This traditional Cajun dirty rice is a blend of rice, vegetables, and ground meats seasoned with Cajun spices. It's loaded with bold flavors and is a delicious side dish that's also hearty enough to be served as a main dish. In this post, I'll provide simple step-by-step instructions, expert tips, and answers to common FAQs to help you make this delicious dirty rice perfectly every time!
What is Dirty Rice?
Dirty Rice is a classic Cajun dish from southern Louisana that combines ground or minced meats with rice and the Cajun "holy trinity" blend of onion, celery, and bell peppers, and it's seasoned with zesty Cajun seasoning.
The ground meat and spices give the rice a "dirty" look, leading to its name. It is also commonly known as Cajun rice or rice dressing.
Why this Recipe Works
This traditional southern dish is a versatile side dish that can be served at potlucks, Sunday suppers, and as part of your holiday meal. It's a Cajun Thanksgiving staple. This hearty rice can also be served as a main dish, so it's a great option for an easy one-pot meal on a busy weeknight.
- Versatile - Can be served as a side dish for almost any occasion or as a main course.
- One-Pot Meal - Dirty rice is a one-pot dish, so clean-up is quick and easy.
- Flavorful - This rice is loaded with layers of bold flavor from the Cajun seasoning, vegetables, and meats.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Pork Sausage - Traditional Cajun dirty rice typically contains ground pork, ground sausage, or ground beef. You can also substitute ground chicken or turkey.
- Chicken Livers - Minced livers help to give dirty rice its characteristic "dirty" look and adds tremendous depth to the flavor. If you're not a fan of liver, you can leave it out, but the flavor will not be as rich.
- Holy Trinity - This blend of chopped celery, onion, and bell peppers is common in many traditional Cajun dishes.
- Cajun Seasoning - You can use store-bought or make your own homemade Cajun seasoning blend. The heat level may vary if using store-bought, so try a little before adding the full amount used in this recipe. You can add additional paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder to the store-bought seasoning to make it milder. Creole seasoning is also a good substitute and is typically a bit milder.
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the complete list of ingredients and measurements.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and minced chicken livers and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned.
- Add the chopped onion, celery, bell peppers, and minced garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.
- Add the Cajun seasoning, chicken stock, bay leaves, and rice and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook for 20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked through.
- Remove from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork, then serve.
Expert Tips
- If you prefer not to use chicken livers, you can use around 1 Tablespoon of bacon grease when cooking the vegetables to add more richness and flavor. Minced mushrooms are also a good option.
- You can substitute brown rice or wild rice, but you will need to add additional cooking time.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Add a splash of water and reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
- If you like spicier flavors, add cayenne pepper to the dish when adding your seasoning.
What to Serve with Dirty Rice
Cajun dirty rice is a versatile side that can go with many different main dishes. You can serve it as part of a Cajun holiday spread or with other traditional Cajun dishes like jambalaya and gumbo.
It goes great with seafood and chicken dishes, like my baked lemon chicken thighs.
It's also a tasty main dish served with southern sides like my Southern Cornbread and my Instant Pot Southern Style Green Beans.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can make this dirty rice a day ahead and store in the refrigerator. Add a splash of water and cover, then reheat in a 325°F oven until warmed through.
An Instant Pot works great for making dirty rice.
1. Cook the meat and veggies using the Sauté mode.
2. Add your stock and scrape the bottom of the pot to remove any brown bits. Then add the rice and seasonings and stir to combine.
3. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 4 minutes, then allow the steam to natural release for 10 minutes.
4. Vent any remaining pressure, then remove the lid and fluff with a fork before serving.
Jambalaya includes tomatoes, while dirty rice does not. Jambalaya also typically includes shrimp, crawfish, and diced sausage, while dirty rice includes organ meats like liver and giblets and other ground or diced meats.
More Rice Recipes
📖 Recipe
Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork sausage
- ¾ cup minced chicken livers
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 cup long grain rice
- 4 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sausage and minced chicken livers and cook for 3-4 minutes until browned.
- Add the chopped onion, celery, bell peppers, and minced garlic and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.
- Add the Cajun seasoning, chicken stock, bay leaves, and rice and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook for 20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is cooked through.
- Remove from the heat and fluff the rice with a fork, then serve.
Notes
- If you prefer not to use chicken livers, you can use around 1 Tablespoon of bacon grease when cooking the vegetables to add more richness and flavor. Minced mushrooms are also a good addition for color and flavor.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Add a splash of water and reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
Nutrition
* All nutrition information we provide are estimates based on third party calculators. We encourage you to calculate these on your own for accurate results.
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