Cajun Dirty Rice Flavor (Printable)

A spicy Southern dish featuring seasoned rice with ground meat and vibrant vegetables.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Meats

01 - 1/2 lb ground pork
02 - 1/2 lb ground beef or chicken livers (traditional option)

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
04 - 1 green bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 celery stalks, diced
06 - 3 garlic cloves, minced
07 - 2 spring onions, sliced (for garnish)

→ Rice & Liquids

08 - 1 cup long-grain white rice, rinsed
09 - 2 cups chicken broth
10 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil

→ Spices & Seasonings

11 - 1 1/2 tsp Cajun seasoning
12 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
13 - 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
14 - 1/2 tsp salt, or to taste
15 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
16 - 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

# Directions:

01 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground pork and ground beef or chicken livers. Cook while breaking up the meat until browned and fully cooked, about 6 to 7 minutes.
02 - Add chopped onion, diced bell pepper, diced celery, and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté until vegetables soften, approximately 5 minutes.
03 - Incorporate Cajun seasoning, dried thyme, smoked paprika, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Stir thoroughly to evenly coat the meat and vegetables.
04 - Stir in the rinsed long-grain rice and toast it for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
05 - Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 to 22 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
06 - Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice gently with a fork.
07 - Sprinkle sliced spring onions over the dish before serving.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and tastes like you've been cooking all day.
  • The meat and spices actually soak into the rice, so every bite is seasoned, not just the top layer.
  • It's forgiving enough for a weeknight but impressive enough to serve when people are coming over.
02 -
  • If the rice is still tough after the liquid is absorbed, you either didn't use enough broth or your heat was too high and it burned the bottom; next time, add ¼ cup more broth if your rice is taking longer than 22 minutes.
  • Never use instant rice or minute rice—the texture will be mushy and nothing like real dirty rice, and the whole point falls apart.
  • Chicken livers have a stronger flavor than beef, so if you've never used them before, start with beef and work your way up to livers once you understand the baseline.
03 -
  • If you're using chicken livers, soak them in milk for 30 minutes before cooking to take out some of the strong flavor—it's a trick that makes them more approachable for people trying them for the first time.
  • Brown the meat in a hot, dry skillet first before adding oil; it gets a better crust than if you add the oil and meat at the same time.
  • Toast your spices separately for 10 seconds in the dry pan before adding them to the vegetables if you really want to wake them up and release their essential oils.
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