Dirty Rice

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings
  • Total: 50 min
  • Active: 30 min
This classic Cajun dish pays homage to the Louisiana holy trinity (onions, bell peppers and celery). The finely chopped proteins give the rice its signature “dirty” look. Traditionally, dirty rice includes chicken liver -- you can omit it, but don’t fear the liver! It adds another layer of texture and depth of flavor.
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Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

8 ounces hot sage pork sausage, casing removed 

8 ounces ground beef 

6 ounces chicken livers, finely chopped (optional) 

1 medium onion, diced 

1 green bell pepper, diced 

2 large celery ribs, diced 

3 large garlic cloves, minced 

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped 

2 bay leaves 

1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained 

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano 

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper  

2 1/2 cups beef broth  

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 

3 scallions, sliced 

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, ground beef and chicken livers and cook, breaking the meat into small bits with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a medium heatproof bowl with a slotted spoon.
  2. Remove and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the Dutch oven. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and cook down, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and bay leaves and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the rice, oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and cook about 30 seconds. Stir the cooked meat back in, then add the beef broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer and cover. Cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed the liquid, about 18 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat. Remove and discard the bay leaves, stir in the scallions and season.

Let's Get Cooking!

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Gail W.

This was amazing! <br />We like it hot so I added 2 Datils (1 habanero would substitute) and used Chorizo because I had it in my fridge.

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