
If you want to improve the flavor of this easy meal, there’s nothing wrong with experimenting. Your family may love certain spices, so feel free to add them.
Here are some tips for personalizing your sausage and rice skillet dinner:
- Use your favorite brand of sausage. This is the star of the meal, so let it shine.
- Saute the onions before adding them to the skillet for more depth of flavor.
- Add more vegetables for flavor, texture, and color.
- Zest a lemon over the finished dinner. This levels up the flavor quite a bit.
- Cheese lovers will enjoy crumbled feta or grated parmesan. You can sprinkle it over the whole skillet dinner or offer bowls of cheese at the table.
Mug Cake – These are made individually, so everyone can have their favorite flavor!
Mint Chocolate Brownies – This dessert is a fabulous blend of chocolate and mint.
Festive Fudge – Every meal is a celebration when you serve this fudge for dessert!
Pork Sausage and Rice Skillet Dinner
This pork sausage and rice skillet dinner is an easy one-pot meal that will make the whole family very happy!
Ingredients
- 1 pound of ground pork sausage
- 1 cup of uncooked white rice
- One 15-ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 cup of chopped onion
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of cooking oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 medium sliced zucchini (optional)
Instructions
- Pour the oil into the bottom of a large skillet heated on medium-high. Swirl it around until the pan is well coated.
- Add the pork sausage to the skillet and break it up. As the sausage browns, turn the heat down to medium-low.
- If there is excess oil after the sausage browns, drain all but a tablespoon because you need some oil to help cook the onions and add flavor.
- Add the onions and garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent.
- If you want to add the sliced zucchini, add it now. Sauté for about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomatoes, including the liquid. Mix well.
- Add the rice, water, salt, and pepper. Stir. Turn the heat down to low.
- Cover and continue to cook for about 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Serve hot.
Notes
This is a one-dish meal, so you don’t need to have anything else. However, it’s always nice to have a slice of buttered French bread or cornbread with it.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 617Total Fat 35gSaturated Fat 10gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 22gCholesterol 98mgSodium 1125mgCarbohydrates 49gFiber 3gSugar 6gProtein 26g
The nutrition information is a product of online calculators. I try to provide true and accurate information, but these numbers are estimates.
Looks fantastic! I can’t wait to try it.
That looks easy and delicious!
It’s super easy and so good! I like to make enough for both of us to enjoy leftovers for lunch the next day.
im making this tomorrow but adding mushrooms!!!
That sounds wonderful! I love mushrooms!
This sounds so amazing! Would you know if it would freeze well?
I’m pretty sure it would freeze very well. I’ve never frozen this dish, but all of the ingredients do well in the freezer. If you freeze it, make sure it’s in an airtight container.
I make something similar so I’ll try it this way and these type of dishes always surprise me because honestly the darn leftovers taste even better sometimes!
Hi Rachel. I agree that leftovers often taste even better!
You don’t give measurements on any ingredient besides the oil. Recipe is next to useless without proportions. I really wanted to do meal too.
Hi Rick. There’s a recipe card at the bottom of all of my recipe posts with the measurements and full directions. I hope you check it out and make this delicious meal. I’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback from people who have tried it.
Easy to make recipe but it does need seasonings. Suggestion : add a few tablespoons of your favorite seasoning blends.
Thank you for commenting. It’s always good to add the seasonings you like.
Is this made with regular turkey sausage? (Usually used as breakfast sausage)
Hi Lauren. I usually make this skillet dinner with pork sausage. However, if you prefer turkey sausage, it should be just as delicious!
I would love to try this, but I am not an experienced cook. I need it all laid out. Do I drain the can of tomatoes?
Hi Melissa. Thank you for asking. No, you don’t need to drain the tomatoes. In fact, the liquid adds more flavor to the dish, and it keeps it from drying out. You can also add more seasonings if you like. Most of the time, I make this for a large crowd, so I don’t make it too spicy. However, when I make it for my husband and myself, we like a little bit of heat. If you think you might want to do this, taste it as-is first and only add a little at a time. You can always add more, but once it’s stirred, you can’t take it out.
@southernhomeexpress, thank you for laying it all out for me! I tried mac n cheese last week and the dog wouldn’t even eat it. Gritty and dry. Wish me luck! Take care
Do you think chicken broth would go well with it instead of water? Going to try this tonight!
Hi Brittany. Yes, absolutely! I use chicken broth quite a bit when recipes call for water.
OMG ok just got done eating this and holy moly!!! I only had Rotel, so I used that instead of just diced tomatoes and I used chicken broth instead of water. This is honestly probably my favorite meal and it was incredibly easy to make! Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Hi Brittany. I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know. Also, you are a prime example of using what you have to make the recipe your own. That’s always a good thing.
I made this and added some powdered onion and ground cumin an used mexican stewed tomatoes. Also cooked a can of red beans. It made a delicious combination with some Louisiana hot sauce. Very Cajun style.No leftovers!
Hi Mike. Your version sounds absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing!
IF you follow this recipe, the rice will never get cooked. It will come out hard and dry and grainy. That’s because there is not enough water to fully cook the rice. For white rice you usually need 1 and 3/4 cups of water for every one cup of rice.
Hi Tom. I appreciate your comment, but this recipe is good as-is. Quite a few people (including me, many times) have made this recipe, and this is the first time anyone has mentioned needing more liquid. Please keep in mind that the can of diced tomatoes has quite a bit of liquid, so you don’t need to add more than what I have listed in the recipe, or the rice will become glumpy. Since that might not have been clear, I added that you need to add the tomatoes and liquid from the can of tomatoes in the recipe card. Thank you!