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Brazilian rice and beans with sausage is a simple-to-make recipe that is bursting with savory flavor! A one-dish meal is ready in about 40 minutes!
Featured with this recipe
- Brazilian Beans and Rice Ingredients
- Optional Additions and Substitutions
- Cooking Brazilian Rice and Beans
- Suggestions for Brazilian Rice and Beans
- Rave Reviews
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Storing and Reheating Brazilian Rice and Beans
- More Savory Sausage Recipes
- How to Make Brazilian Rice and Beans
- Brazilian Rice and Beans Recipe
Brazilian rice and beans with sausage is a meal I need to put back in regular rotation. It’s so easy to put together and yet it packs a powerful flavor punch. Everyone in my family gobbles it up. This is the perfect meal to whip up on a busy weeknight since you throw it all in one pan, and it’s done in half an hour!
This beans and rice dinner is the perfect combination of savory and comforting. It is full of flavor but also has all the nutrients you need in one meal cooked in one pot! Make this a complete meal alongside a simple green or fruit salad and our delicious Brazilian Cheese Bread. A quick and easy dinner for all ages!
Brazilian Beans and Rice Ingredients
Don’t underestimate the ingredient list! It doesn’t look like much but when combined and cooked together this recipe makes a ton of food! It can easily serve 6 to 8 people or 4 to 5 really hungry folks. This is a great family dinner and you can even have leftovers!
- Oil – Heat the oil to a medium-high heat to give the sausage a nice crisp outer skin with a tender and juicy inside. I prefer vegetable oil to olive oil for this recipe but either one will work.
- Smoked sausage – We used spicy chicken sausage in this recipe and it was wonderful! You can use any type of sausage you like. Andouille pork, mild turkey, or all beef sausage would all taste delicious!
- Green onion – Chop the onion into small pieces.
- Garlic – Everyone knows garlic is a MUST at dinner time! It is an easy ingredient that we all have in our pantry or refrigerator. Quickly add it in to boost the flavors together!
- Rice – Uncooked long grain rice will be sauteed with the other ingredients. The rice does not need to be cooked ahead of time. Basmati rice and Jasmine rice both work great.
- Chicken broth – Add in the liquid for flavor and to help the rice cook while simmering. You can sub for vegetable broth.
- Pinto beans – I used canned pinto beans for this recipe because that’s what I had on hand. But you could easily swap those for kidney beans, black beans, chickpeas, or navy beans in this dish.
- Bay leaves – Add a couple of tops for flavor and appearance. When ready to serve, remove the bay leaves so no one will eat them. As the one-pot meal is simmering the bay leaves give an extra flavor boost.
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper – to taste
Optional Additions and Substitutions
- Ground Cumin
- Dried Oregano
- Thyme
- Cayenne Pepper
- Smoked Paprika
- Chili Powder
- Fresh Cilantro
- Fresh Parsley
- Lime Juice
- White Onion
- Yellow Onion
- Diced Tomato
- Green Olives
- Bell Pepper
- Ham Hocks
- Bacon
Cooking Brazilian Rice and Beans
This one-pot meal is the perfect dinner for a busy weeknight or make-ahead meal planning. The rice and beans give it that authentic flavor with the smoked sausage bites. It is a filling and delicious dinner that everyone loves!
- Saute – In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add sausage, green onion, and garlic, and saute until the onions become soft.
- Combine – Stir in rice, chicken broth, beans, salt and pepper, and bay leaves, and bring to a boil.
- Simmer – Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is done. Remove from heat and fluff rice with a fork.
Suggestions for Brazilian Rice and Beans
Making this one pot of Brazilian rice and beans with sausage recipe is simple and delicious! Make it more authentic with dry beans that are soaking overnight, change the rice to brown rice, or even make it in the instant pot. These suggestions and variations will only give you more of a traditional Brazilian rice recipe for dinner that you will love!
- Dry beans – True Brazilian rice and beans are a little more involved than this recipe, but I wanted something easy and quick. You can use dry brown or dry black beans by soaking them overnight, then cooking with some peppers, garlic, and onions in a slow cooker for 5-6 hours. Then add to the recipe and continue as directed below.
