How to Make Dirty Rice (Dirty Rice Recipe)

Name: Classic Cajun Style Dirty Rice Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup ground pork; 1/2 cup chicken livers; 1 tablespoon bacon fat; 1 medium onion (diced); 1 green pepper (diced); 1 cup uncooked white rice; 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning; 1/2 cup water; 1 cup beef broth; 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

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Dirty Rice is a Cajun style rice made with white rice, ground liver and pork, spices and seasoning. Chicken livers offer the perfect deep flavor to the rice (even for you non-liver lovers).

dirty rice on a plate garnished with parsley

Rice is my ultimate comfort food. Add a touch of liver and ground pork, some seasoning and a touch of veggies and I'm all about it!

The liver supposedly is what makes this rice "dirty." If that's what dirty is I'll be dirty every day.

Don't worry, if you're not a liver lover, this dirty rice DOES NOT TASTE LIKE LIVER!!

If we're being honest, this chicken liver mousse doesn't even "really" taste like liver either - it's just amazing.

And to top it off, this can be used as a one pot meal! It's got rice, veggies, meat and FLAVOR all cooked up in one pot, a lot like this seafood rice or this mock turtle soup we love too.

While it's traditionally served as a side, I don't see any reason this can't be a full meal too, especially if you start it off with these amazing crawfish egg rolls or fried alligator bites (we LOVE these!!).

We also LOVE serving this rice with dishes like this creole chicken, smothered okra, blackened catfish, New Orleans BBQ shrimp or this amazing crawfish pie!

close up photo of dirty rice with parsley

What is Dirty Rice?

Dirty rice is made with white rice typically mixed with ground meat and organ meats (like liver), along with green peppers, onions and spices. It gets it's name from the "dirty" appearance of the finished dish.

Ingredients

Dirty Rice is really a pretty simple dish to make. The liver and pork give it a wonderful meaty flavor, making it a great accompaniment to so many Cajun dishes.

I like to use beef broth in this instead of chicken broth because it adds a meatier flavor. And who does like a meaty flavor?? However, you can substitute chicken broth for the beef if desired. It will still be good!

You can also substitute duck fat, goose fat, avocado oil or vegetable oil for the bacon fat if you don't have any.

What is Cajun Seasoning?

Cajun seasoning is a blend of different spices, typically including garlic and onion powder, black pepper, cayenne pepper, oregano, among others. Personally, I make my own Cajun seasoning, but you can also use Tony Chacheres (click to buy on Amazon - affiliate link) for Cajun and Creole dishes.

But I'm also all for making your own seasoning. Learn How to Make Cajun Seasoning.

Step By Step Instructions

Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the bacon grease and ground pork. Cook until there is a little pink left (use a spoon to break it up in small pieces).

Add the onion and green pepper and continue to cook until they just start to soften (5-10 minutes).

Add the chopped livers and cook for 5 minutes, or until livers are cooked and combined into the mixture.

liver, pork, onions and peppers in a pot

Then add the rice, water, beef broth, red pepper flakes, and Cajun seasoning and stir.

meat, vegetables and rice in a pot with broth

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 20-25 minutes, until rice is fully cooked. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

Expert Tips

Freezing the chicken livers before chopping them will makes them easier to chop;
Use a wooden spoon to break up the ground pork into small pieces while it's cooking - otherwise you end up with large chunks of ground pork in the rice;
Substitute duck fat, goose fat, pork fat or vegetable oil for the bacon grease if you don't have any.
Add ¼ teaspoon (or more) of cayenne pepper to give your rice a kick.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between dirty rice and jambalaya?

Dirty rice is always made with liver and the holy trinity (onions, bell peppers, celery) while jambalaya typically includes seafood, sausage or chicken. Creole jambalaya also includes tomatoes, which dirty rice does not.

**If you're a fan of jambalaya, try this Jambalaya Risotto or this Jambalaya Stuffing - both are incredible!

What is another name for dirty rice?

Dirty rice is also referred to as Cajun rice or even Cajun fried rice. It gets it's name from the dirty appearance of the final rice dish.

More Favorite Cajun Recipes

Did you make this Dirty Rice? Rate the recipe and leave a comment below to let me know how it turned out!

How to Make Dirty Rice (Dirty Rice Recipe)

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