Easy Dirty Rice

No, it’s not dirty😉. I wouldn’t do that to you, my lovely peeps. But the name is fun, isn’t it? Dirty rice is a classic soul food that is flavorful, full of texture, and guaranteed to level up your rice game. As with most soul food, ingenuity turns what you have available into big, bold flavors. And what better way to use chicken livers? Now ground beef and bacon boost the flavor. You can skip the bacon, but why? The liver and ground beef turn the rice an unexpected color. Over the years, this flavorful rice meal has evolved with many variations. I use chicken livers, ground beef, and chopped bacon because I couldn’t resist Immafying it. Bacon is so good!

Recipe Ingredients

How to Make Easy Dirty Rice

Cook the Bacon – In a large, heavy sauté pan, fry chopped bacon until cooked, 4-5 minutes, and set aside.Add Aromatics – Then add 2 tablespoons of oil or more to the bacon pan (or use the bacon grease😉). Throw in the onions, thyme, bay leaf, and garlic, and sauté for 2-3 minutes.Add the Meat – Add chicken liver, ground beef, and Creole seasoning. Then cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes.Season – Add bell peppers, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Pour in about 1½ cups of stock.Boil and Simmer – Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and then simmer for about 5 minutes.Add the Cooked Rice – Finally, add rice and mix thoroughly. Cook until the rice is heated through, 5-7 minutes. If needed, add more stock to prevent it from burning. Don’t overcook the rice. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaf.Serve – Stir in the parsley and serve.

Recipe Variations

Tips and Tricks

Make-Ahead Instructions

You can make dirty rice a day ahead of time. Cook the dish as instructed and refrigerate it in an airtight container once cooled. You want it airtight so you don’t lose precious moisture. You may need to add moisture with a splash of broth. You can also cook rice, meats, and veggies in advance separately. Then stir them together when reheating to serve.

Serving and Storage Instructions

Cajun-style dirty rice leftovers will last up to 3 days in an airtight container or bag in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to two months, but it tends to dry out. So just add a splash of broth before reheating.

What to Serve With Easy Dirty Rice

To complete a drool-worthy meal with dirty rice, you’ve got to have an equally easy coleslaw, fresh from the skillet cornbread or hush puppies, and spicy chicken wings or Cajun shrimp.

More Deliciously Seasoned Rice Recipes to Try

Conclusion

So level up your rice game with this Cajun-Creole spiced one-dish rice meal. Would you like to stay up-to-date with my latest recipes? Follow me on Instagram or Facebook.

Watch How to Make It

[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”A56tbhzc” upload-date=”2019-05-07T07:11:24.000Z” name=”Dirty Rice” description=”Dirty Rice – An incredibly  rich and tasty one pot rice  meal made  from scratch with aromatics , seasoned with creole spices and fortified with ground beef , chicken livers and bacon. Liver haters you are going to love this too! “] This blog post was originally published in May 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.