My recipe for One-Pot Dirty Rice is the perfect easy dirty-just-one-pot meal. Long-grain rice is simmered with ground beef and pork, and a variety of vegetables, in a flavorful spiced herb broth. It’s a hearty and satisfying comfort food dish that incorporates a non-traditional twist – which makes my family SO happy!
Yes, boxed dirty rice from the store shelf is made using only one pot; I totally get that. But my from-scratch, One-Pot Dirty Rice is just so much better!! It’s perfectly meaty and hearty and flavorful, and like Kimchi Fried Rice, it’s the kind of rice dish that easily works as a side or a meal. For my family’s sake, I dodge full authenticity on this classic Louisiana dish. Read below, “Adjusted for my family”, about my biggest twist on this recipe. (Do you agree? How would YOU make it?!)
Why This Is My Family’s Favorite Recipe for Dirty Rice
Our family is BIG on BIG flavor. So Cajun and Creole dishes are definitely welcome at our table. Whenever I made Blackened Shrimp in the past, it felt like something was missing. Thus, I started working on a dirty rice (sometimes called “rice dressing”) recipe to serve alongside. It turned out to be just the pairing I was looking for, and made my family happy in the process!
- Deliciously meaty. I include both ground pork breakfast sausage (a more typical dirty rice recipe calls for plain ground pork), which makes this rice dish not only satisfying with heartiness and texture, but also extra flavorful. I also use 80/20 ground beef because it offers more meaty, beefy flavor than leaner ground beef.
- All-around BIG flavor. Besides the variety of meats, there’s beef broth and butter for richness, fresh herbs, and earthy-fiery Cajun seasoning and cayenne pepper.
- So versatile. Serve this Southern dish as a side, use it as the base for a meal bowl, or serve it as a main dish on its own. It’s also just as welcome on a plain ol’ weekday as it is for a special holiday meal!
- Adjusted for my family. There are endless variations on classic Louisiana-style dirty rice, but the most prominent change I made is this: I skipped the chopped (or ground) chicken livers, gizzards, and hearts. Organ meat is what adds the traditional and very distinct rich and savory flavor, plus the signature “dirty” brown color to the white rice. But I knew that organ meats were a no-go for my family – and created my own delicious Midwestern take on dirty rice. My fam said, “Thank you very much!” (And I swear I could hear my dear Grandma Renelt in heaven say, “Gimme all the gizzards!”)
Enjoy!
What You’ll Need
Grab these ingredients to make my homemade dirty rice recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and full recipe instructions.
- Butter – I use unsalted butter so I can better control the overall sodium (you can always add more!). Using butter instead of oil adds a rich, warm flavor and lovely texture.
- Breakfast sausage – Plain ground pork is common in dirty rice, but I like to swap that for breakfast sausage = extra flavor.
- Ground beef – I like to use ground beef with a higher fat content, such as an 80/20 mix, as this adds a lot more flavor. Plus I prefer its texture (not so dry).
- Cajun Holy Trinity – Diced onion, celery, and bell pepper. Traditionally, this trio calls for green bell pepper, but my family prefers red bell pepper – so that’s what I use.
- Garlic – A single fresh garlic clove adds just enough flavor to not dominate the dish.
- Fresh herbs – Sage and parsley add fresh green flavor.
- Salt – If your broth is on the salty side, add less salt. Always adjust to your own taste buds.
- Cajun seasoning – This zesty seasoning mix is essential for dirty rice, a delicious blend of savory and spicy flavors.
- Cayenne pepper – For extra heat beyond what’s in the Cajun seasoning. Omit if you’d rather tame the spice level.
- Beef broth – Chicken broth is often used for dirty rice, but I found that beef broth adds a richer, more flavorful dish overall.
- Rice – I use regular, long grain white rice for this recipe. See “Brenda’s Cooking Tips & Variations” for suggestions for other kinds of rice.
