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This Brazilian Rice and Beans recipe is an easy one-pan dinner made with smoked sausage, pinto beans, long-grain rice, garlic, and green onion. Everything cooks together in one skillet and is ready in about 40 minutes. It is filling, inexpensive, and easy enough to make on a busy weeknight.
An Easy One-Pan Dinner
This is one of those dinners I make and then wonder why I ever let it fall out of our regular rotation. It is so easy to throw together, everyone in my family eats it, and I only have one pan to wash when dinner is over.
This beans and rice dinner is the perfect combination of savory and comforting. IMake 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!
❤️ Erica
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“So good… one of the best bean-rice-sausage recipes I’ve made. Will definitely make again.”
Savannah
“I’ve made this twice in the past month. Both times were heavenly. Simple, hearty… and the flavor is just right.”
Christopher
“I have made this many times, and it’s a favorite in our household. It’s fast, inexpensive, filling, and easy to modify.”
Sonya
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Oil – I usually use vegetable oil for browning the sausage, but another neutral cooking oil works too.
- Smoked sausage – Use your favorite fully cooked smoked sausage. Chicken, pork, turkey, and beef sausage all work.
- Green onion and garlic – These give the rice and beans a simple savory base without requiring a long list of seasonings.
- Long-grain white rice – Use uncooked rice. Jasmine or basmati rice can also work well in this recipe.
- Chicken broth – The rice cooks directly in the broth, which gives it more flavor than cooking it in plain water.
- Pinto beans – Canned beans make this version especially quick. Drain and rinse them before adding them to the skillet.
- Bay leaves – They season the rice while it simmers. Be sure to remove them before serving.
- Salt and pepper – Add these to taste, keeping in mind that smoked sausage and chicken broth can already contain quite a bit of salt.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how easy it is to change.
- Beans: Substitute black beans, kidney beans, or navy beans for the pinto beans. A reader also added black lentils with good results.
- Sausage: Try andouille, kielbasa, chicken sausage, turkey sausage, or beef smoked sausage. Readers have also used bacon and salt pork.
- Onion: No green onions? Use chopped white or yellow onion instead.
- Peppers: Add diced bell pepper for more vegetables or chopped jalapeño or cayenne if you want some heat.
- Seasonings: Cumin, oregano, thyme, smoked paprika, chili powder, or cayenne can all be added to taste.
- Fresh herbs: Cilantro or parsley are easy additions right before serving.
- Lime: A squeeze of fresh lime juice at the end brightens up the whole dish.
- Tomatoes and olives: Diced tomatoes or green olives can also be stirred in for a different flavor.
- Brown rice: I would not substitute brown rice using the recipe exactly as written. Brown rice takes longer to cook and usually needs more liquid.
- Dry beans: You can use them, but cook the beans until tender before adding them to this recipe. Uncooked dry beans require much more liquid and cooking time than the rice.
How to Make Brazilian Rice and Beans
- Brown the sausage. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook for a few minutes until it starts to brown. Add the green onion and garlic and cook until the onion softens and the garlic smells fragrant.
- Add the rice and remaining ingredients. Stir in the uncooked rice, chicken broth, drained and rinsed beans, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Stir well and bring everything to a boil.
- Cover and simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cover the skillet. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid. Try not to lift the lid or stir the rice while it cooks.
- Fluff and serve. Remove the skillet from the heat and discard the bay leaves. Fluff the rice gently with a fork, taste, and add more salt or pepper if needed.
Recipe Tips
- Use a skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Trapped steam is what helps the rice cook evenly.
- Let the sausage brown. Give it a couple of minutes in the hot skillet before adding the onions and garlic. Those browned edges add a lot of flavor.
- Keep the heat low once you cover the pan. You want a gentle simmer, not a hard boil.
- Don’t keep lifting the lid. One reader had trouble getting the rice to cook through, and keeping the skillet covered during the simmer is especially important.
- Don’t stir the rice while it simmers. Too much stirring can make the rice softer and stickier.
- Watch the salt. Sausage and broth vary a lot in saltiness, so I would rather start with less and add more at the end.
- If the rice is still firm: Add a small splash of hot broth or water, cover again, and cook for another few minutes.
- For separate, fluffy grains: You can rinse long-grain rice before cooking. Drain it very well before adding it to the skillet. Rinsing away some surface starch is also used in Brazilian-style rice preparations.
- 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!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can use dried beans, but there is a bit more prep work and time involved. First wash the dried beans with cold water. Put them in a large bowl and double the water to the height of the beans. Refrigerate for 4 hours. To quick soak the beans, boil in a pot of water for one minute, turn off the heat and let them sit covered for an hour.
The rice, beans, vegetables, and seasonings in the recipe are naturally gluten-free, but check the labels on your sausage and chicken broth. Ingredients and manufacturing practices vary by brand.
Yes, but cook them separately first. Soak and cook the dried beans until they are tender, then drain them and use the cooked beans in the recipe. Do not add uncooked dry beans directly to the skillet because their cooking time and liquid requirements are completely different from the rice.
Make sure the mixture comes to a boil before reducing the heat, then cover the skillet tightly and keep it at a low simmer for the full 20 to 25 minutes. Try not to lift the lid. If the rice is still firm and the liquid has been absorbed, add a small splash of hot broth or water and cook it covered for a few more minutes. A reader who had trouble with the rice also wondered about keeping the pan covered, which is an important part of the cooking method.
Yes. Leave out the sausage and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. If you still want some smoky flavor, add a little smoked paprika. You can also add extra beans to make the meal more filling.
Make Ahead and Storage
You can slice the sausage, chop the green onions, and mince the garlic ahead of time. Keep everything refrigerated until you are ready to cook. I prefer cooking the rice right before serving because that is when the texture is best.
To refrigerate: Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 to 4 days. This follows current USDA guidance for cooked leftovers.
To freeze: Let the rice and beans cool, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. I like to freeze individual portions because they are easy to grab for lunch. For best quality, use within about 3 months.
To reheat: Add a splash of broth or water before reheating so the rice doesn’t dry out. Reheat in the microwave or in a covered skillet over medium-low heat until hot throughout. USDA recommends reheating leftovers to 165°F.
Pairing Ideas
This Brazilian rice and beans is filling enough to serve as the main dish, so I usually keep the sides simple. A green salad or fruit salad is plenty, but I especially love serving it with our Brazilian Cheese Bread. Those warm, cheesy little rolls are so good alongside the smoky sausage and beans. Add a cold glass of Brazilian Limeade and you have a fun Brazilian-inspired dinner.
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!
This Brazilian rice and beans with sausage is one of my favorite kinds of weeknight recipes. If you make it, I’d love to hear what you used. Leave a comment and a rating below and tell me how it turned out! ⭐️
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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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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