This cajun dirty rice recipe is a hearty, savory, and FAST one pot meal that my family loves. I first tried the recipe DirtE Rice from the Coers Family blog. Oh. My. Word.
Although I really adore ethnic recipes, I’ve never really tried my hand at Cajun food. Well, I’m sold. My whole family loves this one.
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To make it an even quicker dish, and to take the edge off of the heat, I use beef sausage. It’s precooked and it lends a little more fat and flavor. Fat tames back heat in recipes, and I cut back the Cajun seasoning a bit for the spice challenged in my crew and serve red pepper on the side for the spicy red-bearded Viking man that I married.
[bctt tweet=”To make dirty rice even quicker, & to take the edge off of the heat, use beef sausage. #THM #recipe”]
If you’re a Trim Healthy Mama, this dish ranks as a crossover. If you want to create a slimming E meal, then use a ground turkey or chicken breast that’s 97-99% fat free like the Coers family recipe recommends.
In fact, next time I make this, (which will be this week) I might use half of a pound of chicken breast and just serve my bowl without any sausage rounds to keep myself in E territory, and to boost the protein power of the dish a little further.
Speedy Dinner Tips:pre-chopped big batches of celery, peppers, and onions and freeze flat on a cookie sheet, then dump into a bag in the freezer. Youcan just grab a handful when youneed them f0r recipes!
I also plan a dish that includes brown rice earlier in the week and make extra so I will have it ready to go on dirty rice night.
To make this recipe, you’ll need 2 cups of cooked brown rice, one package of sausage of your choice cut into rounds, 2 cans of red kidney beans, a splash or two of chicken broth, and chopped bell pepper (I used yellow), onion, celery, and garlic. I use Cajun seasoning, parsley, and a touch of smoked paprika to make the flavors pop.
I start by browning the rounds of sausage. Getting a nice brown sear on the bottom puts lots of flavor into the pot. Then I add my veggies, sauteing until almost soft. Finish it off by adding your pre-cooked rice, drained and rinsed beans, and spices. I like to add a shot or two of chicken broth at the end to make all those flavors marry up well together.
At my house, this is a one pot meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes. And with school starting and the fall weather on the way, it just feels like the right time to start getting out the big iron stew pot and start cranking out some quick savory meals.
[bctt tweet=”Dirty Rice is a one pot meal that comes together in less than 30 minutes. #THM #dinner”]
Thanks Coers family for the inspiration, and a new family favorite!
To Pin!
Quick Cajun Dirty Rice
This one pot Cajun rice & beans recipe is a fantastic quick meal that my whole family loves. It's a THM crossover with sausage, but you can keep it in E territory by using ground chicken breast instead.
Author: Gwen
Serves: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 package beef sausage, or sausage of your choice
- *or* 1 lb. 97-99% fat free ground turkey or chicken breast, or a combination of the sausage and ground meats.
- ½ cup diced bell pepper (I prefer the milder red or yellow)
- ½ cup chopped onion
- ½ cup diced celery
- 2 cans red beans, drained & rinsed
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- ¼ cup chicken broth or water
- 1 teaspoon (or up to 1 Tablespoon if you like things spicy) Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning- I love that it's MSG free!
- 2 tablespoons dry parsley
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
Instructions
- Cut sausage into rounds.
- In a large pot or dutch oven, brown sausage rounds, stirring and flipping.
- As they cook down, add ground meat if using, and brown with the sausage.
- While meat is browning, dice veggies. Add to pot once your meat is cooked.
- Sautee veggies and meat until veggies are cooked and just tender.
- Add beans, rice, broth and spices.
- Stir to combine, and heat to serving temp.
- Enjoy!
Notes
THM Notes: To keep this in E territory, serve your bowl without sausage, and only use the lean ground meat as your protein. I like using both meats when I cook the dish, because the sausage adds so much flavor. If you enjoy this dish with the sausage, it's a healthy crossover.
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FAQs
It's called Dirty Rice because the rice turns a “dirty” brown color while cooking with the diced meats and spices. You'll also hear Dirty Rice called “Cajun Rice” or “Rice Dressing”, but they're all variations of the same rice dish (they may use different types of meat or add more or less veggies, or spices).
What's the difference between dirty rice and jambalaya? ›
While both dishes share some common ingredients such as rice, onions, bell peppers, and Cajun spices, the key distinction lies in the protein components. Dirty rice typically features a combination of ground meat and chicken livers, while jambalaya often includes a mix of shrimp, chicken, and sausage.
