If you are looking for an easy dinner idea try my famous Loaded Dirty Rice, also called Cajun rice. Loaded with sausage, ground beef, onions, peppers, Cajun seasoning, tender rice, and more. This can be a main dish or a side dish for your dinner.
Looking for a hearty and flavorful meal? Look no further than our loaded dirty rice! So good! its a irresistible blend of savory and spicy flavors all in one.
This dirty rice recipe is a great recipe that is flavor-packed and a crowd-pleaser. I love making this all year round for a simple dinner for the family or a crew of friends.
Consider whipping up this French onion soup rice, chicken fried rice, or even this slow cooker cheesy chicken rice for more rice recipes.
What is Dirty Rice?
This rice recipe is made with Cajun seasoning also known as Creole seasoning. A dish loaded with multiple meat, a handful mix of vegetables, rice, and more. A fully flavored rice dish that is versatile in ingredients and hearty.
Reasons Why People Love This Dirty Rice Recipe
- A flavorful dish that is protein-packed and offers savory flavor in each bite.
- This rice recipe is a comfort food dinner.
- Versatile in ingredients used for this recipe, which is nice that you can customize it to fit your preferences.
- Great as leftovers the next day, reheat and enjoy the rice.
- Easy to make a meal that is quick and minimal effort is required.
Ingredients Needed
Meat: You will use ground beef and pork for this recipe. It is going to alter the texture and flavor to have two types of meat.
Vegetables: Onions, green peppers, celery, and garlic cloves are the vegetables added into the mixture that will really deepen and enhance the flavors of the rice.
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, and old bay seasoning are used for flavoring the dish. The seasoning is a little spicy, so feel free to add a little or a bit extra if you want to adjust the heat.
Broth: Beef broth is going to help flavor the rice and the base of the rice dish. You need the liquid to soak into moisture the rice.
Rice: Long-grain rice is the base for this dish. It is nice and fluffy with a light chew to it.
Variations to Recipe
Vegetarian Option: Want to skip meat? If so, you can leave out the meat and use vegetable broth instead of bone broth. Add more vegetables or even toss in some black beans for added protein.
Seafood: Want to mix in some seafood? Add in some crawfish, shrimp, or even diced-up crab meat at the end of cooking.
Spice Factor: Use less seasoning to create a milder flavor. Or you can add in some cayenne pepper, extra Creole seasoning, hot sauce, etc. Feel free to heat the dish or go light. Even some diced jalapenos would be great.
Added Vegetables: Mushrooms, diced tomatoes, diced jalapeno peppers, etc. Feel free to mix in any of your favorite vegetables.
Storing
Refrigerate: You are going to want to refrigerate any leftovers in a sealed airtight container. Store for up to 3-4 days.
Freeze: Want to freeze some of the dirty rice? Place in a proper container for the freezer and freeze for 2-3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat straight from frozen.
Helpful Tips For Success
Saute Vegetables
Take the time to saute the veggies as it is going to add depth of flavor to the dish. Especially with the onions and garlic, it is going to bring intense flavor.
Drain Grease
Once your meat is fully cooked, drain off the grease so that it isn’t too greasy at the end of it. You can soak up the grease or rinse the meat off in the sink with hot water.
The combination of the different meats creates a rich and meaty base, while the onions and peppers add a pop of freshness and crunch. The Cajun seasoning ties everything together with its signature blend of herbs and spices, adding a delicious kick to every bite.
Cooking Rice
Once the rice is fully cooked and has soaked up the liquid the dish is ready. Just keep in mind that depending on the brand the rice varies in cooking time.
What to Serve With Dirty Rice
This can be a dish in one or served as a side dish. I prefer to serve it up for dinner as it is hearty. We tend to eat it with some dinner rolls, buttered bread, or even a salad to lighten up the dish a bit more.
Whether you’re looking for a comforting weeknight meal or a dish to impress guests at your next gathering, our loaded dirty rice is sure to hit the spot. So grab a fork and dig in to this deliciously satisfying dish!
FAQs
Can I make dirty rice ahead of time?
Go right ahead and make this rice a day ahead of when you plan to serve it up. Just whip it up and store the rice in the fridge. Then reheat as you would like. This also is a great meal prep dish.
Can I make dirty rice in a rice cooker?
You are more than welcome to make the rice in the slow cooker and then stir it into the pan with the vegetables. It is important to cook up your meat and then saute the vegetables as well. So I find if you can do all the sauteing and such in a slow cooker go ahead, otherwise it needs a stovetop.
Dirty Rice
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground beef
- ½ pound ground pork
- 1 onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 2 stalks of celery diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 ½ cups long grain rice
- 3 ½ cups beef broth
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat, cook the ground beef and ground pork together until no longer pink and crumbled.
- Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, garlic, and old bay seasoning to the saucepan and cook until they start to soften.
- Add in the rice and beef broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until rice is tender and the liquid has evaporated.
- Fluff the rice and serve. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Jason says
LOVE THIS!!!!
However, I desperately needed to swap out Old Bay for “slap your mama” Creole seasoning!
Delish!!!