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Louisiana Dirty Rice

Dirty Rice, often called Cajun Rice, is deeply flavorful and is perfect for a main dish, but also makes a wonderful side. Don't worry about the chicken livers, once puréed, they cook easily and don't make the dish taste like liver. They just add a depth of flavor that is wonderful.

Prep Time
15 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Additional Time
30 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 6 people
Cuisine: Cajun

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 8 oz ground pork
  • ¼ cup chicken livers (about 4 oz), puréed
  • 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  • ½ teaspoon chili powder
  • 1¾ cups chicken stock
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 2 stalks celery stalks chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Jalapeño stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
  • 1 tablespoon oregano dried
  • 3 cups steamed rice (recipe below)
  • 1 bunch scallions chopped, plus extra for garnish
  • 2 tablespoon parsley chopped
  • Louisiana-style hot sauce for serving
Steamed Rice
  • 1½ cup long-grain rice
  • 2 cups water
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Pinch kosher salt

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat. Once hot, add the pork and chicken livers and cook, stirring, until browned.
  2. Add salt, pepper, and chili powder and stir often, but not constantly: The idea is to get the meat to stick to the pan and get a little crusty.
  3. Add ¼ cup of the chicken stock and simmer until it has evaporated, allowing the meat mixture to get browned and crusty and stick to the pan once again.
  4. Add the onion, celery, garlic, jalapeño, and oregano and cook, stirring, until the veggies are nicely browned and crusty and beginning to stick to the pan.
  5. Add the rice (recipe below), the remaining 1½ cups broth, the scallions, and parsley.  Stir until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is heated through, about 5 minutes.  
  6. Serve at once, garnishing with extra chopped scallions and hot sauce on the side.
How to Make Perfectly Steamed Rice
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  1. Combine the rice, water, bay leaves, and salt in a medium pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  2. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.
  3. Remove from the heat, and keep covered for an additional 5 minutes.
  4. Remove the lid, cool for a few minutes, and then fluff the rice with a fork. 

Notes

  • See the video near the top of the blog post for visual guidance. If you liked the video, please subscribe to our YouTube channel. 
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  • Chicken livers can usually be found in containers in the poultry section of most well-stocked supermarkets. Sometimes they are frozen. Chicken livers are traditional for dirty rice. They don't make the rice have a strong chicken liver taste at all. If desired, you can leave them out and you'll still have a tasty dish. 
  • Leftovers will keep covered in the fridge for up to 6 to 7 days. It can be frozen for up to 4 to 6 months. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a few splashes of broth.