- Brown rice – For a healthier choice of rice use brown rice instead of white rice.
- Instant pot – Brazilian Rice and Beans can be made easily in the Instant Pot too! Use the saute setting for the sausage, onions, garlic, and peppers, then add the broth, seasonings, and rice and cook on high for a few minutes. Do a quick release and you’re done!
Rave Reviews
“I’ve made this recipe three times now. It’s so easy and even my 4 year old requests it. It makes plenty of food for my family of three, we always have leftovers. Even when I didn’t have a green pepper to add to it, I got about six large bowls of food from this.”
-T
Frequently Asked Questions
The Brazilian national dish is feijoada. The feijoada recipe is similar to a black bean stew with pork or beef cooked together in a dutch oven.
Rice and beans are a staple in most Brazilians’ homes. They are both easy side dishes that are filling and add to any Brazilian dinner. Not sure if they eat them everyday but some families and homes may do that.
Normally rice and beans are the side dish to proteins of their choice- meat like chicken or beef. Vegetables and salads are always a great meal too. Also great with tacos, burritos, or enchiladas.
Of course, just make sure to use a large bowl with enough water so you get perfectly soaked beans before you use them in the recipe.
Yes!
Storing and Reheating Brazilian Rice and Beans
This is a favorite dish that we love to make and always plan on having leftovers. Place any leftovers in an airtight container and store them for five to seven days long in the refrigerator. When ready to reheat, remove from fridge and place it in the microwave or on the stove top until it is warmed through. It is always nice to have a few meals leftover for lunch or a quick meal later on throughout the week. You can also freeze in the freezer for up to three months.
More Savory Sausage Recipes
We love cooking with sausage and have gathered a few of our very favorite recipes to share with you. Try some and find out which ones you love!
How to Make Brazilian Rice and Beans
Brazilian Rice and Beans
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 pound smoked sausage sliced
- 1/2 cup green onion chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup rice uncooked
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 14 ounces pinto beans drained and rinsed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1-2 bay leaves
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add sausage, green onion, and garlic and saute until onions become soft.
- Stir in rice, chicken broth, beans, salt and pepper, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a low simmer and cover. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is done. Remove from heat and fluff rice with a fork.
Very tasty! I used half a bacon chopped up (instead of sausage). Then followed the recipe – using a blend of jasmine and wild rice. (Added a few pinches of cumin and a 1/2 cup of black lentils)
Will definitely be making this AGAIN & AGAIN & AGAIN etc
Great wholesome snack recipe. Very filling and solid nutritionally!!
Use whatever protein of thawed and in the fridge.
Just made a batch with salt pork and tossed in a chopped jalapeno to spice it up. Yummy!!!
I would like to try this, but in an instant pot. Do you have any suggestions for that?
We haven’t tried this in the instant pot yet! Let us know how it goes if you try it
I made this following the recipe exactly. I used homemade chicken broth from rotisserie chicken bones. It had a delicious flavor. I will be making this again for my family. It was a hit!
I have made this many times, and it’s a favorite in our household. It’s fast, inexpensive, filling and easy to modify.
Some of our modifications: andouille sausage rather than smoked, and I double the rice, beans and chicken stock because I feed hungry teens. I will use white or yellow onions, depending on what I have, and the type of bean is flexible as well (black or kidney if I’m out of pinto)
Thanks for a great foundational recipe!
I’ve made this twice in the past month. Both times were heavenly. Simple, hearty…and the flavor is just right.
My cousin shared this recipe with me and the taste was really good but the rice didn’t cook all the way through. I kept it on simmer, once it boiled, but it took forever and then got almost mushy. Any suggestions?
Oh shoot, we haven’t had that happen when we’ve made it. Did you keep the pan covered while you simmered it?
Delicious and simple. Easily altered for a beginner. I was super lazy and used dried chopped onion, and garlic powder, added a little paprika, and all purpose seasoning. I used a can of red pinto beans in tomato sauce, with seasoning, so I didn’t add any extra salt or pepper. I had chicken spicy sausage from Costco. This was super quick and easy. We love leftovers, so I used 1 & 1/2 cup basmati rice and 3 cups water. 25 minutes. 😋 It came out moist with still a little bite. Perfect.
