Dirty Rice

Y’all we getting down and dirty with this authentic Dirty Rice recipe. The taste is poppin! It’s made perfectly with fragrant rice, browned meats, tender vegetables and Creole and Cajun spices and seasonings. The dirty rice is cooked together until it’s tender and those various aromatic and spicy notes hit like they are supposed to. This is pure love in a pot, and all the effort is legit worth it boos. The end result is a spicy, well-seasoned rice dish that will have your company grabbing another bowl before they even finish the first one.

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Y’all I gotta have some Creole blood deep down somewhere. I just feel it in my bones, and my stomach too. The flavors and spices speak to me, and my numerous trips to Louisiana only strengthened that love more and more. This authentic dirty rice recipe is the perfect way to indulge in all of the unique flavors and essences of Creole and Cajun cooking. It’s rich, hearty and beyond indulgent. Thanks to Tanya Holland of Brown Sugar Kitchen for sharing this amazing recipe I’m passing to you. The flavor is just undeniable y’all.

What is Dirty Rice?

Dirty rice is a traditional Creole and Cajun staple dish with roots in Louisiana. It’s made by mixing white rice with a variety of browned meats, veggies like onions, bell peppers, and celery, spices like cayenne and paprika and herbs like bay leaves and thyme. It’s a super popular dish due to the abundant rice crop in Louisiana (that’s why jambalaya is such a hit!). The “dirty” description is because the color of the rice is a grayish-brown which comes from the variety of browned sausages, beefs and chicken livers.

Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Easy Dirty Rice with Sausage

• Basmati Rice: This is our dirty rice recipe foundation. Basmati gives a nutty, unique, and slightly floral flavor along with a softer texture which leads to a lighter fluffier rice.
• Oil: We use vegetable oil here because its neutral and perfect for browning the meats.
• Chicken Livers: This is basically organ meat from chickens. They have such a rich and unique flavor due to the gaminess.
• Pork Sausage: This ground pork will give you a lot of savory fatty flavor.
• Veggie Trio: We add in finely chopped onion, red bell pepper and green bell pepper which creates wonderful texture and aromatic essence.
• Flavors: We add chopped jalapeno for some spicy kick, minced garlic for pungent aromatic notes and Worcestershire sauce for a complex savory umani flavor profile.
• Herbs: Fresh thyme and bay leaves are going to provide subtle earthy vibes balancing all of the bold flavors.
• Spices: We gotta get the spice poppin so we throw in black pepper, kosher salt, paprika, and cayenne.
• Green Onions: This is a lovely garnish that adds a nice pop of green to that “dirty” color along with a bit of freshness.

How to Make Dirty Rice

Step 1: Rinse the Rice and Cook It

1. Add the rice to a large bowl and cover with 2-3 inches of cold water. Give the rice a stir with your hand then drain.
2. Repeat at least 5 times until that water is clear and clean boos.
3. Add the washed rice to a medium pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook until the rice is nice and tender, just 20 minutes. Don’t overcook that rice boos!

PRO TIP: Don’t skip rinsing the rice. It truly is important to remove that surface starch so it becomes fluffy and tender without that gummy texture.

Step 2: Cook the Meat

1. Let’s get into this meat. Add the oil to a large pan over medium heat until shimmering them toss in those livers and sausages. Break it all up and let it cook until it’s no longer pink.
2. Transfer the meat to a bowl then add the onions, peppers, garlic and jalapeno to the pan. Stir occasionally and cook until tender and the onions are translucent.
3. Dice up the cooked chicken livers into smaller pieces so it’s easier to eat then return all of the meat to the pot with all of the tender veggies.

Step 3: Combine Everything

1. Add that rice in along with the meats and stir together until it’s fully incorporated.
2. Toss in the spices and herbs and stir together until everything is super mixed up.
3. Partially cover the pan, reduce that heat, and let it continue to cook so those flavors mingle and the deep brown color develops. This will take about 15 minutes. Finally remove the bay laves and serve it up boos.

What to Serve with Dirty Rice

• Main Dish: Creole dirty rice can be a complete meal. Just make a side of honey cornbread and some pecan pie for dessert and get your life boos!
• Side Dish: This is a perfect rice side to serve along with a protein like blackened salmon, Southern baked chicken or grilled catfish.
• Peppers: Stuff dirty rice inside bell peppers for a delish flavorful filling that will take a classic pepper to another level!
• New Orleans Spread: Serve this along with shrimp etouffee, gumbo, shrimp po’ boys, and grillades and grits.

Recipe Substitutions

• Basmati Rice: If you don’t have this around, you can grab long-grain white rice.
• Chicken Livers: If you aren’t a fan of livers, you can substitute with chunks of chicken thighs or ground chicken.
• Sausage: Ground beef, ground turkey, ground chicken or even chicken or turkey sausage are great alternatives to use.
• Jalapeno: Just toss in a few red pepper flakes to turn up the heat more if you ain’t got a pepper. Just tread lightly.
• Worcestershire: Grab Tamari or soy sauce of you are out of Worcestershire sauce.

Recipe Variations and Additions

• Vegetarian: Y’all can definitely keep this meatless by replacing it with mushrooms. Chop up a variety of your faves, cook in olive oil until browned and add in for an earthy, meaty texture.
• Jambalaya it up: If you get down on jambalaya, you can turn this into a combo of the two. Throw in some diced tomatoes, celery and andouille sausage.
• Seafood: Add some plump shrimp, crawfish or crabmeat for a seafood dirty rice experience.
• Broth: Cook your rice in chicken or beef broth or stock instead of water to add even more flavor to this dirty rice recipe.
• Make it Creamy: Adding a bit of heavy cream or coconut milk towards the end can really give a creamy rich texture to the rice.

Expert Tips and Tricks for Louisiana Dirty Rice

• Rinse the Rice: This is gonna get rid of that excess starch that can sometimes make the rice gummy.
• Let it Rest: Before you serve, let the rice sit at least 10 minutes. This will allow the flavorful liquids to absorb into the rice creating the perfect texture.
• Leftovers Taste Better: If you can make this dirty rice recipe the day before serving, it will taste even better!

How to Store and Reheat Creole Dirty Rice

• Fridge: Cool it down to room temp then pop in the fridge in an airtight container. It will last for up to 3 days.
• Freezer: Add the room temperature dirty rice to zip freezer bags or freezer-safe containers getting out all the air to prevent freezer burn then store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
• Reheat: If you froze it, defrost in the fridge overnight. Reheat on the stovetop and add a splash of water or some broth and cook over medium heat until it’s heated through (about 7-10 minutes). You can also heat in the microwave to speed this up.

Frequently Asked Questions

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