Rich, filling and full of taste, dirty rice recipe is one of those super flexible comfort food dishes you will cook again and again. A true Southern meal made with sausage, ground beef, bell pepper, onion, celery and spices, dirty rice is deeply savory, fully comforting and can be served any day from a Tuesday to the holidays!
What Is Dirty Rice
Dirty Rice, sometimes called ‘rice dressing,’ is a classic savory dirty rice recipe that begins with browning spicy meats, then adding rich taste with onion, bell pepper, celery (the Trinity of Louisiana cooking) and a few spices before mixing in rice. The rice gets its “dirty” brown shade from cooking in all that flavor and soaking up its deep taste.
When To Eat Dirty Rice
Like many of our meals here in the south, we make our food work for us. And the recipes that can hold the most weight are usually the most loved.
Knowing how to make a dirty rice recipe can help a lot in your cooking skills. It’s a tasty dish to share with a friend in need, to serve a group or even store in the freezer for later. It’s one of those one pot comfort meals that keeps on giving so you can too!
It’s sometimes used as a dressing (or stuffing) for chicken, turkey and quail. It can also be stuffed in peppers or enjoyed on its own. At my house, dirty rice recipe often shows up as the main dish, served with classic sides like fried okra, black eyed peas and yellow cornbread. It’s perfect for weeknight meals, potlucks, family dinners, and of course, holidays.
Is This Authentic Dirty Rice
Traditional dirty rice recipe is made with finely chopped or ground chicken livers added to spicy pork, ground beef, or both. The chicken livers bring a deep rich flavor to the dish and almost help to hold it all together.
But not all dirty rice recipes have to be made that way to get a tasty, rich flavor or to be a true dish from my home state. Like all comfort food, most families have their own special way of making and enjoying these meals.
And I’ll be honest. Liver of any kind just isn’t my thing. Not even a little bit. And many of us feel this way, even in Louisiana. So you won’t find liver in this recipe.
Instead, my family uses (and always has) a bit of bacon grease and flour. This adds a lot of just the right kind of full flavor we all want from dirty rice recipe and works as a perfect binder too. For a little extra Louisiana taste, oysters can also be added to this recipe!
I come from Louisiana and love dirty rice recipe, but my kids don’t like the gizzards, and my husband is allergic to beef. So I used just pork in this recipe, and I almost cried, it was so good. Tastes like home! ~SELINA
I’ll share an overview of ingredients and steps in these next parts along with useful tips!
Look for details at the end of the post in the recipe card where you can also watch the video and cook along with me!
Like most recipes with a deep Louisiana history, almost every family has their own passed down way or “the way they like to do it.” Below are the ingredients and steps my family uses to make dirty rice recipe.
- white rice
- ground beef
- ground sausage
- bell pepper
- onion
- celery
- chicken broth
- flour, cooking oil
- chili powder, oregano, parsley, thyme, paprika, bay leaves, garlic, salt, pepper, & cayenne (Dirty Rice seasoning- everything you need!)
How To Make The Best Dirty Rice
A large cast iron skillet or dutch oven is what I use to make this recipe from start to finish. But any deep skillet or big pot will work too.
First, brown the meat. Heat bacon grease or cooking oil in the dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and ground sausage to the pan. Stir the meats as they start to brown. This Ground Meat Tool helps me break up the meat easily.
Next, add the flavor. While the meats keep browning, add the Holy Trinity of Louisiana cooking—diced bell pepper, onion, and celery. These three go well together and bring just the right amount of taste to the dish. Once the meats are fully browned, stir in all the herbs and spices except parsley. This seasoning is what makes the recipe so delicious!
Then comes the magic “dirty” step. This is what makes really good dirty rice different from other rice dishes. It starts with flour. Mix the flour into the meat, making sure it covers the meat. Add chicken broth and bay leaves. Scrape the pan bottom to loosen all the browned bits and let it simmer for 5 to 8 minutes.
What is the difference between Jambalaya & Dirty Rice
Jambalaya and dirty rice recipe are both rice dishes, but they are not the same. Jambalaya usually has sausage, chicken, and/or seafood. Creole-style jambalaya also uses tomatoes, like this Easy Louisiana Sausage Jambalaya.
Also, a jambalaya recipe uses raw rice that cooks right in the dish. Dirty rice recipe uses cooked rice that is mixed into the meat and vegetable mix, then simmered to soak up the flavor.
Dirty Rice Recipe (Classic Style)
Equipment
- Large skillet or Dutch oven
- Wooden spoon
- Cutting board & knife
- Measuring cups & spoons
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups white rice (cooked)
- ½ lb ground beef
- ½ lb ground sausage
- 1 medium bell pepper, diced
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp cooking oil or bacon grease
- 2 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp paprika
- 2 bay leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (optional, adjust to taste)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil or bacon grease in a large skillet over medium heat. Add flour and stir until light brown to make a roux.
- Add ground beef and sausage. Cook until browned, breaking into crumbles.
- Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook 5–7 minutes until softened.
- Add chili powder, oregano, thyme, paprika, bay leaves, black pepper, cayenne, and salt. Stir well.
- Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Add rice, stir, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes until flavors combine.
- Remove bay leaves, fluff rice with a fork, and serve hot.
Notes
- For authentic Cajun flavor, use chicken livers along with beef/sausage.
- Can be served as a side with fried chicken, BBQ, or enjoyed as a main dish.
- Adjust spice levels to taste.