I made this tonight and loved it. I appreciate the simplicity of the meal.
This dish was easy and delicious!
I’ve made this recipe three times now. It’s so easy and even my 4 year old requests it. It makes plenty of food for my family of three, we always have leftovers. Even when I didn’t have a green pepper to add to it, I got about six large bowls of food from this.
I’d love to meet the 7 other people you fed with these quantities, they must be either very small children or midgets to need that little food. I barely had enough for 2 people. It’s absolutely delicious though, I will definitely quadruple the quantities and make it again.
I always use regular onion as I always have that in hand. We make this all the time. Easy, quick and my son loves it!
I added a can of diced tomato and about a Tablespoon of cumin. Divine.
This looks so good and I can’t wait to try it…but I’m a bit confused. At the beginning, you say it’s ready in less than 30 minutes but in the recipe itself, you say it takes 40 minutes. Which is it?
Thank you for pointing this out! I’ve fixed it on the post. By the time you brown the sausage and the rice cooks, it takes about 40 minutes.
Thank you for your recipe ! great simple rice dish , it was awsome .
Regards,
Rene , Sarasota, Florida .
My fiance and I enjoyed this dish. I had used sweet Italian sausage and regular diced onions along with red kidney beans. Using what I had on hand. I look forward to making this dish again.
I did the exact same thing. Delicious!!
My wife used your recipe(x4 in volume for an event) with 1 small addition(finely chopped bell pepper) when attending an international cuisine event during which the dishes were rated by guests. I’m happy to report that it was rated 1st place above some dishes that I thought would likely best it. I thought of our dish as “just rice & beans” as we make a creole version & a Mexican flavor version for informal family meals.
Wow! 1st place!!! That is so cool! I’m so glad to hear it was such a hit!
Family approved & I have 5 kids with all different opinions! This is going in our regular easy meal list! LOVE!!!
So glad that you liked it! Thank you so much for the 5-stars!
Awesome!! I did add diced red pepper cause i needed to use it lol. And i finished the dish w fresh lime and cilantro! Yum yum yum!!! Thanks for this easy recipe!
I wish there was a place tho post a picture
Please post a picture on Instagram and tag us! @favoritefamilyrecipes We would love to see your picture! Love your add in ideas too!
My son and I absolutely love this dish! I’ve made it several times now. The beans I’ve switched out to what I had on hand, and smoked sausages to andouille. I’ve perfected this in my electric pressure cooker now too! Use the sauté setting for those steps, then dd the broth, rice, and seasonings. Cook on high pressure for 4 minutes, quick release of pressure, and you are ready to eat! It’s cooking now, I can’t wait! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Oh thank you for sharing how you made this in a pressure cooker! I will have to try that next time! Thank you so much for sharing!
If I’m Not Usin Veggies To This Do I Need To Boil The Rice With Water Still Or Just Boil The Rice Sausage With The Chicken Broth?
The rice doesn’t need to be cooked before adding it to the sausage. Add uncooked rice along with the chicken broth, beans, and seasonings. The rice will cook as it simmers. Thanks for asking!
I don’t have canned beans but I have a bag of the dry pinto beans. Any suggestions on how to prepare those for this dish?
There should be instructions on the package on how to cook and soften. For me, I like to soak them overnight and then throw them in the crock pot for 5-6 hours with some peppers, garlic and onions and then cook until soft. Then you add them into the recipe just as you would the canned beans. I hope this helps!
Making this now and the house is delish right now. All my boys are ready!
😀 How did they like it?
Made this last night and found it very unattractive and a boring flavor. I eventually added a can of drained diced tomatoes or you could use halved cherry tomatoes but still needs flavor and color. I also feel that the rice should have been cooked with the broth separately, ensuring it is properly cooked. Sorry…I am interested in suggestions if anyone has any.
I substituted andouille sausage for the smoked sausage and that definitely kicked it up a notch. It was delicious. Will be making this quite a bit.
