Easy Dirty Rice Recipe (Made with Ground beef & Sweet Italian Sausage)

Hey, y’all! It’s PBJ back at you with a Louisiana classic: dirty rice. I don’t know why I’ve been craving dirty rice for the last three weeks, but it’s been on my taste buds for a while, so I said, “Let me cook up some.”

I had some a few times before, but since it’s a pretty popular Creole recipe, I felt it was time to make a recipe of my own and post it on my website for you guys, especially since it’s been requested before.

So here it is, finally! And listen, I know you all are going to love this recipe. Dirty rice cannot get much better than this. It may not be your grandma Mary’s dirty rice, but it’s close, and even she’ll appreciate this Creole classic. So check it out!

What makes this a good recipe?

• Everyone likes it: In my opinion, dirty rice is a fan favorite because it combines two ingredients we all love – ground beef and rice – and it’s just mixed together. You won’t find too many people turning their faces up at dirty rice because there’s not much to “NOT LIKE”.
• It’s easy to make: You don’t have to be the best cook and definitely not a chef to make this dish. I really believe a 12-13-year-old with little guidance can make it. It’s a one-pot/skillet dish—everything goes in and is made in one skillet.
• It doesn’t take long: Dirty rice is the perfect dish for dinner on lazy days when you don’t feel like laboring over the stove in a hot behind kitchen. All you do is brown your meat, chop up your vegetables, throw in a few seasonings along with the rice, and bam, you’re ready to eat in under 30 minutes.
• You get all your primary nutrients: I love this dish because it provides your carbs, protein, and vegetables in one bite. It is truly an all-in-one dish. You don’t need anything else, honestly.  
• Throwaway dish: This is what I call a throwaway dish because, as I said earlier, my grandma would make it when she wanted to get rid of some ground meat and veggies that might have been in the refrigerator too long. Got something you want to get rid of? Mix it in your dirty rice.
• Serving options: Dirty rice can be served as a main dish, side dish, or by itself… which gives you a ton of serving options. I personally like to eat it as a side dish, with some fried chicken as my main dish.

What is dirty rice?

Dirty rice, sometimes referred to as “rice dressing” or “cajun rice,” is a Classic Creole dish from Louisiana. They call it “DIRTY” rice because it’s made with WHITE RICE that gets a “DIRTY” light brown color by the time it’s done cooking.

Some common ingredients are Soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, and ground beef. So it’s no wonder the white rice ends up with a light brown color by the time it’s finished cooking.  

The Origin of “Dirty Rice”

Back during slavery times, chickens and pigs were slaughtered and given to the plantation owners, while the chicken remains (gizzards, livers, heart, kidneys), pork scraps, and other less desirable parts were left for the slaves to eat.

They would make a way out of no way to survive, which they were notorious for doing. They would mince these leftover parts, season them up, and combine them with rice to create what is now known as dirty rice. 

Although nowadays most people make this dish using ground beef, chicken, and other meats, Creole people in Louisiana traditionally made it using chicken livers and pork meat, like sweet Italian sausage. 

My childhood memories of dirty rice

I don’t have too many memories of my parents cooking dirty rice as a kid, but I do remember my grandma making some a few times for us. However, I don’t think she fancied it up like I did.

I recall it being sort of like a throw-away dish for her. I call it that because she never intended or planned to make it. She’d never say, “I’m making a side of dirty rice tonight!” Lmbo! 

She would brown some ground beef and turkey she was trying to get rid of, probably because it had been sitting in the freezer for so long, and add it to some rice. Then she’d throw in a few seasonings and ingredients for flavor.

I do remember seeing her add chopped onions to the ground meat as it browned or shaking a bottle of soy sauce as she drizzled some over the rice, but she didn’t do anything too fancy like most folks try to. Lol!

It was just something she’d eat for lunch or dinner when she was lazy and didn’t feel like cooking much. I also remember one of my aunts buying some dirty rice a couple of times from the Popeyes near her house.

I’m not sure if they still sell it, but they sold it in a small round bowl as a side. I don’t remember it being all that good, but you can’t expect much from Popeyes. Just like KFC’s mac and cheese, most of these stores’ side dishes are average at best.

