Healthy eating does not mean that you have to skip out on flavor and this Cajun Asparagus and Sausage Skillet delivers the flavor. Loaded with tons of veggies and tasty spice, this sausage skillet is a quick and easy weeknight meal that you can make in about 40 minutes. Your family won’t even realize they are eating a healthy recipe when you serve them this Cajun flavor explosion.
Back when my husband and I were dating we went to to New Orleans for a long weekend. We had an amazing time seeing the sites, visiting voodoo shops, and touring the cemeteries. But our absolute favorite thing to do there was eat. I think we might have had four or five meals a day just so we could try as many restaurants as possible. If you are interested in going there my friend Lauren has some great city guides on where to go and what to do you can check out here.
We are always looking for ways to bring a little bit of that flavor home to Missouri and this skillet does just that. I know that we don’t include any seafood in this asparagus sausage skillet, but we live in Missouri. So fresh, flavorful seafood isn’t exactly available on every street corner. We make due with what we have and dream of the day we get to go back to the Gulf coast.
The idea for this recipe actually came from my sister (thanks Aub!). She’s a busy mom of the worlds cutest toddler and fully understands just how hard it is cook with kids around on a time limit. You wouldn’t think that a four year old would be that busy but between swim practice and dance and preschool events there is hardly any time for long, tedious recipes. This is a quick go to meal that the kid will eat and the adults will actually enjoy.
Tips for making this recipe:
- Be sure to blanch the asparagus. I know it probably seems like just an extra step and extra pot dirtied. But if you don’t blanch it first it takes it quite a while to cook in the skillet and by then it’s gotten soggy and everything else has gotten soggy and it’s not really the same.
- Don’t poke the potatoes. It’s very difficult to stop yourself from constantly stirring and poking the pan. But try and restrain yourself. Stirring the potatoes constantly will only make them take longer to cook and degrade their shape.
- If Cajun seasoning is too spicy for you or your little ones feel free to cut back on the amount. If you don’t have/don’t like Cajun seasoning this skillet is also delicious with Italian seasoning. Feel free to adjust to your and your families personal tastes.
- While it isn’t essential, I’m obsessed with cooking in my cast iron skillet. It really helps you get a great sear on everything. Not just meat! I’ve included a link to the one I use below. But you can sometimes find vintage ones in flea markets!
Spicy Cajun Asparagus and Sausage Skillet
This Spicy Cajun Asparagus and Sausage Skillet is the quick and easy dinner your family needs! Packed with seasonal veggies and even more flavor this meal is healthy, fresh and perfect for a busy weeknight meal.
Ingredients
- 1 Bunch Asparagus Chopped into 2" pieces
- 2 Cups Water
- 4 Red Potatoes Cubed
- 2 Carrots Sliced into 1/4" pieces
- 1 Green Bell Pepper Diced
- 1/2 Medium Yellow Onion Diced
- 1 Package/14 oz Smoked Sausage Sliced into 1/2" pieces
- 2 Tsp Cajun Seasoning
- 1/2 Tsp Salt
- 1/2 Tsp Black Pepper
Instructions
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Prepare all ingredients by dicing and chopping all vegetables and the sausage. Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium sized pan.
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Add chopped asparagus to boiling water and set timer for 5 minutes. While asparagus is boiling, add oil to a skillet over medium heat and add potatoes and add potatoes and carrots in a single layer.
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Once asparagus has boiled for 5 minutes and turned bright green drain pot and set aside. Allow potatoes and carrots to cook for 15 minutes or until they begin to soften.
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Push potatoes and carrots to the edges of the skillet and add onions, peppers, and sausage to skillet. Add seasoning to skillet and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until onions have softened and sausage has browned.
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Add asparagus to skillet to and throughly mix all ingredients so they have all been evenly coated in the seasoning. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
Amount of seasoning can be adjusted to taste if too spicy.
You might also enjoy:
- Crock-pot Pork Carnitas with Traditional Chimichurri | Whole 30 – Paleo – Gluten Free
- Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes | Whole 30 Option
- Sugar Free Broccoli Beef | Whole 30 – Paleo – Gluten Free
You might need:
The following are affiliate links which means that at no cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and purchase. I only recommend products I have used myself or that I believe are highly reliable. You can learn more about this here.
