Cajun dirty rice mixes rice, ground beef, ground pork, onions, bell peppers, celery, and plenty of Cajun seasoning. It’s filling, wholesome, incredibly flavorful and made in just 30 minutes in one pot. It has all the classic Cajun flavors in the form of a hearty rice dish perfect for main meals, side dishes, and leftover lunches!
Cajun dirty rice is a dish I like to whip up when I’m feeling like I need to jazz up dinner with flavor, but don’t want anything overly complicated. That’s why I love that this is a one-pan meal that requires very little effort but tastes amazing!
Since I typically keep all of the spices on hand for when I put together a homemade Cajun seasoning blend or my blackened seasoning mix, it’s easy to throw together. And depending on who I am feeding I can always adjust the amount of heat I use.
I always thought the term dirty referred to the gritty and rustic smoky, spicy flavors, but it’s not. It’s because as the rice cooks and absorbs the flavor and spices, it turns brown.
It tastes like it’s come straight out of Louisiana and pairs nicely with crockpot shrimp boil or Cajun stuffed chicken breast!
Dirty Cajun Rice
Why you’ll love this recipe
- An easy, one pan dish made with simple ingredients.
- It’s an exploration of Southern flavors.
- Can be eaten as a main meal or a side dish.
- Ingredients are flexible to make plenty of substitutions.
Helpful Tools
- Large Skillet
- Veggie Chopper
- Spatula – my current favorite spoon/spatula
Ingredients
Below is a list of the ingredients you’ll need to gather to make this recipe, why you need them, and possible substitutions. Scroll all the way down for the full recipe card with measurements.
Jump- Lean ground beef and ground pork: I use 80/20 lean ground beef. The ground pork gives it extra fat and flavor.
- Onions, bell peppers, and celery: The famous trio of Southern cooking that is the base flavor combination to many dishes.
- Minced garlic: An aromatic for extra flavor.
- Seasoning: Salt, pepper, dried oregano, thyme, chili powder, and cayenne powder. I also have a homemade Cajun seasoning and homemade blackened seasoning that I sometimes use.
- Beef broth: Needed to cook the rice which gets absorbed as it simmers.
- Bay leaves: These are added to the Cajun dirty rice as it simmers to infuse flavor.
- Chopped parsley and sliced green onions: For garnish.
How to make Dirty Cajun Rice
This section shows you how to make this recipe, with process photos showing the steps to help you visualize it. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card below.
Jump- Step One: Cook ground beef and pork in a large, deep skillet until no longer pink. Break apart the meat into crumbles as it cooks. No need to drain the fat, you’ll use it to sauté the veggies.
- Step Two: Once it is browned, add the onion, peppers, celery, and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes until the veggies start to soften.
- Step Three: Sprinkle in the salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Add in the uncooked rice and mix to combine.
- Step Four: Pour in the beef broth, and add the bay leaves. Bring the rice mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with the lid and cook for 20-25 minutes. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Step Five: Once the broth has been absorbed and the rice is tender, use a fork to fluff it up. Remove the bay leaves and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and sliced green onions. Enjoy!
How to serve it
This rice dish is an entire meal in itself, veggies included, so if you want to eat it by itself, you can!
If you’re looking to use it as a side dish, it goes great with things like Cajun stuffed chicken breast and blackened chicken tenders. You could also serve it with a simple side salad.
- If you prefer to drain the grease from cooking the meat, you’ll need to add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan afterwards.
- To make this without ground pork, just double the amount of ground beef. You can also swap the beef for ground chicken or ground turkey.
- To make this a milder dish, reduce the cayenne pepper to 1/8 teaspoon (aka a dash), then add any more as desired.
- Do not use instant rice. Based on the cooking time, you’ll end up with overcooked, mushy rice.
- I use uncooked long-grain white rice, but if you prefer brown rice, increase the amount of broth and cooking time, as brown rice takes a bit longer to cook.
Storage & Reheating
How to store leftovers
Keep leftover dirty rice in the fridge for up to 4 days. It makes great leftovers for a quick lunch or easy side dishes for dinners throughout the week.
Freezing Instructions
I wouldn’t plan to purposely freeze Cajun dirty rice just because when it thaws it can get mushy. However, if you have leftovers you don’t want to waste, you can certainly freeze it in a pinch.
Store the rice in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container and keep it frozen for up to a month. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Reheating Instructions
Reheat the rice in the microwave or a skillet over medium-low heat. Adding a splash of broth can help loosen it up and bring back some moisture.
Need more hearty rice dishes? Try these:
Lentils with Brown Rice and Veggies
Cheesy Crockpot Chicken and Rice
Click here to view my entire collection of main meal recipes.
Did You Make This?
If you made this recipe, I’d love to know how it went in the comments section below.
You can also tag me on Instagram – @melissa_ppplates or share a pic in the Persnickety Plates Community Facebook group. I love seeing what you’ve tried!
Cajun Dirty Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef 80/20
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- ½ cup diced green bell pepper
- 2 stalks celery diced (approx. ½ cup)
- 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 16 ounces long grain white rice
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 medium bay leaves
- 2 Tablespoons parsley chopped
- 2 Tablespoons green onions sliced
Instructions
- Heat a deep, large skillet (with a lid) or stock pot over medium heat.
- Add the beef and pork breaking apart the meat until browned.1 pound ground beef, 1 pound ground pork
- Add the diced onion, peppers, celery and garlic and sauté for 5 minutes stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to soften.1 cup diced yellow onion, ½ cup diced red bell pepper, ½ cup diced green bell pepper, 2 stalks celery, 4 cloves fresh garlic
- Add in the salt, pepper, oregano, thyme, chili powder, cayenne pepper, and uncooked rice to the skillet and mix well.1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 Tablespoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon dried thyme, 1 teaspoon chili powder, ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, 16 ounces long grain white rice
- Add the beef broth and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking.4 cups beef broth, 2 medium bay leaves
- Once the rice is tender, give it a fluff, remove the bay leaves, and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and fresh chopped green onions before serving.2 Tablespoons parsley, 2 Tablespoons green onions
Notes
- Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- It is not necessary to drain the grease from the beef/pork mixture – you’ll use the fat to saute the vegetables. If you prefer to drain it, you’ll need to add about a tablespoon of olive oil in its place.
- If you’d rather not use pork, double the ground beef.
- You’ll use one bag (16 oz / 2 cups) of uncooked long grain white rice. NOT instant rice.
- If you prefer brown rice, you can sub uncooked brown rice (not instant), but you’ll need to adjust the broth amount and cook time as it takes a bit longer.
- If you don’t like heat, reduce the cayenne pepper to 1/8 teaspoon (a dash) and adjust up as needed.
- This rice is a meal in itself, but it pairs well with cajun stuffed chicken breasts or blackened chicken tenders.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
