How to Make Dirty Rice (Dirty Rice Recipe) - Went Here 8 This (2024)

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Dirty Rice is a Cajun style rice made with white rice, ground liver and pork, spices and seasoning. Chicken livers offer the perfect deep flavor to the rice (even for you non-liver lovers).

How to Make Dirty Rice (Dirty Rice Recipe) - Went Here 8 This (1)

Rice is my ultimate comfort food. Add a touch of liver and ground pork, some seasoning and a touch of veggies and I'm all about it!

The liver supposedly is what makes this rice "dirty." If that's what dirty is I'll be dirty every day.

Don't worry, if you're not a liver lover, this dirty rice DOES NOT TASTE LIKE LIVER!!

If we're being honest, this chicken liver mousse doesn't even "really" taste like liver either - it's just amazing.

And to top it off, this can be used as a one pot meal! It's got rice, veggies, meat and FLAVOR all cooked up in one pot, a lot like this seafood rice or this mock turtle soup we love too.

While it's traditionally served as a side, I don't see any reason this can't be a full meal too, especially if you start it off with these amazing crawfish egg rolls or fried alligator bites (we LOVE these!!).

We also LOVE serving this rice with dishes like this creole chicken, smothered okra, blackened catfish, New Orleans BBQ shrimp or this amazing crawfish pie!

Jump to:
  • What is Dirty Rice?
  • Ingredients
  • Step By Step Instructions
  • Expert Tips
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • More Favorite Cajun Recipes
  • Recipe
  • 💬 Comments
How to Make Dirty Rice (Dirty Rice Recipe) - Went Here 8 This (2)

What is Dirty Rice?

Dirty rice is made with white rice typically mixed with ground meat and organ meats (like liver), along with green peppers, onions and spices. It gets it's name from the "dirty" appearance of the finished dish.

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Ingredients

Dirty Rice is really a pretty simple dish to make. The liver and pork give it a wonderful meaty flavor, making it a great accompaniment to so many Cajun dishes.

I like to use beef broth in this instead of chicken broth because it adds a meatier flavor. And who does like a meaty flavor?? However, you can substitute chicken broth for the beef if desired. It will still be good!

You can also substitute duck fat, goose fat, avocado oil or vegetable oil for the bacon fat if you don't have any.

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What is Cajun Seasoning?

Cajun seasoning is a blend of different spices, typically including garlic and onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, among others. Personally, I make my own Cajun seasoning, but you can also use Tony Chacheres (click to buy on Amazon - affiliate link) for Cajun and Creole dishes.

But I'm also all for making your own seasoning. Learn How to Make Cajun Seasoning.

Step By Step Instructions

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the bacon grease and ground pork. Cook until there is a little pink left (use a spoon to break it up in small pieces).

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Add the onion and green pepper and continue to cook until they just start to soften (5-10 minutes).

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Add the chopped livers and cook for 5 minutes, or until livers are cooked and combined into the mixture.

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Then add the rice, water, beef broth, red pepper flakes, and Cajun seasoningHow to Make Dirty Rice (Dirty Rice Recipe) - Went Here 8 This (7) and stir.

How to Make Dirty Rice (Dirty Rice Recipe) - Went Here 8 This (8)

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, until rice is fully cooked. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

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Expert Tips

  1. Freezing the chicken livers before chopping them will makes them easier to chop;
  2. Use a wooden spoon to break up the ground pork into small pieces while it's cooking - otherwise you end up with large chunks of ground pork in the rice;
  3. Substitute duck fat, goose fat, pork fat or vegetable oil for the bacon grease if you don't have any.
  4. Add ¼ teaspoon (or more) of cayenne pepper to give your rice a kick.
How to Make Dirty Rice (Dirty Rice Recipe) - Went Here 8 This (10)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between dirty rice and jambalaya?

Dirty rice is always made with liver and the holy trinity (onions, bell peppers, celery) while jambalaya typically includes seafood, sausage or chicken. Creole jambalaya also includes tomatoes, which dirty rice does not.

