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Dirty rice is a classic Southern rice side dish pairs well with just about any Cajun main dish, and even delicious on its own. This popular Cajun side dish is richly and boldly flavored with ground beef, sausage, holy trinity of veggies, and spices.
Not-So-Dirty Rice (Cajun Rice)
Dirty rice, or Cajun rice or rice dressing, is a Louisiana rice dish that consists of ground beef, vegetables, and spices. It gets its name ‘dirty rice’ from its dirty brown color that is achieved from browning the beef, sausage, and veggies. Traditionally, dirty rice is made with giblets and while some may find that off-putting, it actually gives this rice dish incredible flavor throughout. I chose to not use any in my recipe, but I wanted to note it here as that’s what it is traditionally made with.
Dirty rice is an extremely versatile dish. It can be served with mains like chicken and sausage gumbo or it can be stuffed into stuffed peppers. To make it a full affair, serve with some cornbread or make a cornbread casserole. Whichever way you choose to serve dirty rice, you will love the Cajun flavors in this dish!
Recipe Tips and Variations
- I highly recommend making this in a cast iron skillet or heavy bottom pot like a dutch oven so you can get the utmost flavor from browning the meats over high heat!
- If you can find chicken liver and want to add it to this dish to make it even more flavorful and more traditional, dice it up finely and add it to the pot after the ground meat and sausage has been mostly cooked through.
- There are two methods of cooking dirty rice – one is using already cooked rice (like cooked in a rice cooker or similar) and folding it in with the beef and vegetables or, what I have in this recipe, is cooking the rice in the dish itself. I don’t think there is a right or wrong way of doing this so the choice is yours!
Storage and Reheating Instructions
In the refrigerator: allow leftovers to cool then store rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To reheat, place a damp paper towel on top of the rice in a microwave-safe bowl then heat until warmed through. Alternatively, you may heat the cube on the stovetop in a small pot as well.
To freeze: allow leftovers to cool then store rice in 1 or 2 cup silicone freezer trays and freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, release a cube from the tray, place it in a microwave-safe bowl, place a damp paper towel on top of the rice then heat until warmed through. Alternatively, you may heat the cube on the stovetop in a small pot as well.
Dirty Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) ground beef, 80/20 or 90/10
- 1 pound (454 g) mild Italian sausage
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 4 stalks of celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups (370 g) uncooked long-grain white rice, such as basmati
- 4 cups (946 ml) low-sodium beef broth/stock
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the beef and Italian sausage to the pot. With a wooden spoon or spatula, brown the meats and break into smaller pieces.1 pound (454 g) ground beef, 1 pound (454 g) mild Italian sausage
- Once the meats are mostly all cooked through, if there is a lot of extra grease, feel free to drain it or leave it for flavor.
- Next, add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Stir and cook for 5 minutes until slightly tender and fragrant.1 large yellow onion, 1 green bell pepper, 4 stalks of celery, 3 cloves garlic
- Sprinkle the Cajun seasoning over the mixture and stir to incorporate. Add the bay leaf.1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning, 1 bay leaf
- Pour the rice in and stir to incorporate. Add the beef stock and stir until mixture is covered.2 cups (370 g) uncooked long-grain white rice, 4 cups (946 ml) low-sodium beef broth/stock
- Reduce heat to low and cook covered for 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through.
- Remove from heat and keep covered for an additional 10 minutes then remove the lid and fluff with a fork.
Nutrition
Photographs by Meg McKeehan Photography
