Italian sausage and sweet bell peppers mixed with leeks and garlic all mixed in with an easy tomato sauce. This sausage, peppers, and rice skillet makes for an easy weeknight dinner!
Naturally gluten-free and full of simple flavor, this sausage and rice recipe makes it easy to feed a large family.
Looking for a hearty meal but not wanting to deal with the cleanup?
This sausage, peppers, and rice dinner is an easy fix!
Use up those extra veggies in the fridge, grab a can of tomato sauce, and make weeknight dinners a little bit easier with this recipe.
As a Certified Nutrition Coach, it’s one of my favorites because it’s:
- Dairy-free and gluten-free
- Made in one skillet (easy cleanup!)
- Flavored to preference
- A hit with kids
- Balanced with protein, veggies, and carbohydrates
Ingredients You Need
Gluten-free pork sausages: make sure to double-check that your sausages are gluten-free as many store-bought brands use gluten as a filler.
Any Italian sausages will work for this sausage and rice recipe so grab the flavor best suited to your house.
Fresh peppers: a great way to use up any extra you have in the garden! This sausage pepper and rice skillet look best when there’s more than one color of pepper when possible. Know that green bell peppers will give it more of a spicy flavor.
Leek: sliced leeks give this skillet dinner a great flavor. However, if you don’t have any on hand, sweet onion works too.
Fresh garlic: there will be garlic in the Italian sausages so no need to go overboard. Mince it finely so it blends well.
Chicken broth: if you have homemade chicken broth on hand, awesome! If not, whisk some chicken broth powder into water for maximum flavor.
Tomato sauce: the kind of sauce you grab will make a difference to the flavor of the sausage and rice skillet.
Uncooked rice: Basmati rice cooks best in this skillet dinner but brown rice will work too if that’s what you have. Have cooked rice on hand? You can use that too! Scroll down to see how to tweak the recipe for cooked rice.
Tomato paste: this gives the sausage and rice recipe a thicker consistency that helps it feel more hearty.
Avocado oil: though olive oil will work it is not safe to use when cooking at higher temperatures. Thus, avocado oil is better for this rice dish.
How To Make It from Scratch
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium to high heat.
- Cook the sausages in oil until cooked through and drain the grease.
- Add in the garlic, leek, and peppers, and cook until soft.
- Add in the broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix well.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and mix in the rice.
- Cover and cook until the rice is cooked through.
- Uncover and keep at a rolling boil until the skillet thickens up or reaches desired consistency
- Let sit for ten minutes before serving.
Step By Step Photos
Important Teaching Tips
The kind of sausages you choose will slightly affect the flavor of the rice skillet. Though this recipe uses Italian sausage but honey garlic will work as well.
Just make sure to double-check that they’re gluten-free.
Olive oil works in place of avocado oil but it doesn't have a high heat point so if you have avocado oil on hand, rock that.
Want to make the sausage and peppers skillet more cajun? Top it with a pinch of cayenne pepper while it sits- this works well for something like chicken bog too!
Though the sausage recipe calls for leek, sweet onion works well in its place.
Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to let the mixture simmer a bit longer so that the extra liquid is absorbed.
This recipe is wicked at stretching for a family thanks to the rice. if you have a rice cooker and need some more ideas check out these rice cooker recipes to stretch more meals!
Dinner doesn’t have to be chaotic—this eBook gives you 20+ protein-packed meals ready in 30 minutes or less (even when the day’s already gone sideways)
Frequently Asked Questions About Sausage Pepper And Rice Skillets
If you’re browning your sausage, add a tiny bit of oil or water to the bottom of your pan. Heat it at just over medium heat. When it’s hot, add in the sausages and let them cook, taking care to toss or turn them frequently. If sliced, sausages will take roughly 10 minutes to brown. If the sausages are intact, poke some holes in them to release the heat and expect them to cook slightly longer.
If stored in a sealed container, you can reheat a portion of the skillet dinner in the microwave. If you need to reheat the entire thing, add in ½ cup of water or bone broth, cover the skillet, and cook at medium to low until heated through.
You can use leftover rice however since it won't absorb as much liquid, you'll want to scale back the chicken broth by one cup and adjust as per your preference as it heats.
Chicken sausages work just as well as regular Italian sausage for this recipe so you can easily sub them in.
Other Easy, Gluten-Free Weeknight Dinner Recipes
- Pan seared pork chops (made in just 30 minutes!)
- Easy venison chili
- Dairy-free chicken alfredo
- Baked teriyaki chicken thighs
- One pot sausage and tomato pasta
- 30 minute teriyaki meatballs
- Slow cooker teriyaki chicken
- Chicken fajita bowls
- Creamy slow cooker Tuscan chicken
- Thai quinoa stir fry
- 30-minute meals
Gluten-Free Sausage And Peppers Skillet
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 Sausage links sliced
- 2 Bell peppers sliced
- ½ cup Leek sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- Pepper to taste
- 2 cups Bone broth
- 1.25 cups Rice uncooked
- ½ teaspoon Paprika
- 1 cup Tomato sauce
- 2 tbs Tomato paste
- 1 tbs Avocado oil
- pinch Cayenne pepper optional
Instructions
- Heat a large wok over medium high heat.
- Add in the oil and sausages.
- Cook the sausages until cooked through (10-12 minutes). Drain the grease.
- Turn the burner down to medium heat and add in the garlic, leek, and peppers.
- Cover and cook until mostly soft.
- Add in the broth sauce, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and paprika. Mix well.
- Turn the heat up slightly and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Add in the rice.
- Cover and cook for 20 minutes at medium heat until the rice is cooked through.
- Uncover and keep at a rolling boil until the skillet thickens up or reaches desired consistency (15 minutes-ish).
- Let sit for ten minutes before serving.
- Top with cayenne pepper if using.
Notes
- Want to make the sausage and peppers skillet more cajun? Top it with a pinch of cayenne pepper while it sits.
- Brown rice and basmati rice both work for this recipe.
- Though the sausage recipe calls for leek, sweet onion works well in its place.
- Depending on the size of your cast iron skillet, you may need to let the mixture simmer a bit longer so that the extra liquid is absorbed.
Disclaimer:
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data"
Jere Cassidy says
This sausage skillet was so easy to make and I did use up some excess veggies from the fridge. We love sausage so this was one I will definitely remake.
fitasamamabear says
So happy you enjoyed it!
Any says
So tempting!! I can't wait to try it!!
fitasamamabear says
It's definitely a great one for weeknights!
Gen says
Perfect weeknight dinner! This was easy, really delicious, and everyone loved it. Thanks for the fantastic recipe!
fitasamamabear says
So happy you love it!
Molly Pisula says
Loved this dinner! Great flavors, and the fact that you only need to dirty up one pot is fantastic!
fitasamamabear says
Haha always a good night when cleanup is easy!
Jess says
Such a delicious and filling dinner
fitasamamabear says
Definitely one we love!
Jenn says
This sausage dish was so meaty and delish! I loved all the flavors in it and the kids asked for seconds! Dinner winner!
fitasamamabear says
Definite win when the kids approve!