My 5-Ingredient Sausage and Rice Bake Is So Easy and Delicious

It’s a one-skillet meal that’s easily adaptable.

By
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud
Devan Grimsrud

Devan Grimsrud is a Berlin-based writer, editor, and recipe developer originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota. After working in television production with James Beard Award-winning chef Andrew Zimmern, she relocated to Berlin and became the managing editor at Kitchen Stories, an international digital cooking platform with millions of active users. 

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Published September 16, 2025
Devan Grimsrud
A skillet containing a sausage and rice bake with onions and fresh herbs a serving spoon resting inside

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

There are millions of recipes online, probably even more, but the ones that I find myself going back to time and time again—even as a person who develops recipes and cooks all the time—are often the simplest. They’re the recipes that once you learn the blueprint and technique, you don’t even need to look at again—to cook them becomes second nature.

Easy pastas are one of my favorite back pocket go-tos, but I also enjoy simple rice bakes like this one, studded with salty hunks of Italian sausage and threads of soft onion.

Here’s my recipe for a simple, one-skillet, five-ingredient rice bake that you can learn, repeat, and use as the foundation for many flavorful variations for years to come.

A skillet with sausage and rice dish a serving plated alongside with broccoli

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

Easy Variations

The Italian sausage is what makes this recipe so delicious. It’s already seasoned, so it lends plenty of rich, savory flavor to the rice as it steams in the oven. You can certainly upgrade this simple base with various additions to take it in new flavor directions. Here are some of my favorites, tried and tested over the years:

  • Add more veggies: Think thinly sliced fennel or leeks, chopped asparagus, or frozen peas.
  • Spice it up: I like to add whole spices like coriander seed and fennel seed, chili flakes for heat, or a stick of cinnamon or whole star anise for warmth and depth. A sprig of a woody-stemmed herb like rosemary, thyme, or oregano would also be great.
  • Make it vegetarian: Swap in chopped mushrooms or cooked chickpeas instead of the sausage, adding in more spices and a bit more oil to keep the richness and flavor.
  • Make it with a different rice: I particularly like making this dish with short-grain arborio rice if I’ve got it on hand; to use it, skip rinsing the rice and increase the broth to 5 cups.
  • Give it a finishing flourish: To take this simple dish over the top, serve each portion with a little dollop of ricotta or a sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan, fresh chopped herbs, or a spritz of lemon juice.
A plate with sliced sausage rice and broccoli floret sides

Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm

More Minimal Ingredient Meals

Italian Sausage and Rice Bake

Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Servings 4 to 6 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 12 ounces hot italian sausage, with or without casings

  • 1 large white onion, thinly sliced

  • 2 clove garlic, thinly sliced

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste

  • 2 1/2 cups basmati rice, rinsed well under cold water in a fine sieve

  • 3 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

  • Chopped fresh parsley, for serving, optional

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
  2. Brown the sausage and onions:

    Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat; I like to use my 9-inch cast iron skillet. If you’re using sausage with casings, remove them. Once the oil is hot, add the sausage to the skillet and let it cook, undisturbed, for 3 to 4 minutes or until well browned. Use a spatula to break up the sausage and continue to cook until it’s browned, another 2 minutes.

    Add the onions and garlic and season with the salt and pepper. Cook until they’re translucent and soft, about 7 minutes.

  3. Add the rice and bake:

    Add the rinsed rice and stir well to combine. After a minute, add the broth and stir well. Cover with an ovenproof lid or a piece of foil and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven to bake until the rice is cooked through and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

    Enjoy this completely hands-off bake time where you can clean up a bit or have a glass of wine.

  4. Finish and serve:

    Let the rice bake cool for a minute or two before seasoning to taste with more salt and pepper, sprinkling with parsley, if using, and serving.

    Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge. Reheat in a pan with a little olive oil or in the microwave until hot all the way through.

    Love the recipe? Leave us stars and a comment below!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
517 Calories
31g Fat
24g Carbs
33g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories 517
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 10g 48%
Cholesterol 112mg 37%
Sodium 535mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 24g 9%
Dietary Fiber 1g 2%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 33g
Vitamin C 2mg 9%
Calcium 37mg 3%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 409mg 9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.