- Lodge cast iron skillet
- Sugar free cajun seasoning
This sounds amazing! As per usual, I can’t wait to make it! And thank you for linking to my city guide! I promise your readers will not be disappointed!
This looks absolutely amazing. Although, I’d probably skimp on the onions, I could totally make this at home! I love only using one pan! Thanks for another amazing recipe! 🙂
My husband hates onions too! I just make him pick them out because I think they’re the best!! You could totally skip them or just replace with a dash of onion powder instead.
Onion powder I can definitely work with. haha
Wow !! I love anything with Cajun, I put it on most stuff… literally even my spaghetti gets the Cajun treatment lol! I’m a big asparagus fan too, & im all for getting thosr veggies in there with the kids meals! gotta give this a try this week, watch this space!!
This looks absolutely delicious!!
Thanks Becca! It really is sooo good!
I love cajun! Yum. This looks like the perfect dinner recipe with tons of flavor!
Thanks for joining #WanderingWednesday! 🙂
So excited to be apart of it Shiree! I will definitely be back next week.
Loved this! But then again, I love skillets and all things Cajun flavored. Lol Making it for the second time tonight! 🙂
I’m so glad that you love it Nikki! It sounds like we have the same taste!
I’d like to make this recipe tonight, it looks delicious; However, the actual recipe and steps are nowhere on this page. I first found this recipe on Pinterest and clicked for details using my phone and when the recipe and steps werent listed on your site, I figured that perhaps it wasnt mobile compatible. I tried using my phones internet, same issue. I am now on my laptop and am having the same issue. The pictures, tips, and “story” all show up fine, as well as the comments, but the recipe and steps are nowhere to be found. Not sure if you are having issues with your website or it’s a fluke, but I thought I’d let you know either way. I still would love to make this tonight as I have all of the ingredients, so if there is a way for you to comment back or email me with the recipe and steps I would greatly appreciate it!
Hi Amanda! Thank you so much for bringing this to my attention. I just updated the plug-in and I think that was the issue. It should all be showing correctly now. I hope you love it! Be sure to comment on the pin with a picture and what you think.
Thank you so much for your prompt reply/fix! I see it now and can’t wait to make it tonight!
Looks delicious! Trying this week and serving over white rice ????
Hi Lisa! It is one bell pepper. I used green but any color will work! I will get that updated in the ingredients. Let me know how it goes!
Thank you for getting back with me. I believe I’m going to experiment with a poblano pepper as my family isn’t fond of bells. I’ll let you know how it goes.
I bet poblanos will be delicious in this!
This was a big hit with my husband. The poblanos were delicious. I would recommend them if someone is looking for a bell pepper alternative.
Thoughts …..,,,Can you double this a freeze one?
Hi Angela! I haven’t frozen it before but I don’t see why you couldn’t. Just make sure that it is airtight and completely cool before you put it in the freezer. Let me know how it goes if you try!
Just FYI, you don’t have the bell pepper listed in the ingredients. I went to make the recipe and had no green pepper 🙁
Oh no! I’m so sorry about that Emily. Bell pepper has been added to the ingredients list. I hope you love it!
Hi there!
Just wondering what oil you use and how much?
Hi Beth! I typically use avocado oil, but any oil with a high smoke point will work just fine for this. I use about 1 tablespoon of oil but you can add more if the pan gets too dry.
My family loved this! I did 3 Russet potatoes and 1 large seeet potato and then added fresh baby spinach in at the end!
Really enjoyed this! Will not add any salt next time, as the sausage and Cajun seasoning were salty enough on their own. Served it with beer bread… not paleo AT ALL but tasted amazing together!
Glad you liked it! And sometimes we definitely have to make exceptions for beer bread. It’s my favorite!
Do you possibly have other nutrition facts besides just calories and how much one serving is?
Hi Krista, unfortunately I do not. But you should be able to plug the link to the recipe in at http://www.MyFitnessPal.com to get a break down of the nutrition!
Hi I was curious if you have a certain Cajun seasoning you prefer? Or any will do? Thank you!
Hi Alondra! Sorry I’m just now getting back to you! I love Penzey’s cajun seasoning, but Slap Ya Mama Cajun Seasoning is great also and available in most grocery stores!
I enjoyed making this recipe vegetarian friendly. I subbed in Field Roast Italian Sausage and it was perfect!
