My Cajun-style easy homemade recipe for dirty rice is the ideal flavorful weeknight supper to make for your family. It includes rice, turkey sausage, vegetables, and Creole seasoning.
Louisiana produces some of the best food—like this Cajun classic dirty rice recipe. Nowadays, it’s referred to as “dirty rice” (also called Cajun rice and rice dressing) because, historically, it was prepared using vegetables, spices, and minced chicken livers, which gave the white rice a “dirty” appearance. Over the years, many versions of this filling Creole supper have sprouted up, so this is my take.
This dirty rice recipe is a great go-to meal for busy weekdays. It also happens to be one of my favorite make-ahead meals to take on camping trips. This dirty rice recipe is one that I always double up, freeze, and refrigerate so we always have quick comfort food on hand when we need it. Since it is so easy to reheat, this is one of those recipes that I suggest always doubling. You can save money on drive-through meals by simply doubling a few meals on occasion. You can also stock your freezer with convenience meals instead of buying them.
Now, I’m bypassing chicken livers in favor of turkey sausage. What else do you need? Rice, Creole seasoning, dried or fresh parsley, onion, bell pepper, celery (a. k. a the Holy Trinity in Cajun cooking), and minced garlic. Weeknight meals don’t get much easier than this. All we need to do is cook the rice and chop the vegetables before carefully adding them to a skillet. One-pan meals are always a hit with me; what about you? Especially when they’re ready to eat in thirty minutes! You will have the ideal dinner if you serve it with Easy Southern Fried Catfish, Fast Southern Fried Chicken Recipe, and Oven-Baked Barbecued Chicken Breast.
The Creole seasoning adds so much flavor to this simple Cajun dirty rice recipe. It’s hearty, filling, and a must-make, so let’s go!.
Get ready to spice up your dinner table with this flavorful and easy dirty rice recipe. This Cajun-inspired dish is perfect for a weeknight supper, and it’s sure to become a family favorite.
What is Dirty Rice?
Dirty rice is a traditional Cajun dish that gets its name from its rich, brown color. This color comes from the addition of ground meat, vegetables, and spices to the rice, which “dirties” it up.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe:
- Easy to make: This recipe comes together in under 30 minutes, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
- Flavorful: The combination of Creole seasoning, turkey sausage, and vegetables creates a delicious and satisfying dish.
- Versatile: Dirty rice can be served as a main course or side dish. It pairs well with grilled chicken, fried fish, or even just a simple salad.
- Make-ahead friendly: This recipe is great for meal prep. You can make a big batch on the weekend and then reheat it throughout the week.
Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups water
- ⅔ cup uncooked brown rice
- ½ pound ground turkey
- ½ cup chopped green bell pepper
- ⅓ cup chopped onion
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried celery flakes
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 pinch salt, or to taste
Instructions:
- Bring 1 1/2 cup of water to a boil in a saucepan, and stir in the brown rice. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and simmer until the rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed, 40 to 50 minutes. Set the rice aside.
- Place ground turkey into a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir the turkey until the meat gives up some of its fat, 2 to 3 minutes; stir in green bell pepper, onion, and minced garlic. Cook and stir until the turkey is crumbly and no longer pink and the vegetables are tender, 5 to 8 more minutes. Drain excess grease, if necessary. Stir in the cooked brown rice, garlic powder, celery flakes, Cajun seasoning, black pepper, and 1/3 cup water.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook until the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and additional black pepper, if desired.
Tips:
- For a vegetarian version, omit the ground turkey and use vegetable broth instead of water.
- You can also use ground beef or pork in this recipe.
- If you don’t have Creole seasoning, you can make your own by combining paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, thyme, and black pepper.
- Dirty rice is even better the next day, so feel free to make a big batch and reheat it for lunch or dinner throughout the week.
Additional Resources:
- For more information on dirty rice, check out this article from Southern Plate: https://www.southernplate.com/dirty-rice-recipe/
- You can also find a video tutorial for this recipe on Allrecipes: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/219644/kes-cajun-dirty-rice/
How to Make The Best Dirty Rice Recipe at Home
Chop all your herbs and veggies: bell pepper, celery, parsley, and onion. You can use dried parsley if you prefer.
Place these in a large skillet along with your sausage and minced garlic.
Chop up your sausage a bit and cook that over medium to medium-high heat.
Cook this until the sausage is cooked through and the veggies are tender.
Stir in your Creole seasoning.
I use two and a half tablespoons and it is perfect for us. You may want to start with a little less and taste it. You may end up using a lot more!.
Lookin’ good!
Toss in cooked rice.
Stir that up well and make sure your rice is heated through.
Sit down with a glass of iced tea and a fine meal!
You can freeze leftovers for up to three months or refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to five days. When you reheat this dish in the microwave or on the stovetop, it tastes exactly as good as it did when it was first prepared.
- I LOVE Jennie-O turkey sausage. The mild and hot are both really good. If it is available, that is the primary brand I advise you to use. I get it at Publix. If Butterball sausage is the only kind available, I would just use ground beef or ground pork.
- Although long grain white rice is the most commonly used type, brown rice or wild rice can also be used.
Yes, you can! Creole seasoning, which includes a variety of herbs like oregano, basil, and thyme, is milder than Cajun seasoning, which is stronger in pepper. To add a little extra spiciness to your Creole seasoning, add 1/2 teaspoon (or more, to taste) of cayenne pepper.
Long grain rice, onion, garlic, red and green bell peppers, and seasonings like paprika and red pepper flakes are the ingredients of Zatarain’s Dirty Rice Dinner Mix. So our recipe for dirty rice is very similar and a bit of a Zatarain copycat version.
Popeye’s Cajun Rice side dish is also very similar to our recipe. However, Popeye’s uses ground beef and minced chicken gizzards. In addition, they use other spices besides Creole seasoning, such as cayenne pepper, celery seed, garlic powder, and coarsely ground black pepper.
This dirty rice is the perfect main dish as it is. However, if you would rather serve it as a side dish, pair it with some blackened chicken, fried catfish, or Popeye-style fried chicken.
Dirty Rice Recipe (Made with Ground Turkey) | I Heart Recipes
FAQ
What meat goes with dirty rice?
Why is dirty rice called dirty rice?
What’s the difference between dirty rice and jambalaya?
What is Popeyes dirty rice made of?