Is Zatarain's dirty rice spicy? ›
Always consistent in price, quality, and flavor. Tasty Stuff! This Zatarain's Dirty Rice Mix is very easy to prepare and is very tasty too. It's got a bit of spice to it, which I love!
What culture is dirty rice from? ›
Dirty rice is a traditional Louisiana Creole dish made from white rice which gets a "dirty" color from being cooked with small pieces of pork, beef or chicken, green bell pepper, celery, and onion, and spiced with cayenne and black pepper.
What meat goes with dirty rice? ›
This dirty rice recipe is made with ground pork or ground sausage, but feel free to substitute ground chicken, turkey, or ground beef. Long-grain white rice is traditional and is used in this version here, but if you prefer to use brown rice or wild rice, keep in mind that the cooking time will increase greatly.
Why did Popeyes stop serving dirty rice? ›
In a statement, the company said the move was based on customer feedback and “looking for ways to improve our menu.” “So after thoughtful consideration, our Cajun rice and green beans are no longer on the permanent menu.
Is Popeyes Cajun rice the same as dirty rice? ›
Like Popeyes' Cajun rice, dirty rice is made of ground beef, celery, onion, pepper, garlic, Cajun seasoning, chicken broth, and rice. However, most recipes also call for a bay leaf and a touch of light-bodied beer for even more of a flavor boost.
What is the Holy Trinity of jambalaya? ›
The "holy trinity" in Cajun cuisine and Louisiana Creole cuisine is the base for several dishes in the regional cuisines of Louisiana and consists of onions, bell peppers and celery. The preparation of Cajun/Creole dishes such as crawfish étouffée, gumbo, and jambalaya all start from this base.
Who eats dirty rice? ›
While it's now enjoyed all across the country, it's celebrated in the South, particularly Louisiana, and its odd name is less an insult than a term of endearment: it describes the recognizably brownish-gray coloring from the browned meat and puréed giblets, which are prized by cooks, chefs, and good eaters alike.
What is Bojangles dirty rice made of? ›
Rice, sausage and a special blend of seasonings come together to create Bojangles' Dirty Rice.
Add onions, garlic and Zatarains rice mix, (12oz) and specified amount of water (3-1/2 cups). Return to high heat, until boiling. Then reduce heat to simmer/low and cook covered for about 20 minutes until rice is tender. Stir occasionally.
Do Cajuns eat a lot of rice? ›
Rice has long been an essential ingredient for hardy Cajun victuals, such as gumbo, jambalaya, crawfish étouffée, boudin and all kinds of gravies.
Why don t hispanics wash rice? ›
"When you start to look at the Italians, as well as the Spanish, there's quite a bit of rice in their risottos and paellas. "They don't really wash their rice because what they want to do is retain the [starch] that is essential in making sure the dish ends up tasting creamy.
Why do Americans wash rice? ›
Culinary experts claim prewashing rice reduces the amount of starch coming from the rice grains. You can see this in the cloudy rinse water, which studies have shown to be the free starch (amylose) on the surface of the rice grain produced by the milling process.
What is the disease in unwashed rice? ›
Uncooked rice can contain spores of Bacillus cereus, bacteria that can cause food poisoning. The spores can survive when rice is cooked. If rice is left standing at room temperature, the spores can grow into bacteria. These bacteria will multiply and may produce toxins (poisons) that cause vomiting or diarrhoea.
Why do people say brown rice is bad? ›
In rice, inorganic arsenic is found in the two outer layers of the grain (i.e., bran and germ), and the bran and germ are removed to refine the grain into white rice. Thus, a greater concentration of arsenic is found in brown rice than in white rice.
Why is brown rice so dirty? ›
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), brown rice contains about 50 percent more arsenic than white rice does because a good deal of that arsenic collects in the bran, or the outer portion of the rice grain. The bran is removed when producing white rice.
Why does brown rice taste dirty? ›
If you've had some brown rice sitting in the back of your cupboard for more than a year, it's probably best to toss it and pick up a fresh bag. The oils in the rice go rancid over time and can make the rice taste overly bitter and unpalatable.
This cajun dirty rice recipe is a hearty, savory, and FAST one pot meal that my family loves. I first tried the recipe DirtE Rice from the Coers Family blog. Oh. My. Word.
