Dirty Rice is a spicy and flavorful Cajun rice dish made from white rice. You won’t find a more flavorful rice.
Why Is It Called Dirty Rice?
It gets its “dirty” color from finely chopped chicken livers and ground beef or pork. The chicken livers give it such a deep flavor. Even if you think you don’t like chicken livers, you should try adding them. Since they are finely chopped, the overall dish doesn’t have much of a chicken liver flavor.
Dirty Rice is a spicy and meaty rice dish that just may become your favorite rice dish of all time.
Usually this cajun rice is served as a side dish, but with all that meaty goodness added to it, it’s tempting to eat it as a main dish.
Holy Trinity
The flavor of Dirty Rice starts with the Holy Trinity- onion, celery, and bell pepper. Garlic, dried thyme, and a few teaspoons of Cajun seasoning round out the seasonings.
If you save your bacon grease when you cook bacon, use a little of it in this rice. It will add even more flavor.
For the Cajun seasoning, I love to use Tony Chachere’s. It’s by far my favorite seasoning and it is perfect for sprinkling on all kinds of foods. I love it on potato salad. 🙂
What If I Don’t Like Liver?
I recommend you try it first with the livers. The liver flavor gets really dispersed and isn’t all that noticeable. If you’re sure you hate liver, leave it out. You can add a little bacon grease and a few pieces of chopped, cooked bacon for extra flavor.
How To Store
Will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days and can be reheated in a microwave.
Try These Other Southern Favorites:
- Grillades and Grits
- Mardi Gras Pasta
- Southern-Fried Pork Chops
- New Orleans-Style BBQ Shrimp
- Easy Chicken Pot Pie
- Cubed Steak with Onion Gravy
- Crawfish Jambalaya
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Watch the short video below to see how to make Dirty Rice.
Dirty Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
- 1 tablespoon bacon grease or Vegetable oil
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1 medium onion,, chopped
- 1 celery rib,, chopped
- 1/2 green bell pepper,, seeded and chopped
- 1/2 cup finely chopped chicken livers
- 2 cloves garlic,, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning,, I like Tony Chachere’s
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Instructions
- Set aside 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and pour remaining chicken broth in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Add rice, cover and cook 20 minutes.
- Heat bacon grease in a cast iron Dutch oven. Add ground beef and crumble it with a wooden spoon.
- Once you have the ground beef crumbled, add onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are softened. Add chicken livers and garlic and continue to cook 5 minutes.
- Add salt, Cajun seasoning, and thyme.
- Add reserved chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the brown pieces. Let simmer 1 minute.
- Remove bay leaf from rice and add rice to Dutch oven. Stir it into the ground beef mixture. Keep the heat on while you stir. Once it is combined well, remove from heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Originally published February 29, 2016.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.
Made this tonight for dinner! My family loved it
I had no idea chicken livers went into dirty rice! This was so delish and my husband loved it. I followed the directions exactly and it turned out perfect. Can’t wait to eat the leftovers!
So happy you and your husband enjoyed this recipe!
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use ADBLOCK
i enjoyed this recipe. i made it for the kids on my job. they were hesitant, but they loved it. Thank you. will be doing this at home.
I love this recipe. I substituted cauliflower rice for my portion and used regular rice for my guy. They were both amazeballs. Thank you!!!!
Haven’t tried it yet, but I’ve been wanting to make my own dirty rice at home ever since my favorite fast-food place stopped serving it…. I can’t wait to try it!
What you do eat them out of dirty rice? Lol
I don’t see chicken livers in your recipe -how much chicken livers do you use and when do you add them. Do you first gring them in good processor?
Oops – my mistake I see the livers!! Sorry!
I made this today. It was soooo yummy. I added shrimp and substituted Jimmy Dean Sage sausage for the chicken livers. I will be making this again!
My 5 year old saw this on Top Chef and asked if we could make it. (He has ASD and is obsessed with cooking) I found your recipe and I’m glad I did. It was simple to make with plenty of easy steps for kiddo. I did all the chopping and actual cooking, he did the measuring and mixing. I was a little worried he would be grossed out by the chicken livers but he didn’t say a word. It was just another ingredient to him. Very tasty. We’re eating it as a main dish. I will make this again probably often. Thanks!
Your comment makes me so happy Dawn! I love hearing about kids taking joy in cooking and trying new foods. And so young! He may be on Top Chef himself some day!
Looks so very good! Am trying my hand at dirty rice for the first time in my 65 yrs of age. My late cajun mother in law made it many times. Guess it’s time I did! Thanks for the recipe!