Classic Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe - The Spruce Eats

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Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe By Diana Rattray Diana Rattray Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer. Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process Updated on 08/10/25 Tested by Renae Wilson Tested by Renae Wilson Renae has certifications in both Pastry Arts and Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education and works as a private chef and caterer, recipe tester and developer, and food writer. Renae has written and developed recipes for Rachael Ray In Season, the Kitchn, Food52, and more. Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process (170) Save Write a Review Print Prep: 20 mins Cook: 75 mins Total: 95 mins Servings: 6 to 8 servings 170 ratings Write a Review Add a comment SaveRecipe

• Cooking from scratch means more control over flavors and quality than a boxed mix.
• Using ground pork or sausage gives the dish a richer flavor compared to other meats.

Dirty rice is a classic Cajun dish that is typically made with chicken livers and/or gizzards and ground meat. The variety of meats and spices give the rice its signature "dirty" look, hence the name. It's a flavorful dish that needs little accompaniment. And while you may have seen this particular kind of meal in a box, there's nothing like making dirty rice from scratch.

This dirty rice recipe is made with ground pork or ground sausage, but feel free to substitute ground chicken, turkey, or ground beef. Long-grain white rice is traditional and is used in this version here, but if you prefer to use brown rice or wild rice, keep in mind that the cooking time will increase greatly.

Serve the dirty rice (sometimes simply called Cajun rice) with extra hot sauce for spice lovers, and perhaps a fresh green salad, collard greens, or mustard coleslaw on the side.

What You'll Need To Make This Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe A Sturdy Dutch Oven A Reliable Pan A Stirring Spoon

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"Deep, flavorful dirty rice. A great accompaniment to seafood gumbo." —Renae Wilson

A Note From Our Recipe Tester Keep Screen Awake

• 3 1/2 cups chicken broth (or beef broth)

• 3/4 pound chicken gizzards

• 2 tablespoons bacon drippings (or oil)

• 4 tablespoons butter, divided

• 1/2 pound ground pork (or pork sausage)

• 1/2 cup chopped onions

• 1/2 cup chopped celery

• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper (or a combination of red and green)

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or a dash of Tabasco sauce)

• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice

• 1/2 pound chicken livers, minced

1. Gather the ingredients.

2. In a large saucepan over high heat, bring 3 1/2 cups chicken broth (or beef broth) to a boil.

3. Add 3/4 pounds chicken gizzards to the broth and reduce the heat to low; simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Remove the gizzards with a slotted spoon and grind or chop them very finely. Reserve the broth.

5. Add 2 tablespoons bacon drippings or oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter to a Dutch oven or flameproof casserole over medium heat. Once the oil and butter mixture is hot, add 1/2 pound ground pork and ground or chopped gizzards.

6. Cook, stirring frequently until browned.

7. Lower the heat. Add 1/2 cup chopped onions, 1/2 cup chopped celery, 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper, 2 cloves garlic (minced), 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or dash of Tabasco sauce). Stir and continue cooking until the vegetables are tender, 5 to 7 minutes.

8. Add 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice and reserved broth and then quickly bring to a boil. Heat the oven to 250 F.

9. Stir, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

10. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet and sauté 1/2 pound chicken livers (minced) for 3 minutes.

11. Toss the minced chicken livers with the rice, taste for seasoning, and adjust with more salt and pepper as needed.

12. Cover the pan and place it in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

13. Fluff with a fork. Serve.

How To Store and Freeze Classic Cajun Dirty Rice

Dirty rice will keep in the fridge for three to four days. Whereas regular plain rice tends to freeze fairly well, cooked rice dishes such as dirty rice tend to become mushy when reheated after being frozen.

Feeling Adventurous? Try This:

• No ground pork, no problem - Replace the ground pork with ground sausage, ground beef, or ground turkey or chicken thighs.
• No gizzards, no problem - Omit the gizzards and increase the ground pork or sausage to 1 pound and the chicken livers to 3/4 to 1 pound. 
• Add parsley - Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley to the finished dish.

Easy Vegan Dirty Rice and Collard Greens

• Southern Sides
• Beans, Peas or Rice Sides
• Chicken Recipes
• Vegetable Recipes
• Pepper Recipes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
338	Calories
18g	Fat
12g	Carbs
30g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label ×

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories	338
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 18g	23%
Saturated Fat 8g	41%
Cholesterol 362mg	121%
Sodium 832mg	36%
Total Carbohydrate 12g	4%
Dietary Fiber 1g	3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 30g
Vitamin C 22mg	111%
Calcium 40mg	3%
Iron 6mg	32%
Potassium 415mg	9%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Recipe Tags:

• Rice
• side dish
• cajun
• mardi gras

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