Looking for a quick and easy healthy rice and sausage recipe you can make on a busy weeknight? This simple dinner is packed with rice, colorful vegetables, fresh herbs, warming spices, and your favorite sausage. It comes together in less than 30 minutes, uses everyday ingredients, and makes a satisfying meal without much effort.
This rice and sausage dinner is one of those recipes that feels comforting, filling, and fresh at the same time. The rice cooks with garlic, peppers, spices, and olive oil, then zucchini, peas, sausage, scallions, and herbs are stirred in at the end. The result is a flavorful skillet-style meal that is simple enough for a weeknight but tasty enough to make again and again.
It is also a great option when you want something different from pasta or chicken. The combination of long-grain rice, vegetables, and sausage creates a balanced dish with plenty of texture and flavor. You can keep it mild, make it spicy with extra chili flakes, or use whichever sausage you already enjoy. A spicy sausage works especially well, but any grilling sausage can be used as long as it is cooked before being added to the rice.
This recipe makes 2 generous servings, or 3 smaller portions if served with a side dish. It pairs beautifully with a simple everyday salad, extra fresh herbs, guacamole, or tzatziki. If you are cooking for more people, simply double the recipe and use a larger pan so the rice has enough room to cook evenly.
Another reason this healthy rice and sausage recipe is so useful is that it can help you use up vegetables you already have in the fridge. Zucchini, red pepper, peas, scallions, mint, and parsley all work well here, but the recipe is flexible. You can swap in vegetables you like, leave out herbs you do not enjoy, or use leftover cooked rice to make the meal even faster.
It is a simple dish, but it delivers big flavor with very little prep. Once the vegetables are chopped, the rest of the recipe moves quickly, so it is best to have everything ready before you start cooking. That way, dinner comes together smoothly in one pan and is ready to serve while it is still hot and fresh.
More Easy Dinner Recipes:
- Mediterranean Beef And Rice
- Ground Beef And Quinoa Dinner Recipe
- Mediterranean Chicken Skillet
Healthy Rice and Sausage Dinner Recipe
This healthy rice and sausage dinner is quick, flavorful, and easy to prepare in about 30 minutes. It is a great weeknight meal when you want something hearty, colorful, and different from the usual pasta or chicken dinner.
5 minutes
20 minutes
25 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup long-grain rice
- 1 zucchini, chopped
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, thinly chopped
- 1 ½ tbsp olive oil
- 2 scallions, thinly chopped
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp chili flakes
- 1 tsp coriander
- Mint, parsley, or other herbs of choice, chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 1 cup water
- 6 oz / 180 g sausage of choice
Instructions
- Prepare all ingredients before you start cooking. This recipe moves quickly, so it helps to have the rice, vegetables, spices, herbs, and sausage ready to use.
- Wash the rice well. Wash and chop the vegetables. Cook the sausage on the stovetop or grill, then cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, red pepper, garlic, one chopped scallion, cumin, coriander, and chili flakes. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Stir in the rice, then add the water and a pinch of salt. Reduce the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and cook until the rice is almost done, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the chopped zucchini and frozen peas. Cover again and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the vegetables are cooked.
- Stir in the cooked sausage, the remaining scallion, and a little extra olive oil if desired. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes, then turn off the heat.
- Add the fresh herbs and stir gently. Serve immediately while warm.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Notes
Long-grain rice works best for this recipe because it stays lighter and less sticky. Short-grain rice may become too soft or mushy, although day-old cooked short-grain rice can work if you are using leftovers.
Use any sausage suitable for grilling or pan-cooking. A spicy sausage adds great flavor, but mild sausage also works well. Make sure the sausage is cooked before adding it to the rice, because it is stirred in near the end of the recipe.
More tips and options:
This is a flexible rice dinner, so feel free to use vegetables you already have. It is a good recipe for finishing ingredients that need to be used soon.
If you have leftover cooked rice, you can save time. Add the cooked rice after sautéing the vegetables and spices, then continue with the zucchini, peas, sausage, scallions, and herbs.
You can adjust the spices and herbs to your taste. Leave out anything you do not enjoy, add more chili flakes for heat, or use extra parsley and mint for a fresher flavor.
For more than two servings, double the ingredients and cook the recipe in a larger pan. Serve with salad, guacamole, or tzatziki for a fuller meal.
Nutrition Information
Yield
2
Serving Size
1
Amount Per Serving
Calories 460
Total Fat 33g
Saturated Fat 9g
Trans Fat 0g
Unsaturated Fat 20g
Cholesterol 46mg
Sodium 930mg
Carbohydrates 29g
Fiber 5g
Sugar 9g
Protein 15g