Dirty Rice
This one-skillet wonder features fluffy rice, savory sausage, and aromatic vegetables, all cooked together in a Cajun-inspired, fiery sauce! There’s so much flavor and texture in every bite, and the whole thing comes together in under 30 minutes.
This is my take on Cajun dirty rice! Dirty rice is a classic Louisiana dish consisting of rice that’s been cooked with meat, vegetables, and spices. The rice gets “dirty” from the other ingredients, hence the name! The dish often features andouille sausage and Cajun spices. In this recipe, I use pork sausage and plenty of herbs and spices to mimic those flavors. It’s spot on!
What kind of rice should you use? Dirty rice is made with long grain white rice. The rice stays firm while cooking, and cooks up light and fluffy every time, making it the perfect partner for the vegetables (the “holy trinity” of onion, bell pepper, and celery) and meat.
What kind of sausage should you use? I used pork sausage links in this dish, and ramped up flavors with herbs and spices. You can also use andouille sausage, or sausage of choice. Chicken sausage and plant-based sausage will also work.
You can make this dirty rice as spicy as you want. This recipe calls for cayenne pepper and you can adjust how much you add to the dish. For a fiery dish, use 1 teaspoon (or more). You can also serve the dirty rice with hot sauce on the side.
Dirty rice can be served as a side dish or main dish! When serving as a main dish, I suggest adding a fresh green salad on the side. When serving as a side dish, dirty rice is a great parter for chicken and steak.
Dirty Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound sausage links of choice, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- 1 bell pepper, any color, seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more/less to taste
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup long grain white rice
- 2 cups chicken stock or broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large, high-sided skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until browned on all sides. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables soften. Add the chili powder, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the rice.
- Add the chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
- Remove the bay leaves and serve.