Dirty Rice – My take on a traditional southern comfort food staple. Made with browned sausage, green bell peppers and Italian seasoning all tossed together with fluffy white rice giving it that “dirty” appearance.
Dirty Rice is a flavorful, meaty rice dish that may just become a new favorite in your house, as it is in mine! I know why this is one of New Orleans most popular dishes.
Tender Italian sausage is browned and sauteed with garlic, onion, celery, and green bell pepper then combined with chicken livers and fluffy white rice. Bold Italian seasoning and bay leaves give off an aromatic intensity to make your mouth water instantly. This dish is one to run home to mama about!
What is dirty rice?
Dirty rice is a traditional Creole dish derived from the state of Louisiana, acquiring its name from the appearance of the dish.
Made with white rice, it retains its “dirty” color from being cooked down with small pieces of meat such as pork, beef or chicken and a mix of vegetables, all seasoned with cayenne and black pepper. This rice dish is also called Cajun Rice or Cajun Fried Rice, parsley and chopped green onions are common garnishes.
Ingredients
Keep scrolling down to the printable recipe card for a list of FULL ingredient amounts and instructions or click the “Jump to Recipe” button at the top of the page!
- Chicken Broth – Low sodium.
- Rice – I used white rice, uncooked.
- Bay Leaves – For added flavor.
- Sausage – Italian sausage, casings removed.
- Onion – Large, chopped.
- Celery – Chopped.
- Bell Pepper – I used a green bell pepper, seeded and chopped.
- Garlic – Fresh is best! Minced.
- Chicken Livers – Finely chopped. The chicken livers give it such a deep flavor.
- Salt and Pepper – To taste.
- Italian Seasoning – Made up of oregano, rosemary, thyme and basil. If you don’t have Italian seasoning you can use a mix of any of the above.
- Parsley – Fresh parsley, chopped.
How to make dirty rice
- Cook Rice – Add 4 cups of the chicken broth to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add the rice and bay leaves – turn down the heat to a medium, cover until rice is finished cooking.
- Cook Sausage – Add the Italian sausage to a large Dutch oven and cook on medium-high heat – breaking it up as you go along, until no longer pink.
- Cook Vegetables and Liver – Add the onion, celery and bell pepper to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until the onion has softened and is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic. Add the chicken livers and cook until cooked through.
- Combine – Season with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. Remove the bay leaves from the rice. Add the rice to the Dutch oven and remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Turn the heat down to low. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Garnish and Serve – Garnish with parsley and serve.
What to serve with your rice
While dirty rice is a complete meal on it’s own, it can also be serve as a side dish. If you want to serve it up as a main dish, pair it with a side of collard greens, roasted beans or brussels sprouts and some homemade cornbread for an unmatchable southern style meal!
Can I make this in advance?
Dirty rice is a great meal to make ahead of time and freeze in batches for future use. Make a double or triple batch and freeze it for those busy weeknights!
When defrosting, add some chicken broth and simmer until heated through!
How to store leftovers
Your leftover dirty rice will keep in the fridge, sealed in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
Stored in freezer containers or heavy-duty resealable plastic bags, cooked rice will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Did you like this rice recipe? Try these!
- Cauliflower Rice
- Harvest Rice
- One Pot Spanish Chicken and Rice
- Instant Pot Rice
- 3 Ingredient Mexican Rice
- Coconut Rice
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Spanish Rice with Ground Beef
- Chicken Rice Pilaf
- Easy Fried Rice
- Sausage Chicken and Cheesy Rice
- Lemon Chicken Rice Bake
Craving More? Follow Along:
Dirty Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups chicken broth low sodium, divided
- 2 cups white rice uncooked
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 pound Italian sausage casings removed
- 1 large onion chopped
- 2 stalks celery chopped
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound chicken livers finely chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 tablespoon fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
- Add 4 cups of the chicken broth to a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Add the rice and bay leaves, turn down the heat to a medium, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
- Add the Italian sausage to a large Dutch oven and cook for medium-high heat breaking it up as you go along, until no longer pink. The sausage should be fatty enough so that you don't need any additional oil but if you find that the sausage is sticking to the pot add a bit of oil.
- Add the onion, celery and bell pepper to the pot and cook for 5 minutes until the onion has softened and is translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add the chicken livers and cook for 5 more minutes or until the chicken liver is cooked thorugh.
- Season with salt and pepper and Italian seasoning. Remove the bay leaves from the rice, then add the rice to the Dutch oven and remaining 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Turn the heat down to low. Stir everything together until well combined.
- Garnish with parsley and serve.
Tips & Notes:
- Your leftover dirty rice will keep in the fridge, sealed in an airtight container for 3-5 days.
- Stored in freezer containers or heavy-duty resealable plastic bags, cooked rice will keep in the freezer for up to 6 months.
