Seafood Rice

Name: Seafood Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 27 min
Total time: 32 min
Ingredients: 1 pound mixed seafood (frozen); 1/2 pound smoked sausage (sliced); 2 cups long-grain white rice; 1 green pepper (diced); 1/2 onion (diced); 1 garlic clove (minced); 4 tablespoons unsalted butter; 1/2 cup dry white wine; 2 1/2 cups chicken or seafood stock (low sodium); 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning; 1/4 teaspoon salt; fresh lemon; chopped green onions

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This Seafood Rice is a spicy, Cajun one-pan meal filled with hearty rice, smoked sausage and seafood. It’s a twist on paella that’s easier and more budget friendly!

Don’t get me wrong. We love paella, and make it quite often, but it does call for special ingredients like saffron and bomba rice, which can be a little expensive.

Overhead of seafood rice on a white plate with lemon wedges.

This seafood rice uses pantry staples like long-grain white rice and Cajun seasoning, and takes a short-cut by using frozen seafood instead of fresh.

It is a full meal when served with some crusty bread and a green salad on the side. If you’re looking for rice side dishes, I highly recommend this Instant Pot Spanish rice or this Cajun dirty rice.

But, if you’re looking for a filling, one pot rice meal, this seafood rice is meant for you!

Check out the Seafood Rice story!

Side view of seafood rice topped with green onion and served with lemon wedges.

Why this recipe works

It’s an easy recipe that comes together in one pan and takes just over 30 minutes to make!
It makes enough to feed a small crowd so it’s perfect for family meals, potlucks or get togethers with friends.
Using a mix of frozen seafood is a great way to save time and money! And the recipe is flexible. You can pretty much use any kind of frozen seafood you like!

Ingredients

The following are a few key ingredients for seafood rice. For the full list of ingredients and quantities, please see the recipe card below.

You’ll need one pound of mixed seafood for this recipe. For convenience, I use frozen seafood, but you can also use fresh if you like. And, if you can’t find a seafood mix, using one kind of seafood works too. This rice is delicious with just shrimp!

To add a smoky flavor, the recipe calls for half a pound of smoked sausage, which is sliced and browned first to create a flavorful base for the peppers, onions and rice to cook in.

For a fluffy seafood rice, you’ll want to use 2 cups of long-grain white rice. This kind of rice is less starchy than some other types so it won’t stick together when cooked.

For the cooking liquid, you’ll need ½ a cup of dry white wine and 2 ½ cups of low sodium chicken or seafood stock. You can use store-bought stock or make your own like this crockpot chicken broth. If you prefer to leave out the wine, you can just add more stock.

Since this rice is big on spicy flavor, you’ll need a full tablespoon of Cajun seasoning. For the best flavor, I like to use this homemade Cajun seasoning.

Step by step instructions

Sauté the sausage in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until caramelized around the edges. Remove and set aside.

Smoked sausage sliced and browned for the seafood rice.

Melt the butter and add the green pepper, garlic and onion. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, until softened and fragrant.

Green pepper, garlic and onion in a large pot.

Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes.

Add the chicken (or seafood) stock, Cajun seasoning, salt and sausage back in and bring to a boil.

Add the rice and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove the lid and add the frozen mixed seafood, gently stirring it in.

Frozen seafood mix added to the large pot.

Replace the lid and cook for another 5-10 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.

Serve topped with chopped green onions and drizzled with fresh lemon juice. It's also pretty delicious with a light drizzle of the seafood butter sauce.

Expert tips

If necessary, you can substitute another type of rice in place of the long-grain. You may just need to adjust the cook time and liquid to rice ratio.
If you’re not using homemade or low sodium chicken broth, you may wish to reduce the amount of salt you add to the rice.
If you like your seafood rice spicier, add a little extra cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes.
You can use any kind of mix of frozen seafood you prefer. If you’d like to use fresh or a single variety of seafood, you can do that too.
For the smoked sausage, you can use any kind you like. Chorizo or andouille sausage will also work.
In place of the dry white wine, you can just use more broth.
You can substitute the green pepper for red, yellow or orange pepper. It will just add a sweeter taste to the rice.

Common questions

What type of rice is best for seafood rice?

For a fluffy seafood rice, you’ll want to use a long-grain rice. I like to use long-grain white rice, but you can also use jasmine or basmati. You can substitute a short-grain rice, but note that it is starchier and will stick together once cooked.

If you decide to use a rice other than long-grain white rice, just read the package instructions and adjust the cook time and liquid to rice ratio, if necessary.

What kind of seafood should you use in seafood rice?

The beauty of this recipe is that almost any kind of frozen seafood works. You can use shrimp, calamari, scallops, imitation crab, octopus or mussels. If you can’t find a mix and just want to use one type of seafood, that works too.

Do you need to defrost the frozen seafood for this recipe?

No need to defrost the seafood first. Just add it to the rice mixture as is and cook for 5-10 minutes.

Can you use fresh seafood in this rice?

Absolutely. You can use fresh seafood in place of frozen. Just adjust the cook time down a few minutes according to the type of fresh seafood you choose.

How do you reheat leftover seafood rice?

The easiest way to reheat leftover seafood rice is to pop it in the microwave. You’ll want to heat it until just warmed through. If you overheat it, the seafood may get a bit rubbery.

How do you serve seafood rice?

Seafood rice is filling all on its own. We usually serve it with freshly squeezed lemon juice and chopped green onion. If you'd like to add more to the meal, serve it with crusty bread and a green salad.