Cajun Dirty Rice

Why you’ll love it

• Big Louisiana flavor from simple, budget-friendly ingredients.
• Side dish or main: serve it next to any roast or as a one-bowl dinner.
• Great for leftover rice and even better reheated the next day.

Quick facts

Ingredients

For the rice

• 1 1/2 cups (280 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed
• 2 1/4 cups (540 ml) water
• 1/2 tsp fine salt

For the meat and vegetables

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lb (450 g) ground pork
• 8 oz (225 g) chicken livers, trimmed and very finely chopped
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 celery ribs, finely diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp Cajun seasoning (salt-free or low-sodium)
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• Salt, to taste

To finish

• 3 green onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• Louisiana-style hot sauce, for serving

Step-by-step method

1. Cook the rice. In a medium saucepan, bring the water and salt to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover, reduce the heat to low and cook 18 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread on a tray to cool slightly.

2. Brown the pork. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground pork and cook 6–8 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles, until well browned with some crispy bits.

3. Cook the livers. Add the chopped chicken livers and cook 3–4 minutes, stirring, until no longer pink.

4. Add the trinity. Add the onion, bell pepper and celery and cook 6–8 minutes, stirring often and scraping the bottom of the pan, until soft and lightly browned.

5. Season. Stir in the garlic, Cajun seasoning, thyme, smoked paprika, cayenne and black pepper and cook 1 minute, until fragrant.

6. Simmer with broth. Pour in the broth and Worcestershire sauce, scraping up all the browned bits. Simmer 4–5 minutes, until most of the liquid has been absorbed and the mixture looks moist but not soupy.

7. Combine and serve. Add the cooked rice and fold gently until every grain is coated and evenly brown. Cook 2–3 minutes more to heat through. Taste and adjust the salt and cayenne. Fold in the green onions and parsley and serve hot with hot sauce on the side.

How to know it is done

The dirty rice is ready when the pork and livers show no pink (165°F / 74°C), the vegetables are completely tender, every grain of rice is coated and evenly brown, and there is no liquid pooling in the bottom of the pan. The rice should be moist and fluffy, not mushy.

Tips for the best result

• Chop the livers very finely, almost to a paste, or pulse them in a food processor; they will disappear into the rice.
• Let the pork get really brown before adding the vegetables: those browned bits are the flavor of the dish.
• Use cooked rice that has cooled a little (or day-old rice) so the grains stay separate when you fold them in.

Variations and substitutions

• No livers: use 1 1/2 lb (680 g) ground pork, or add 4 oz (115 g) finely chopped mushrooms for depth.
• With sausage: replace half of the pork with diced andouille sausage.
• Lighter: use ground turkey or lean ground beef instead of pork.
• Brown rice: use 3 1/2 cups cooked brown rice in place of the white rice.
• Extra spicy: add 1 minced jalapeño with the trinity and a little more cayenne.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months. Reheat in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with 2–3 tbsp of broth or water, stirring occasionally, for 5–8 minutes, or microwave covered for 2–3 minutes, stirring halfway.