Louisiana Dirty Rice

Louisiana dirty rice is a cajun rice dressing made with pork sausage, ground beef, chicken livers, and the holy trinity. It’s a side dish staple in south Louisiana for family gatherings and holidays.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, Cajun

Keyword Cajun, creole, dirty rice, rice

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Total Time 1 10

Servings servings

Calories 363kcal

Author Lauren LeBlanc

Equipment

Small heavy rice pot or rice cooker
Large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot
Fine mesh strainer

Ingredients

Rice

1 cup white long grain rice
1 ½ cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon kosher salt *see note

Dressing

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 pound ground beef
1 pound pork sausage or ground pork
¼ pound chicken liver optional, about ½ cup
1 large yellow onion
2 large stalks celery
1 green bell pepper
6 cloves garlic
2 cups chicken broth
5-6 green onions
½ cup parsley leaves loosely packed
Cajun seasoning to taste

Instructions

PREP: Chop onion, celery, and bell pepper. Thinly slice green onions. Finely chop parsley. Mince garlic. Finely chop livers or pulse in a food processor.
RICE: Rinse rice in cold water until water runs clear. Add rice, 1 ½ cups of chicken broth, and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt to a small pot and stir. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Cover and cook for about 17 minutes until rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork, and cover to steam while you prepare the rest of the recipe. Alternatively, cook rice in a rice cooker.
BROWN: Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon butter. Add ground beef, and ground pork with a pinch of salt. Cook until browned, about 10 minutes, breaking up the meat as it cooks.
SAUTÉ: Add in chicken liver, onions, celery, and bell pepper and stir. Cook for about 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened and liver is browned. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
SIMMER: Add chicken broth, parsley, and green onions and stir together. Simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until only about ½ cup liquid remains, stirring occasionally. *see note
MIX: Fold in cooked rice and mix until combined well. Taste and add cajun seasoning to taste. Turn off the heat and let sit for about 10 minutes for the remaining broth to absorb.
SERVE: Top with extra parsley or green onions. Serve hot and enjoy.

Notes

I tested this recipe with Diamond Crystal kosher salt. It’s much less salty than table salt, so make sure to add to taste if using another type of salt.
If your pork or beef is lean, you can add an extra tablespoon of butter or bacon grease.
Chicken liver is optional. It adds extra flavor, but isn't overpowering in the amount included. Can substitute for a dressing mix like Savoie's or Richard's.
To add gizzards: bring 4 cups of chicken broth to a boil, then add ½ pound of chicken gizzards. Boil for 30 minutes until tender. Remove the gizzards and set aside to cool, but reserve the chicken broth. When gizzards are cool enough to handle, pulse them in a food processor until the pieces are about the size of grains of uncooked rice. Use the remaining broth in the simmer step of the recipe.
Making sure you only have about ½ cup of liquid left in the pot before you add the rice is essential to make sure your dirty rice isn't mushy. It’s better to have not enough liquid than too much for this step.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Freeze for up to 6 months.
Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in the microwave.
You can make this dish a day ahead of time and reheat gently on the stove with a splash of broth. Be careful not to stir too much or the rice can get mushy.

Nutrition