We’re busy enjoying our Louisiana favorites this time of year. I am not kidding when I tell you that my kids are just about as excited for Mardi Gras as they are for Christmas. Parades, candy, music, screaming like idiots for beads and plastic cups. If I’m being completely honest with myself, it’s a pretty awesome holiday. It involves lots of yummy food, fun, great music, and very little effort or preparation on my part.
One of my favorite Louisiana foods is Dirty Rice. Now…this recipe comes with a big disclaimer. Dirty Rice is traditionally made with chicken livers and gizzards. I don’t care how good they make your food taste, I cannot cook with them. So, in case you haven’t guessed, I’m not using tiny organ meats in my dirty rice, and no, the color isn’t quite “dirty” enough. But I promise this Not-So-Dirty Dirty Rice still delivers big on flavor. It makes a great one-dish meal or side dish, and it’s perfect for reheating for an easy lunch during the week as well!
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Ground pork sausage – AKA breakfast sausage, like Jimmy Dean brand. Spicy or mild, depending on your preference.
- Yellow or white onion
- Celery stalks
- Fresh garlic cloves – Fresh is always best, but garlic powder will work in a pinch.
- Green bell pepper – Green bell pepper has a distinct flavor compared to the sweeter, more ripe yellow, orange, or red varieties. You can use whatever you like, but I like the flavor of the green pepper in this dish!
- Long-grain white rice – Long grain white rice cooks up separate and fluffy. It absorbs liquid without turning sticky. You can use medium grain rice, it will just turn out a little softer and stickier. I wouldn’t recommend short-grain or sushi rice. Jasmine is a long-grain rice that would work well here.
- Black pepper
- Tabasco sauce – This does not make the dish spicy, just adds a nice kick of flavor.
- Salt-based Cajun or Creole seasoning – Like Tony Cachere’s.
- Kosher salt to taste
- Beef broth – Canned, from a carton, or reconstituted from bouillon base are all good options.
- Green onions – Optional.
How to Make Not-So-Dirty Dirty Rice
- You’ll start by browning your sausage. When it’s about halfway cooked you’ll add some chopped onions, peppers, celery, and garlic.
- Once that’s cooked you’ll add some uncooked rice and cook for a few minutes before adding black pepper, Tabasco, Cajun seasoning and beef broth. That gets brought to a boil and everything gets covered and simmered over low heat until the rice is tender.
- After it’s done it just needs to rest for a couple of minutes then you can serve it up, top with green onions if desired, and enjoy!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 4-5 days for best results.
- We like eating this as a meal with a simple green salad. It also makes a great side dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
You bet! This is a great meal to prep at the beginning of the week and eat as an easy lunch for several days.
You bet. Ground beef, ground turkey, smoked sausage, or a mix of meats work well here.
You can, but you’ll need to increase the beef broth to 4.5-5 cups and simmer the rice for longer – at least 40-50 minutes.
Not-So-Dirty Dirty Rice
Ingredients
- ¾ pound ground pork sausage mild or spicy, depending on your preferences, you can use a 16 ounce roll of sausage if that's what you have
- 1 medium onion minced
- 2 stalks celery minced
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 2 cups long-grain white rice
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 10 dashes Tabasco sauce
- ½ teaspoon salt-based Cajun or Creole Seasoning like Tony Chachere’s; you may want more or less depending on how hot you want your rice to be
- Kosher salt to taste I used 1/2 teaspoon, but again, this will largely be to taste
- 4 cups beef broth high elevations may need up to 1/4 cup more
- Optional: 1/2 cup chopped green onions
Instructions
- Preheat a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook until it is about halfway browned. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and green pepper and cook until the sausage is cooked and the vegetables are tender and fragrant.
- Add the rice and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Add the Tabasco, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper and stir until combined. Add the beef broth and bring to a boil. Cover tightly, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the moisture is absorbed (again, higher elevations may take as long as 45 minutes).
- Season to taste with salt and Tabasco sauce. If desired, toss with green onions before serving. Makes 10-12 servings.
Questions & Reviews
What is your preferred type of long grain white rice to use in this recipe?
I don’t have a preference, any rice is just fine.
On the contrary, I ended up here after searching for a gizzard/liver free version of dirty rice. The sausage used will make a big difference. How about andouille to keep it LA? I also prefer Frank’s. Tobasco is all heat and little flavor.
Thanks for the recipe. I will make it right now.
This was so delicious!! We used a little less Tabasco, a little more garlic, and brown rice and it was amazing. I’m glad it didn’t have gizzards or anything else strange in it lol. This is our new go to dirty rice recipe! Thanks for posting. Just wanted you to know there are still people using it now! 🙂
Stuff it inside a whole chicken you are going to roast. The chicken juices make it even more delicious.
This recipe was so good. Very flavorful. My husband loved it. I made it spicy…..Yummy!!
Made this last night. It was a huge hit. Kids didn’t even realize that it was full of onions and green peppers! I will definitely be making this again! Thanks!
So this is Dirty Rice for clean people?! My grandpa (a dairy farmer) always said organ meats were for dogs. 🙂 This one is going into the quick-and-economical-meal queue!