Dirty Rice Recipe

When I prepare our favorite Cajun style dishes such as blackened salmon and Cajun chicken, I often make a big pot of dirty rice to go on the side. My family just can’t get enough of it! Our local Cajun restaurant makes the best dirty rice, and I decided it was time I learned to make this delicious dish at home. My version is quick to make with ingredients you probably already have in the house.

Dirty Rice Ingredients

This recipe contains the holy trinity of vegetables, along with rice, broth, sausage and plenty of herbs and spice.

How do you make dirty rice?

Place a little oil in a large pot, then add pork sausage. Cook the sausage until it’s browned, then add onions, bell peppers and celery to the pot. After the vegetables are soft, stir in garlic, herbs and spices. Pour chicken broth and rice into the pot and bring everything to a simmer. Cook until the rice is tender. Stir in fresh parsley and green onions, then serve and enjoy.

Tips for the perfect dish

I use bulk pork sausage and I break it up into small pieces as it cooks. You can also use sausage links, just remove the casings first. Turkey sausage is an acceptable substitute if you’re looking to save on a few calories. Long grain white rice works best in this recipe. I don’t recommend using brown rice, as it will take a lot longer to cook and you will need to add more liquid. Leftovers will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can freeze the rice for later use, but it may become softer in texture when thawed and reheated. It’s up to you whether you include chicken livers or not. My family prefers it with just sausage, so that’s how I make it. That being said, chicken livers are considered to be a traditional component of the dish. Serve this is a hearty side dish to accompany main course options such as Shrimp Creole.

Flavor Variations

This rice is delicious as-is, but you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.

Meat: Instead of sausage, you can use ground beef, ground pork, bacon, smoked sausage or a combination of different types of meats. Vegetables: Feel free to add other veggies to the mix such as red bell peppers, mushrooms or peas. These additions are not traditional, but they taste great! Flavorings: For a spicier rice, add hot sauce to taste. You can also swap out the chicken broth for beef broth which lends the dish a stronger flavor. Stir in a bit of Worcestershire sauce for a more complex flavor.

While I typically serve dirty rice as a side dish, it’s hearty enough to stand alone as a main course offering. No matter how you serve it, this rice will be a hit!