Louisiana Dirty Rice

by Stacey Updated: Nov 28, 2022

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Rich, hearty and full of flavor, Louisiana Dirty Rice is one of those delectably versatile comfort food recipes you’ll use all the time. A true Southern recipe filled with sausage, ground beef, bell pepper, onion, celery & spices, dirty rice is richly savory, completely comforting and can show up on any table from a Tuesday to the holidays!

What Is Dirty Rice

Dirty Rice, sometimes called ‘rice dressing,’ is a classic savory Louisiana rice dish that starts with browning spicy meats, then layering in rich flavor with onion, bell pepper, celery (the Trinity of Louisiana cooking) and a handful of spices before folding in rice. The rice achieves its “dirty” brown color from simmering in all that goodness and absorbing its deep flavor.

When To Eat Dirty Rice

Like most of our recipes here in the south, we make our food work for us. And the dishes that can carry the most load are often the most popular.

Knowing how to make Dirty Rice can go a long way in your cooking repertoire. It’s a great dish to take to a friend in need, to feed a crowd or even freeze for later. It’s one of those one pot comfort food dishes that keeps on giving so you can too!

It’s sometimes used as a dressing (or stuffing) for chicken, turkey and quail. It can be stuffed in peppers or enjoyed on its own. At my house, Louisiana Dirty Rice often shows up as the main dish, complete with real deal sides like fried okra, black eyed peas and yellow cornbread. It’s perfect for weeknight dinners, potlucks, family dinners, and most importantly, holidays.

Is This Authentic Dirty Rice

Traditional dirty rice is made with finely diced or ground chicken livers added to spicy pork or ground beef or both. The chicken livers are used to bring a full-bodied richness to the dish and almost act like a binder to hold it all together.

But not all dirty rice has to be made that way to achieve a delicious, rich flavor… or to be an authentic dish from my home state. Like all comfort food, most families have their own signature way of making and enjoying special dishes.

And I’ll be honest. Liver of any sort just isn’t my bag. Not even a little bit. And there are a lot of us who feel this way… even in Louisiana. So you will find livers conspicuously missing from this recipe.

Instead, my family uses (and always has) a little bacon grease and flour. This adds a ton of just the right kind of full flavor we all crave from Dirty Rice and acts as a perfect binder at the same time. For a little extra Louisiana flair, oysters can be added to this recipe too!

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I come from Louisiana and love dirty rice, but my kids object to the gizzards, and my husband is allergic to beef. I used pork only with this recipe and I almost cried, it was so good. Tastes like home! ~KATE

The ingredients for Louisiana Dirty Rice

I’ll walk through an overview of ingredients & steps in these next sections along with helpful tips!

Look for specifics at the end of the post in t he recipe card where you can also use the video to cook along with me!

Like most recipes with a rich Louisiana history, almost every family has their own passed down version or “the way they like to do it.” Below are the ingredients and the methods my family uses to prepare Dirty Rice.

white rice
ground beef
ground sausage
bell pepper
onion
celery
chicken broth
flour, cooking oil
chili powder, oregano, parsley, thyme, paprika, bay leaves, garlic, salt, pepper, & cayenne (Dirty Rice seasoning- everything you need!)

An upclose of Louisiana dirty rice in a cast iron skillet.

How To Make The Best Dirty Rice

A large cast iron skillet or dutch oven is what I use to make this recipe from start to finish. But any deep skillet or stock pot will work too.

Brown the meat. Heat bacon grease or cooking oil in a dutch oven on the stove top over medium high heat. Add ground beef and ground sausage to the skillet. Mix the meats together as they begin to brown. This is the Ground Meat Tool I use to easily break up the meat in the pan.

Add the flavor. As the meats continue to brown, it’s time to add the Holy Trinity of any true Louisiana dish- diced bell pepper, onion and celery. These 3 complement each other perfectly and together bring just the right amount of flavor to whatever you’re cooking. When the meats are fully browned, stir in all the herbs and spices except for parsley. All of this seasoning is what makes this recipe SO GOOD!.

The Magic “Dirty” Step. This is the step that sets really good dirty rice apart from all other rice dishes. And it starts with flour. Mix flour into the meat, making sure it coats the meat. Add chicken broth and bay leaves. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any of the browned bits from the pan and allow it all to simmer 5-8 minutes.

Add the Rice. Fold in cooked rice and parsley. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Serve.

Just look at all that yummy goodness! It’s so savory and spicy. Everything you want in a classic southern dish, and nothing you don’t.

WANT A CROCK POT VERSION? Easy Crock Pot Dirty Rice

Louisiana Dirty Rice is a classic Louisiana recipe that makes the best rice for a main or side dish.

What is the difference between Jambalaya & Dirty Rice

Jambalaya and Dirty Rice are both rice dishes, but they aren’t the same. Jambalaya is typically made with sausage, chicken and/or seafood. Creole-style Jambalya also includes tomatoes, like this Easy Louisiana Sausage Jambalya. Lastly, a jambalaya recipe uses uncooked rice and then cooks it right in the dish, while Dirty Rice calls for already cooked rice to be folded into its meat and vegetable mixture then simmered to absorb flavor.

Other Classic Louisiana Recipes You’ll Love

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