Smoked sausage orzo is an easy, hearty dish that everyone will love. Smoky cured sausage, peppers, onions, and jalapeno are combined with orzo pasta and cooked in a boldly seasoned chicken broth. Then, it’s thickened with heavy cream and parmesan cheese for a delicious, filling meal.
If you ask us, orzo doesn’t get enough love. This delicious, rice-like pasta is perfect for all kinds of dishes, especially one-pot meals. We love making dishes like broccoli cheddar orzo because they’re hearty and filling, and with just one pot, cleanup is a breeze.
Today, we’re sharing a new entry in our orzo rotation. This smoked sausage orzo is always a big hit with our families. When we bring it to parties, we include the jalapenos for a nice, spicy kick. When we serve it at home, we leave the jalapenos out so the kids will eat it, too. It’s a great all-around recipe, and you’re going to love it.
Why You’ll Love This Smoked Sausage and Orzo
- Simple Ingredients: It only takes a few simple ingredients to make this recipe, and all of them are either in your kitchen or at your local grocery store.
- Easy to Make: This is a simple, one-pot meal that’s ready in just about 30 minutes and requires minimal cleanup.
- Big Flavor: The smoked sausage and bold seasonings make this a recipe that explodes with flavor in every bite.
- Customizable: Use your favorite sausage, add your favorite vegetables, or substitute the orzo for rice. There are so many ways to make this your own!
Ingredients
- Orzo: Orzo is the starchy base for this recipe. It’s a small, rice-like pasta with a neutral flavor perfect for this dish.
- Smoked Sausage: Smoked sausage adds meaty, smoky flavor to the recipe.
- Onions and Bell Peppers: These are the classic vegetable pairings for sausage.
- Jalapeno: Jalapeno adds a bold, spicy, vegetal flavor to the dish.
- Chicken Broth: Chicken broth adds flavor and the liquid necessary to cook the orzo.
- Heavy Cream: A little heavy cream thickens the sauce slightly and adds richness.
- Parmesan: Parmesan cheese adds a bold, earthy, cheesy flavor.
- Seasonings: A blend of zesty seasonings adds a big kick of flavor.
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact measurements.
Flavor Variations
- Smoked Sausage: Use your favorite brand or variety of smoked sausage. They all work!
- Mild: Simply leave out the jalapenos for a mild version of this recipe.
- Orzo: If you don’t have orzo, you can use white rice for this recipe. Just be sure to either use par-boiled rice or make it ahead of time before adding it to the skillet.
- Vegetables: Add your favorite vegetables to this recipe for more flavor.
How to Make Smoked Sausage Orzo
1: Brown the sausage in oil over medium-high heat in a cast-iron skillet. Then, set it aside.
2: Cook the vegetables until tender in the same skillet. Then, add the seasonings, sausage, and orzo and stir.
3: Add the chicken broth and reduce the heat to low. Stir and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes until the pasta is tender.
4: Add the heavy cream and parmesan cheese, stir, and cook until the cheese is melted. Enjoy!
Hint
Be sure to remove the seeds from the jalapeno pepper. They’re the hottest part and add no flavor.
Storage
Refrigerate this smoked sausage orzo for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Because cream is used in the dish, we don’t recommend freezing it.
To reheat the pasta, microwave individual portions at 1-minute intervals until heated through.
What to Serve with One Pot Sausage Orzo
This recipe is a full, hearty meal on its own, so we recommend keeping the sides simple. Some garlic bread and vegetable sides like asparagus or Cajun corn are all you need!
Tips
- First and foremost, always wash your hands and NEVER touch your face when handling hot peppers.
- Slice the sausage into even pieces for uniform cooking.
- Cook the veggies over even heat to get them tender without browning them.
- It only takes a few minutes to cook your oroz. Keep an eye on it, and be careful not to overdo it!
FAQ
Orzo is a form of short-cut pasta that looks like a large grain of rice. In fact, many people mistakenly think that it is a rice variety.
Orzo is usually used in soups, cold salads, side dishes, rice pilaf, grain bowls, risotto, and skillet dishes.
If your orzo was too soft, you likely overcooked it. Orzo is pasta, so it should be cooked to al dente. Orzo is also very small, so it cooks incredibly fast.
Orzo typically only takes about 8 to 10 minutes to cook.
Yes, smoked sausage is fully cooked. The process of smoking meat cooks it, so smoked sausage, by definition, is fully cooked.
Try This Smoked Sausage Orzo for Yourself
This smoked sausage orzo is overflowing with flavor and ridiculously easy to make. And with one skillet, cleanup is easy peasy. With that combination, there’s no reason not to try this recipe. Make it just one time, and we know you’ll be hooked!
More Delicious Smoked Sausage Recipes
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Smoked Sausage Orzo
Ingredients
- 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced into ¼ inch slices
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed, diced
- 1 bell pepper, stem and seeds removed, diced
- 2 teaspoons Slap Ya Mama
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 16 ounce orzo pasta
- 32 ounce chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large cast iron skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and brown sausage slices on both sides. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- In the same cast iron pan, cook onion, jalapeno, and bell pepper until tender. Sprinkle with seasonings and stir to combine. Add sausage back into the pan and add pasta. Stir.
- Pour in chicken broth, stir, reduce heat to low and let cook for 8-10 minutes or until pasta is tender.
- Add in heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Stir until well incorporated and let cook for 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted.
