Description
This easy Black Beans and Rice with Sausage recipe is a hearty one-pot meal featuring smoky sausage, tender rice, black beans, and flavorful vegetables seasoned with cumin and chili powder. Ready in under an hour, budget-friendly, and perfect for meal prep!
Ingredients
For the Main Dish:
- 1 pound smoked sausage (such as kielbasa or andouille), sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 bay leaf
- Salt and pepper to taste
For Serving:
- Fresh cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
- Hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in your large skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Once it’s shimmering (but not smoking!), add your sliced sausage. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage gets those beautiful golden-brown edges.
In that same pan (with all those gorgeous browned bits!), add your chopped onion and bell pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they’ve softened and the onion becomes translucent. You’ll see them start to pick up some of that caramelized color from the pan.
Toss in your minced garlic and cook for just 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Stir in your rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently to coat each grain with the oil and aromatics. This toasting step gives the rice a slightly nutty flavor and helps the grains stay separate instead of getting mushy.
Pour in the chicken broth, diced tomatoes (with all their juice – don’t drain them!), cumin, chili powder, and tuck that bay leaf right in there. Give everything a good stir to combine and make sure nothing’s stuck to the bottom of the pan.
Crank up the heat and bring everything to a boil. Once it’s bubbling, reduce the heat to low, cover with your lid, and let it simmer peacefully for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, quickly stir in your drained black beans and that gorgeous browned sausage. Cover again and cook for another 5-10 minutes until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. If there’s still quite a bit of liquid at the end, just let it sit uncovered for a few minutes.
Fish out that bay leaf (don’t forget this step – nobody wants to bite into a bay leaf!). Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed. The amount will depend on how salty your sausage and broth were, so always taste first!
Fluff everything with a fork, garnish with fresh cilantro, and serve with hot sauce on the side for those who like it spicy!
Notes
- Common mistake to avoid: Don’t skip the rice toasting step! Those 2 minutes make a huge difference in texture
- Smart shortcut: Use pre-diced “mirepoix” vegetables (onion, celery, bell pepper mix) from the produce section to save chopping time
- Rice rescue: If your rice isn’t quite tender but the liquid is gone, add 1/4 cup more broth and cook for a few more minutes
- Prevent sticking: Give the pot a quick stir after adding the beans and sausage back in to make sure nothing’s stuck to the bottom
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Southern