**If you're a fan of jambalaya, try this Jambalaya Risotto or this Jambalaya Stuffing - both are incredible!

What is another name for dirty rice?

Dirty rice is also referred to as Cajun rice or even Cajun fried rice. It gets it's name from the dirty appearance of the final rice dish.

More Favorite Cajun Recipes

  • Seafood Gumbo;
  • Instant Pot Red Beans and Rice;
  • Chicken and Sausage Gumbo;
  • One Pot Cajun Pasta;
  • Jambalaya Risotto;
  • Browse all the Cajun Recipes.

Did you make this Dirty Rice? Rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out!

Recipe

How to Make Dirty Rice (Dirty Rice Recipe) - Went Here 8 This (11)

Classic Cajun Style Dirty Rice Recipe

Dirty Rice is a Cajun style rice made with white rice, ground liver and pork, spices and seasoning. Chicken livers offer the perfect deep flavor to the rice.

4.90 from 19 votes

Print Rate

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Cajun/Creole

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 136kcal

Author: Danielle Wolter

Ingredients

  • ½ cup ground pork
  • ½ cup chicken livers
  • 1 tablespoon bacon fat
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 1 green pepper diced
  • 1 cup uncooked white rice
  • 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 cup beef broth
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

  • Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the bacon grease and ground pork. Break the pork up into 4-5 chunks and let it brown on all sides, getting slightly crispy on the outside.

  • Break up all the chunks and cook until most of the pink is gone, letting all the pieces brown and breaking it up with a wooden spoon or fork.

  • Add the onion and green pepper and continue to cook until they start to soften, about 5-10 minutes.

  • Add the chopped livers and cook for 5 minutes, or until livers are cooked and combined into the mixture.

  • Then add the rice, water, beef broth, red pepper flakes, and Cajun seasoning and stir.

  • Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, until rice is fully cooked. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Expert Tips:

  1. Freezing the chicken livers before chopping them will makes them easier to chop;
  2. Use a wooden spoon to break up the ground pork into small pieces while it's cooking - otherwise you end up with large chunks of ground pork in the rice;
  3. Substitute duck fat, goose fat, pork fat or vegetable oil for the bacon grease if you don't have any.
  4. Add ¼ teaspoon (or more) of cayenne pepper to give your rice a kick.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 136kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 129mg | Potassium: 140mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 865IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg

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How to Make Dirty Rice (Dirty Rice Recipe) - Went Here 8 This (2024)

FAQs

What is dirty rice made of? ›

Dirty rice, which sometimes goes by “rice dressing” or “Cajun rice,” is a rice dish typically made with the “Holy Trinity” of onions, bell peppers, and celery, a hefty amount of ground meat and chicken giblets, and a heavy sprinkling of Creole seasonings, like cayenne, sage, and paprika.

What's the difference between dirty rice and jambalaya? ›

Jambalaya vs. dirty rice: There are a few differences in terms of ingredients required for these two dishes, but the main difference comes down to the rice. While jambalaya cooks uncooked rice in the meat and vegetable mixture, dirty rice uses pre-cooked white rice that is sautéed with the veggies and meat.

What meat goes with dirty rice? ›

This dirty rice recipe is made with ground pork or ground sausage, but feel free to substitute ground chicken, turkey, or ground beef. Long-grain white rice is traditional and is used in this version here, but if you prefer to use brown rice or wild rice, keep in mind that the cooking time will increase greatly.

What is another name for dirty rice? ›

Dirty rice is frequently referred to as Cajun Rice in Louisiana and other parts of the South due to the dish's history with the Acadian immigrants of Louisiana. Cajun rice typically incorporates Andouille sausage, bell pepper, celery, and onions along with a blend of traditional Cajun spices.