Hi, I am brazilian and this looks like a recipe my mom make a lot, usually with leftover rice and beans 🙂 I would just add some scrambled eggs to it.
Yum, I will have to try that.
Hi i have made this recipe many time. My family LOVES IT. I too use black bean, yellow onion, loads of garlic and add a bit of smoked paprika and some creole seasoning. I was wondering how i could do this in a Crockpot? Any suggestions? I have company coming and need to tripple the recipe. Ive doubled it in the stove and it gets a bit messy and doesnt cook quite right. Thanks!!
Hmm we haven’t tried making this in a crock pot yet. I am not sure how it would convert, especially with tripling. Do you have a rice cooker?
Nope i just cook it on the stove
This looks so good and I’m going to try it soon! I’m just wondering if you have any suggestions for a side, or other items that would go good along with this as a main dish? Thanks!
If you wanted to stick with the Brazilian theme you could try our Brazilian cheese bread here: /brazilian-cheese-bread.html
I’m making this right now…My house smells divine..If it tastes as good as it smells, we’ve got a winner 🙂
SO good! I just made this and it was one of the best bean-rice-sausage recipes I’ve made! Will definitely make again. 🙂
Thank you, Savannah! I’m so glad you like it!
This was excellent!! So easy to make and I had all the ingredients except for green onions so I went and grabbed them. Highly recommend!!
So glad you liked it! Thanks for the comment!
This was so easy and soooo good! My girls (5 and 2 yrs old) even ate it up. I made this with chicken sausage. Thanks!!!
This recipe came out delicious. My son liked it so I’ll repeat again!! Look forward to trying some others.
Thanks for the comment! Glad you (and your son) liked it!
I made this for the second time tonight. I love how a few simple ingredients can taste so good together.
So happy you liked it! Sometimes the best dinners are the simplest!
Can I make this with kidney beans? I have pinto beans, but not canned and don’t have the time to invest in cooking them.
Absolutely! You can just make the substitute straight across without any problems. Hope this helps!
Made this a few weeks ago and loved it! But my hubby is a sauce guy and requested some kind of sauce to go with this if I make it again. Any suggestions? I’m not sure what flavors would go best with this.
Hmmm…. the best sauce that I can think of would maybe just be salsa! Does he like spicy? We love adding Sriracha sauce to dishes like this to kick it up a notch!
This was great ! Will definitely make again, too easy not to!
Have made this several time but I always substitute the bean with black beans instead and use regular onions instead of green onions. Hubby & I love it! Reminds of the meals our Brazilian students used to make for us when they stayed with us.
Great substitution ideas! Thank you for your comment!
I made this with brown rice and it turned out delicious! One of my new favorite ‘easy’ meals! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
You are very welcome! Thanks for letting us know how it worked with brown rice– I was curious how it would turn out!
This is freaking delicious. I love it.
First attempt didn’t work so well since I used brown rice but just tried again with white rice tonight and it’s awesome!
I am brazilian from Rio de Janeiro and I love your recipies. And you did well on this one even from OUR point of view !!! This is almost what we call “arroz de carreteiro” – a kind of rice and beans recipe used in the Minas Gerais region, easy to transport as the beans have not been cooked to have a lot of liquid, and using sausages and sometimes a kind of pancetta or bacon, I was happy to see this here, and you really ROCK !!!!
How many servings
I would say about 6-ish..
Yes I would like to know what kind of rice also
I used long-grain, white rice for this recipe
Fixed this recipe for my husband and parents. They all loved it. Will be making it again, for sure.
So glad you liked it! So easy, huh?! Thanks for the nice comment 🙂
My husband is Brazilian, so no canned beans in our house. So I used what I had dried and soaked overnight. Still easy and still delicious. Thanks for sharing
I am wondering like the others what type of rice you used. looking forward to make this. Thanks
It is long-grain, white rice
Was it regular or instant rice? Looks delish!
regular, long grain white rice
Can this be cooked in the Oven? And if so what degree & How long??
Thanks
Delicious!! Thanks so much for the recipe!!
What kind of rice did you use for this recipe?
How many hungry people does this serve
Hmm how hungry? If you have big eaters it will probably feed 4-5. Hope this helps!