- Green onion – Not shown in my ingredients photo, but I often include chopped green onion over the top of individual servings. It adds bright fresh onion flavor!
How to Make Dirty Rice
This is a recipe where the flavor-forward ingredients and simple method do most of the heavy lifting — which means your work is easy!
- Brown the meat. Melt the butter in a Dutch oven set over medium heat and cook the pork sausage and ground beef until it’s mostly browned.
- Add the vegetables. Stir in the onion, celery, and bell pepper. Cook for 5 minutes to soften the vegetables.
- Add the herbs and spices. Stir in the garlic, parsley, sage, salt, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne. Cook for a minute, or until fragrant.
- Bring to a boil. Pour in the broth and use it to deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon (this helps incorporate lots of flavor!). Add the rice and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer. Reduce heat to low and cover the pot. Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
- Serve. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve with chopped parsley and green onions for garnish, if you’d like.
Brenda’s Cooking Tips & Variations
Here are a few more notes on this dirty rice recipe.
- Cut the vegetables evenly. This ensures that they all soften at the same time and you don’t get some crunchy veggies in your rice. It also adds a nice, even texture appeal.
- Keep an eye on the rice. If you notice the liquid has mostly cooked off before the rice has started to get tender, add a splash of beef broth or water.
- Use other meat. You can use plain ground pork. Or use all ground beef.
- Add chicken livers, gizzards, and/or hearts. For the most authentic dirty rice, finely chop or grind them, and add them with the other meat.
- Change up the veggies. Use green bell pepper instead of red pepper, to include the classic Cajun Holy Trinity. You could also use other colors of sweet bell pepper. Sometimes I throw in a couple extra garlic cloves. And if you like things spicy, add some minced jalapeno! My photos of the finished dirty rice also include some chopped green onion over the top, which I like as an optional garnish.
- No fresh herbs? No problem. Dried herbs will work in a pinch, but add them at half the amount as fresh.
- Use chicken broth. This is actually more traditional. I just like the bolder flavor that beef broth offers.
- Other rice options. For traditional dirty rice, choose a long-grain white rice; this provides a classic fluffy texture that absorbs and displays all the flavors very nicely. Jasmine or Basmati work well, and brown rice is a heartier option.
What to Serve With Dirty Rice
As a side dish, you can pair this dirty rice with other Cajun and Creole favorites, or dishes like fried chicken, catfish, or shrimp cooked with Blackened Seasoning, which is very similar to Cajun seasoning, only less spicy. This would also go nicely with Grilled Pork Chops or this Sweet and Smoky Grilled Salmon.
To make it a main dish, top your dirty rice with a fried egg or serve it with a Southern-style side like Honey Cornbread Muffins or collard greens.
How to Store Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store any leftover dirty rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Freeze leftovers in an airtight freezer-safe container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating.
- To reheat: Warm individual portions in the microwave, heat in a covered pan with a splash of water over low heat on the stovetop, or gently fry in a skillet with oil for fried rice-style leftovers. (Super yummy!)
More Rice Recipes
Dirty Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ pound ground pork breakfast sausage
- ½ pound ground beef (I use an 80/20 mix)
- ½ cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup diced celery
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
- 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (delete if you prefer less heat)
- 2½ cups low-sodium beef broth
- 1 cup long grain white rice
Optional Garnish
- 2 green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Place a Dutch oven over medium heat and add butter. Once melted, add sausage and ground beef. Cook meat until almost fully browned – a little pink is okay (about 5 minutes or so).
- Add onion, celery, and red bell pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and just beginning to brown.
- Next add garlic, parsley, sage, salt, Cajun seasoning, and cayenne pepper. Stir and cook for an additional minute.
- Pour in beef broth and gently scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add rice and bring mixture to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Allow rice to cook at a gentle simmer for 20 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
- Fluff the finished dirty rice with a fork. Garnish with additional chopped parsley. Chopped green onions are also nice.
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