What is a good side dish for Cajun dirty rice? ›

What To Serve With Dirty Rice: 21 BEST Sides For Dirty Rice ⚜️
  • Meat. • 1 Collard greens with smoked turkey.
  • Seafood. • 1 Blackened salmon. ...
  • Produce. • 1 Apples, Fried. ...
  • Canned Goods. • 1 Cowboy stew.
  • Pasta & Grains. • 1 Chicken & dirty rice skillet.
  • Bread & Baked Goods. • 1 Honey cornbread. ...
  • Deli. • 1 Cajun corn salad. ...
  • Other.

What is Cajun seasoning made of? ›

What Is In Cajun Spice Mix? Typical Cajun seasonings (including store-bought like Slap Ya Mama and Tony Chachere's) are made with black pepper, white pepper, cayenne pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. For different flavors, some Cajun spice mixes include salt, mustard powder, chile peppers, or cumin.

Is Popeyes Cajun rice the same as dirty rice? ›

Like Popeyes' Cajun rice, dirty rice is made of ground beef, celery, onion, pepper, garlic, Cajun seasoning, chicken broth, and rice. However, most recipes also call for a bay leaf and a touch of light-bodied beer for even more of a flavor boost.

What does Zatarain's dirty rice taste like? ›

The rice comes out dry and fluffy. The taste is spicy just like other zatarains mixes but again not painfully hot, just medium hot.

Is Zatarain's dirty rice spicy? ›

Tasty Stuff! This Zatarain's Dirty Rice Mix is very easy to prepare and is very tasty too. It's got a bit of spice to it, which I love!

Is rice dressing and dirty rice the same thing? ›

The main difference between Dirty Rice and Rice Dressing is that Rice Dressing is generally made with ground beef, pork, or venison, whereas Dirty Rice is made with organ meats such as livers, hearts, and giblets. The dish takes its name from the “dirty” appearance the finely ground up meats give the rice.

What kind of rice is best for gumbo? ›

For purposes of this discussion, we will limit our focus to plain old polished white rice. Even then, it comes in different sizes — short, long and medium grain. I prefer medium grain rice in a gumbo, because the grains puff up, the perfect medium for a gumbo. The thick gumbo juice sticks to the grains just right.

What ethnicity is dirty rice? ›

Dirty rice can be traced back to the plantation days of Louisiana. Those who had many people to feed but few resources to feed them all added what they could get to the white rice that was abundant - chicken livers, spices, vegetables - and the resulting dish would look "dirty."

Who invented dirty rice? ›

The Louisiana plantations planted rice in the bayou where it grew plentiful and cheap for the locals. The original dirty rice was cooked chicken guts, the gizzard, heart, and kidneys, cooked in a pan. Afterward the cooked organ meats were chopped fine while the rice cooked in added water in the same pan.

What is soggy rice called? ›

Gummy rice. You either used short grain rice or you didn't wash the long grain rice. ( You might not have washed the short grain rice, as well, but it's naturally gummier than long grain rice, so you. Soggy, (I assume), rice has too much water… or not enough.

Why is Dirty Rice called that? ›

It's called Dirty Rice because the rice turns a “dirty” brown color while cooking with the diced meats and spices. You'll also hear Dirty Rice called “Cajun Rice” or “Rice Dressing”, but they're all variations of the same rice dish (they may use different types of meat or add more or less veggies, or spices).

Is Unwashed rice bad for you? ›

It can be toxic when consumed in large amounts. Some experts suggested rinsing in order to remove the arsenic. However, FDA research showed that rinsing rice before cooking has a “minimal effect” on the arsenic content and instead will wash away nutrients like iron, folate, thiamine, and niacin.

Is unwashed rice healthier? ›

Washing rice has been shown to remove about 90% of bio-accessible arsenic, but it also rinses out a large amount of other nutrients important for our health, including copper, iron, zinc and vanadium.

Is rice dressing and Dirty Rice the same thing? ›

The main difference between Dirty Rice and Rice Dressing is that Rice Dressing is generally made with ground beef, pork, or venison, whereas Dirty Rice is made with organ meats such as livers, hearts, and giblets. The dish takes its name from the “dirty” appearance the finely ground up meats give the rice.

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