Our dirty rice recipe is made with the holy trinity of Cajun cuisine – green pepper, celery, and onions that are sauteed with savory ground beef, plenty of Cajun spices, and finally simmered with tender rice. This is part of our collection of affordable ground beef dinners you’re family will love.

Why this recipe works

This cajun dirty rice is one of those recipes that has many, many different variations depending on where you live or what you enjoy most. Our version uses ground sirloin, cajun spices, and of course – onion, green pepper, and celery. Toss it all together with white rice for a major kick of flavorful Southern-inspired dirty rice!

Why is it called dirty rice? Well, the rice absorbs all the delicious flavors of the veggies and spices it cooks with resulting in a dark, some may say “dirty” look. It’s along the same lines as to why blackened shrimp and blackened salmon are named the way they are as well, from the method in which they are cooked.

Ingredients you will need

Get all measurements, ingredients, and instructions in the printable version at the end of this post.

Ingredient Info and Substitution Suggestions

BEEF – We use ground sirloin which has a lower fat content. Therefore the beef does not require draining. You can use ground beef with a higher fat content, however, you will need to drain the fat after browning the meat. Feel free to sub in some ground sausage, ground pork, or ground chicken for half of the ground sirloin if desired. We are not using chicken livers in this recipe, but because it’s a traditional addition to dirty rice in Louisianna, you are more than welcome to incorporate finely chopped chicken livers into the meat mixture when browning.

RICE – We used Basmati rice, but any white rice will work. Do not use instant rice. Cooking the rice in beef broth will bring extra flavor to the table.

VEGGIES – The holy trinity of cajun cuisine is green pepper, onion, and celery. These ingredients create a solid base for dirty rice.

SEASONING – Our seasoning of choice is Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning, but you can use your favorite blend of cajun spices here. The spices matter in this recipe, it’s what this southern recipe is all about! Creole seasoning or other cajun seasonings will do the trick as well.

How to Make Dirty Rice

These step by step photos and instructions are here to help you visualize how to make this recipe. You can Jump to Recipe to get the printable version of this recipe, complete with measurements and instructions at the bottom.

Using gloved hands, crumble the ground beef into a Dutch oven. Add garlic salt and half of the Cajun seasoning to the Dutch oven. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring continuously to brown and break up the chunks of ground beef.
Add onion, green pepper, celery, minced garlic, and remaining Cajun seasoning to the meat mixture. Stir to combine, cooking for 3-4 minutes to soften the vegetables.
Reduce heat to medium. Add rice and beef broth to the pan. Stir to combine, ensuring that there are no ingredients (especially rice) up on the sides of the pan.
Cover the pan and allow to cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes. Rice should be tender and broth will be absorbed.

EXPERT TIP – You can stop the cooking when there’s a little liquid still left in the pan. Turn the heat off and keep it covered to continue cooking. If using cast iron, once cooked, you may want to move the rice to another dish. Cast iron pans remain hot for a long time and the rice will continue to cook.

Dirty Rice is my kind of comfort food – hearty but weeknight-doable. For more ground beef dinners you can put on the table fast, browse my 30-minute ground beef dinner recipes.

Frequently Asked Questions & Expert Tips

Can I use a different kind of meat?

Yes, absolutely. You can even mix and match the meats if you want. Many people enjoy a mixture of ground sausage with ground beef while others prefer to use ground chicken or pork in its place.

How do I store leftover dirty rice?

Store leftovers in an air-tight container kept in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Add a small splash of water or beef broth to rehydrate the rice as needed when warming it back up.

Serving Suggestions

Serve dirty rice with a side of cornbread, coleslaw, and corn on the cob or top it off with shrimp to name a few ideas. Another great way to use dirty rice is to pop the mixture into stuffed peppers or use it to stuff a bird when roasting.

Dirty rice is typically served as a side dish but with its heaps of ground beef, celery, onion, and peppers, it can be a hearty and filling main dish all on its own.

More Southern Recipes

Looking for more ground beef ideas? See our collection of 90 best ground beef recipes here.

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