Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe
How to Make Dirty Rice – This classic Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe features ground beef, veggies, and lots of vibrant spices. It’s a one-pot dish that is deliciously zesty, comforting, and great to serve as a main or side dish!
Why We Love This Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe
A traditional Cajun dirty rice recipe generally uses meat scraps to make the most of resources and to provide flavor. Therefore, most contain liver and chopped meat. We’ve opted to go with ground beef for a more user-friendly version with lots of Cajun “holy trinity” veggies (onion, celery, and bell pepper) and full-bodied spice.
This fabulously flavorful Cajun rice dish can be served as a one-pot stand-alone main dish, as a side dish, or with other southern-inspired sides!
What is Dirty Rice?
Cajun fried rice, also known as Dirty Rice, is a one-pot rice dish cooked with ingredients that give it a “dirty” color… The combination of ground beef, diced onions, bell peppers, and creole seasonings makes the rice appear brown with little flecks of spice.
If you’re wondering – what’s the difference between dirty rice and jambalaya? – the answer lies in a few different key ingredients. Dirty rice is made with ground meat and peppers, it is basically like cajun fried rice. However, jambalaya includes diced tomatoes and is typically made with sausage and seafood (like shrimp or crawfish). Both are equally hearty and delicious in their own unique ways!
Ingredients You Need
- Butter – or bacon grease
- Trinity – chopped onion, celery, and bell pepper
- Garlic – minced
- Ground beef – or you can also try ground chicken, chopped chicken livers, chicken gizzards, ground pork, or pork sausage
- Cajun seasoning – store-bought or homemade
- Dried thyme – or fresh, if available
- Long grain rice – classic white rice or swap basmati rice
- Beef broth – or swap chicken broth or vegetable broth
- Parsley – chopped
How to Make Easy Dirty Rice Recipe
- First, set a large 6-quart sauce pot/large dutch oven over medium heat/medium high heat. Add the butter, chopped onions, celery, bell peppers, and minced garlic to the pot. Stir and sauté for 5 minutes, until the onions are soft. Stir in the ground beef, Cajun seasoning, and thyme.
Pro Tip: If you are sensitive to spice, use only 3 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning. If you like to spice things up, use 4-5 teaspoons!
- Use a wooden spoon to break the ground beef into small pieces as it cooks. Brown the meat for another 5 minutes.
- Once the meat has cooked through and is broken into very small pieces, stir in the rice. Mix well to coat all the grains of rice in beef juices. Then, pour the beef broth over the top.
- Cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Once boiling, stir well, then cover the pot again. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Then remove the pot from the heat and leave it to steam, covered, for another 5 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork and stir in the parsley. Taste, then add additional Cajun seasoning (or salt) if needed.
Get the Complete (Printable) Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Recipe Variations
- Sausage – Swap the ground beef for Cajun sausage (like andouille or smoked sausage) for a smokier taste.
- Seafood – Stir in cooked shrimp or crawfish tails in the last 5 minutes for a Cajun seafood twist.
- Turkey – Use ground turkey or chicken instead of beef for a leaner version.
- Vegetarian – Skip the meat and add black beans, mushrooms, or lentils for a plant-based alternative.
- Brown Rice – Use brown rice instead of white, increasing the broth to 5 cups and cooking for about 40 minutes.
- Spicy – Add diced jalapeños or a splash of hot sauce while cooking.
Serving Suggestions
Our zesty, beefy, veggie-riffic cajun dirty rice recipe is delicious and satisfying as a one-pot main dish. Serve it with Louisiana hot sauce and with thick wedges of cornbread, and any of your favorite southern sides. We love classics like coleslaw, hushpuppies, collard greens, and fried green tomatoes.
It’s also great to enjoy as a side dish! Pair the rice with low country boil (or broil) or baked ham for a super hearty meal that is sure to please.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Cajun rice and dirty rice are the same thing, and refer to the same type of rice. The best Cajun rice is packed with bold Cajun flavors and spices, which causes the color of the rice to look brown. That is why sometimes it is called dirty rice, too!
Swap the ground beef for your favorite plant-based ground meat alternative. Alternatively, you can use two cans of drained and rinsed kidney beans to make this recipe. Then use vegetable broth instead of beef broth, and oil instead of butter.
This cajun dirty rice recipe is pretty well-balanced with veggies, protein, and carbs, but you can definitely swap out the rice for brown rice if you prefer! If using brown rice, add an extra 1 1/2 cups of broth!
This Cajun fried rice recipe is wonderful to make ahead. All of the bold, spicy flavors get more intense as the ingredients sit together. Let the rice cool. Transfer it to an airtight container, and keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3-5 days. Reheat on the stovetop with a splash of water added. Or microwave and stir in short bursts until heated throughout.
You can store this cajun dirty rice recipe in the freezer for up to 3 months, only once though. Make sure to allow the rice to cool to room temperature before storing it in the freezer. When ready to use, thaw completely before reheating in a skillet.
Looking For More One Pot Meals? Be Sure To Also Try:
- One-Pot Shrimp Black Bean Rice Skillet
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Parmesan Lemon Chicken and Rice Skillet
- Creamy Cajun Chicken and Mushroom Skillet
- Nana’s Epic Chicken and Rice
Get the Complete (Printable) Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe Below. Enjoy!
Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or bacon grease
- 1 cup chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped bell pepper any color
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 3-5 teaspoons Cajun seasoning with salt
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 cup long grain rice
- 4 cups beef broth
- ¼ cup chopped parsley
Instructions
- Set a large 6 quart saucepot over medium heat. Add the butter, chopped onions, celery, bell peppers, and minced garlic to the pot. Stir and sauté for 5 minutes, until the onions are soft.
- Stir in the ground beef, Cajun seasoning, and thyme. Use a wooden spoon to break the ground beef into small pieces as it cooks. Brown the meat for another 5 minutes. *If you are sensitive to spice, use only 3 teaspoons of Cajun seasoning. If you like to spice things up use 4-5 teaspoons!
- Once the meat has cooked through and is broken into very small pieces, stir in the rice. Mix well to coat all the grains of rice in beef juices. Then pour the beef broth over the top.
- Cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Once boiling, stir well, then cover the pot again. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Then remove the pot from the heat and leave it to steam another 5 minutes.
- Fluff the rice and stir in the parsley. Taste, then add additional Cajun seasoning (or salt) if needed.
nice dish, I’ve never used ground beef or had it in a dirty rice recipe but it works really well, so thank you!
So simple and delicious, we added a frilly fried egg which really topped it off. Also added a fresh chilli for bit of extra spice and tempted to try it with some soured cream next time. Yum.
Such a good cajun dirty rice recipe! The perfect amount of spice and super flavorful.
I could eat this paired with so many things or add some chicken & you have a delicious, hearty meal!! Love the flavors!!
My MIL made this for us when we first got married. I’m glad I now have the recipe. So good!
I love making this rice alongside some chicken and veggies! adds some flavor and overall goodness to any meal
This was a really huge hit at my house! So tasty! A new family favorite!
I love this recipe so much! Such an easy and delicious way to enjoy rice!
this recipe is amazing and the flavor is incredible! thank you for sharing this recipe