That’s a great idea Melinda! I’m so glad you were able to adapt it to your needs!
Great! We loved it! Highly recommended!
I’m glad you loved it Kelsey!
Loved this recipe! I’m sharing it on my Weekly Meal Plan on my blog next week! Cheers!
So glad you loved it! Thank you for sharing Danielle!
Tasted great! Good combination of veggies. I used Gilbert’s Andouille and homemade Cajun seasoning.
Thanks Mindy! I bet this was great with Andouille sausage!
Love this receipe – I plan on trying it out once I buy the skillet you recommended on Amazon! What size do you use?
I’m so glad to hear that Victoria! I like to use a 12″ skillet for this recipe. I’ve done it in a 10″ but things get a little crowded and don’t crisp up as much as I like. Let me know how it goes!
Hi, do the directions say add potatoes, and add potatoes and carrots. I’m going to assume it’s a mistake and it is supposed to be the sausage, because it never tells you where to add the sausage.
Hi Sherry! Yep, that is an error. The sausage is added to the skillet in the 4th step with the onions and peppers. I update the recipe to make the directions more clear. Thank you!
This is SO good! It has become a regular in our home and we always double it so we can enjoy the leftovers!
This makes me so happy to hear! I’m glad that your family loves it Lisa!
LOVE this recipe!! I’ve made it several times now and it’s a favorite in my house. We use turkey sausage and sub green beans for the asparagus. Thanks for a great recipe!
I love the substitutions Allie! Glad that you guys love it!
This was really good. Next time I would cook the sausage in a separate skillet so it gets a chance to brown. I used my largest skillet, but this recipe makes a lot, and the skillet was full. The sausage cooked through it just wasn’t able to brown.
Thanks for the feedback Clare! That’s a good suggestion. 🙂
I love this recipe! I make it about once a week 😂. I have to divide everything in half and use two pans because I don’t have a big enough skillet for all of it. It takes up my whole stove, but SO worth it!
It is A LOT of veggies haha! But I’m so glad that you love it Katrina. That makes my day so great!
Delicious! Funny thing is my husband hates bell peppers, so I didn’t tell him I used one! We all sat down and he stated this is one of the best meals and I said, I’m so glad you like it because I put bell peppers in it!! Hahaha he said he couldn’t even taste them! I didn’t change a thing with this recipe an it was not spicy at all! My very picky 7yo loved it too!! Wonder where he gets that from! 🤣 thanks again for sharing!
Allison, it absolutely makes my day to here that! I’m so glad that your whole family loved it!
Delicious! I, like another review stated, will use a separate pan for the sausage next time. It was so easy. I used Mrs. Dash southwest chipotle seasoning. Thanks for the great recipe!
Thank you Emily! I will update the recipe to add a note that you might need to use a separate pan. I forget that not everyone has monster skillets!
What kind and where do you find whole 30 compliant smoked sausage? Thank you!
Hi Brittany! If you haven’t found some already Aidell’s Chicken and Apple Sausage is compliant and available at Walmart and most other retailers! That’s usually my go to. Pederson’s Farms also has multiple compliant flavors though it is not as widely available in stores.
The recipe tastes super good. I do have a couple of criticisms though, some of which are just likely my personal preference.
I would add a tiny bit of salt and pepper as well as garlic powder to the potato and carrot mixture to make sure they are well seasoned ahead of time. I also was a little frustrated in that the recipe doesn’t state what size of red potatoes to use, so I ended up buying potatoes that were much larger than I needed and only used half of them. I also ended up adding a few cloves of garlic too.
Hi Bree! Thank you for the feed back. I am planning on going back through and updating this recipe soon. I will get a measurement of the amount of potatoes by weight to make it more clear how many are needed. I am glad that you liked it!
This looks fantastic! You give great thorough instructions that help so much to ensure all the veggies are at their best. It is so hard for me to leave the potatoes alone. Also. the tip to blanch the asparagus is super helpful. Thanks for sharing
Thank you so much for your kind comment Jenny! It really makes my day!
Recipe was tasty but we felt something was needed. Perhaps a sauce? Good use of asparagus without the usual broiling.
Linda I think a sauce would go terrific with this recipe. Possibly my chipotle mayo sauce would be a good addition?