Dirty Rice Recipe
My easy dirty rice recipe is an incredible side dish made from scratch with Creole spices, ground beef, chicken livers, and bacon. Liver haters, you’ll love this crazy delicious Creole classic, too!
No, it’s not dirty😉. 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? Ground beef and bacon boost the flavor. You could skip the bacon, but why?
What Is Dirty Rice?
The name might put you off if you’ve never heard of it. But it originated in Southern Louisiana as pure soul food. The blend of white rice, spices, aromatics, and small pieces of meat, like chicken livers and gizzards, ground beef, or sausage, is delicious.
The liver and ground beef turn the rice an unexpected dirty brown 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.
Recipe Ingredients
- Rice – Long-grain white rice works best for this classic Cajun dirty rice. Basmati is my favorite, but use what you have. This is also a great way to use leftover rice.
- Meat – Bacon, liver, and ground beef are my choices for authentic dirty rice. But you can also use gizzards, heart, or uncured sausage.
- Stock – The flavor of beef stock ramps the rice up more than just water.
- Holy Trinity – For a classic Cajun and Creole veggie trio, onion, bell peppers, and celery are fundamental.
- Seasonings – Garlic, fresh thyme, bay leaves, green onions, parsley, pepper flakes (or cayenne pepper), and Creole seasoning spice this dish up.
How to Make Dirty Rice
- Cook the Bacon – In a large, heavy sauté pan, fry chopped bacon until cooked, 4-5 minutes, and set aside. (Photo 1)
- Aromatics – Add 2 tablespoons of oil or more to the bacon pan (or use the bacon grease😉). Toss in the onions, thyme, bay leaf, and garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes. (Photo 2)
- Add the Meat – Add chicken liver, ground meat, and Creole seasoning. Then cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes. (Photo 3-4)
- Season – Add green bell peppers, celery, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Pour in about 1½ cups of stock. (Photo 5-7)
- Boil and Simmer – Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and then cover and cook for about 5 minutes.
- Add the Rice – Finally, add cooked rice and mix thoroughly. Cook until the rice is heated through, 5-7 minutes. If needed, add more stock to prevent it from burning. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaf. (Photo 8)
- Serve – Stir in the parsley and serve. (Photo 9)
Recipe Tips
- This Southern dirty rice recipe is a great way to use leftovers! Leftover meat, veggies, and rice make a super fast meal.
- Omit or add some ingredients to suit your palate, such as skipping the liver or adding jalapenos to spice up your rice dish.
Make-Ahead and Leftovers
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, but a splash of broth will fix it right up if it dries out. You can also cook rice, meats, and veggies in advance separately. Then, stir them together when reheating to serve.
Leftover Cajun-style dirty rice will last up to 3 days in an airtight container or bag in the fridge. It also freezes well for 2-3 months but tends to dry out. So just add a splash of broth when reheating.
Menu Ideas for an Easy Dirty Rice Recipe
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
- Seasoned Rice
- Caribbean Rice and Beans
- One Pot Caribbean Jerk Chicken and Rice
- Mushroom Rice
- Cajun Rice
- Vegan Cheesy Rice
This blog post was originally published in May 2017 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video
Dirty Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-5 slices bacon, chopped
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 3-4 teaspoons (15-20g) minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons (1-2g) fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound (450g) chicken livers, chopped
- 1 pound (450g) ground beef
- 1 small green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 1½-2 cups (355-475ml) beef stock
- 1 tablespoon (15g) Creole seasoning (or more to taste)
- 3-4 green onions, chopped (or scallions)
- 6 cups (720g) cooked rice
- 2-3 tablespoons (7-10g) parsley, chopped
- pepper flakes or hot sauce to taste
Instructions
- In a large, heavy sauté pan, fry chopped bacon until cooked, 4-5 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add a tablespoon of oil to the bacon grease if needed.
- Toss in the onions, thyme, bay leaf, and garlic, and saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Add chicken liver, ground beef, and Creole seasoning. Cook while stirring for about 2 minutes.
- Add bell peppers, celery, salt, and pepper. Continue cooking while stirring for five more minutes. Then pour in about 1½ cups of stock.
- Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Finally, add rice and mix thoroughly. Cook until the rice is heated through, 5-7 minutes. Add more stock if needed to keep it from burning, being careful not to overcook the rice. Remove from the heat and take out the bay leaves.
- Stir in the parsley and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- This Southern dirty rice recipe is a great way to use leftovers! Leftover meat, veggies, and rice make a super fast meal.
- Omit or add some ingredients to suit your palate, such as skipping the liver or adding jalapenos to spice up your rice dish.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Excellent!
Thanks !
Just tried this recipe and I’ll make some tweaks in the future but it turned out pretty well! Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes, this is my go to website. I’ve been trying to expand my cooking abilities since getting married and you’re making me look great in front of my husband lol!
Hi Nneka,
I’m so glad to hear that the Dirty Rice recipe turned out well for you, and even more thrilled to know that this is your go-to website for recipes! It’s wonderful that you’re expanding your cooking abilities, especially as a newlywed.
Cooking is all about tweaking and making a recipe your own, so I’m glad you’re planning to make some adjustments next time. That’s how you become a great cook!
Thank you for your kind words and for sharing your experience. It’s feedback like yours that makes sharing these recipes so rewarding. Keep cooking and impressing your husband! ️✨
I love this recipe so much
Oh great to hear that. Thank you so much!
My favorite go to website for all recipes
You are more than welcome. And if there’s a recipe you’d love to see, please let me know. Thanks:)
Hi, I am planning on trying this on wednesday, I was wondering did you cook the pre-cook the rice and leave it in the fridge overnight to dry? Or If I don’t need the refrigerate overnight part?
Hi Kyle! The rice is pre-cooked and no need to refrigerate overnight. Enjoy!
Fantastic .. thank you. My husband & I love dirty rice. Nearly any time I’m the one cooking it, I try a new variation.
Like the originator of this recipe, we love bacon too, so adding that was a hit (& a surprise for my husband). xoxo
Love this & will make it again
Glad to know you all enjoyed this! 🙂 Thank you, EllieRose!
Imma,
Thanks for the recipe. Sounds very good. I look forward to making. I also look forward to checking out your other interesting recipes.
Hello, You are welcome! Do let me know how it works out . Thanks.
This was a hit with the people I shared it with! I’ve always loved dirty rice, but this was my first time including liver. It was fun to get myself and my friends out of our comfort zones a bit.