Brown the sausage: Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced sausage and cook for 4–5 minutes, until browned on the edges. Remove the sausage to a plate, leaving the rendered fat behind in the pan.

Sauté the vegetables: Add the onion and bell pepper to the same skillet and cook for 4–5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds more, until fragrant.

Toast the rice before adding any liquid: Add the uncooked rice directly to the skillet with the vegetables and stir constantly for 60–90 seconds, until the grains look slightly translucent at the edges. This step matters more than it looks like it should — rice added straight to a pot of liquid never gets coated in fat first, so it absorbs unevenly and turns gummy and clumped by the time it's done; toasting it briefly first seals the outside of each grain so it cooks up separate and fluffy instead.

Add the liquid and beans: Pour in the chicken broth and diced tomatoes with their juices, then stir in the black beans, Cajun seasoning, and smoked paprika. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Simmer covered: Return the sausage to the pan, stir everything together, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18–20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is mostly absorbed. Pro tip: resist the urge to lift the lid and stir partway through — every peek lets steam escape and can leave you with unevenly cooked rice at the end.

Rest, then fluff: Remove the skillet from heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork. This short rest lets any remaining liquid finish absorbing evenly.

Garnish and serve: Top with sliced green onions and serve straight from the skillet. For something crunchy on the side, this pairs nicely with our Skillet Cornbread with Jalapeños.