Recipe Ingredients

• Rice: I like to use “White 10-minute Success” rice, but you can use your favorite rice; just stick with white rice. If you’re not using instant rice like I am, it will take longer to cook, and more broth or water will be needed.
• Meat: I like to use equal amounts of Ground Beef and Sweet Italian sausage. You can replace the sweet Italian sausage with more ground beef if you don’t eat pork. Make sure you’re using ground beef that’s 80% lean and 20% fat.
• Vegetables: We’re using quite a few vegetables. Yellow onions, Green peppers, Red peppers, Celery, Jalapenos, and minced garlic. I started using garlic paste recently and found that it packs a stronger garlic flavor. You can use fresh jalapeno peppers. I used jalapeno peppers in water from a jar.
• Condiments: Worcestershire and Soy sauce are the only condiments we use. Soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce also help to darken the rice, and they give the meat a richer beef and pork flavor.
• Liquid: Use low-sodium beef broth and water.
• Seasonings: Here are the best seasonings to use to give the dirty rice its classic flavor. Creole seasoning, Seasoning salt, Italian seasoning, Ground cumin, Paprika, and black pepper.

How to make dirty rice

1. Chop onions, peppers, celery, and jalapenos into small pieces.
2. Place a large skillet over medium heat and add the ground beef and sweet Italian sausage.
3. Break up the meat with 2 spatulas while cooking for 6 minutes or until no longer pink, then drain the fat.
4. Add in the seasonings, then stir well.
5. Add in the chopped vegetables and minced garlic, and cook for 5 more minutes, stirring periodically.
6. Add in the paste, Worcestershire, and soy sauce, then stir well.
   
   
   

   • Save
7. Reduce to medium-low heat.
8. Add the rice and broth and stir well again.
   
   
   

   • Save
9. Cover with a lid, leaving a small crack on the side.
10. Cook until the rice is tender, about 25 to 30 minutes, stirring periodically.

Watch Me Make It

Tips for best results:

• Use fresh ground beef: Ground meat that’s been sitting in the freezer for weeks just doesn’t do this dish any justice. The meat texture tends to change, and it also seems to lose a bit of its flavor, which may be the result of sitting in ice for too long. So always use fresh ground beef. It will make a huge difference, trust me.
• Use fresh vegetables: Vegetables stored in the freezer will lose some flavor, bite, and crunch after they thaw. Limp vegetables you can barely chop are a no-no. Go with fresh onions, peppers, and celery.
• Don’t cook the rice separately: While cooking the rice separately and then adding it to the meat sounds like a quick and easy option, letting the rice simmer with the ground beef makes a big difference. This is what gives the rice its classic dirty rice color.
• Don’t stir too much: Make sure you don’t keep taking the lid off and stirring. The moisture that the lid creates should prevent you from having to add more liquid. Stir towards the end after 20-25 minutes to dry out any excess liquid.

Variations:

• Made with chicken liver and hearts: You can go the traditional route and add chopped chicken liver and or hearts to your dirty rice. This is not the preferred way to make it nowadays, as most people in this generation won’t like the foreign taste, but it’s an option, as these were the original choice of meats.
• Made using ground turkey and chicken: If you’re looking for a healthier alternative, consider switching to ground turkey and chicken. You can use just one or a combination of the two. I’d recommend using an equal amount if you decide to make the dirty rice using both.

What to serve it with:

• Fried chicken: Uhmmm, fried chicken… duh! Lol! I mean, it’s the best thing to serve it with. Why else ya think they sell it as a side dish at Popeye’s Chicken? 
• Baked BBQ chicken: I had to include this because I recently made a dinner with dirty rice on the side of BBQ chicken. Even though baked BBQ chicken wasn’t the plan, it turned out to be a surprisingly good combo, I must say.
• Smothered meats: Dirty rice pairs well with smothered meats, such as baked chicken and gravy, or baked pork chops and gravy.

Storage and reheating

• How do you store dirty rice? Place it in a container, such as a Tupperware bowl, cover it with a lid, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap, and store it in the refrigerator.
• How do you reheat it in a microwave? You can reheat it in the microwave in a microwave-proof dish on high for 1 minute.

Other beef and sausage recipes

• The BEST Stuffed Peppers Recipe Ever
• Spaghetti And Meat Sauce 
• The Best Homemade Country Sausage Gravy
• World’s Best Shepherd’s Pie
• Grandma Val’s Meatloaf

I hope you enjoy this classic savory Creole recipe as much as I do. If you do, please give us 5 stars, share the recipe with your friends and family, and leave a review. Also, subscribe to receive email notifications every time I post a new recipe. 

And keep it touch to stay up to date on everything phillyjaycooking. You can find me on social media on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube…. for my visual learners. So please don’t be a stranger. Join the family and learn how to perfect your favorite dishes with us. 

Enjoy, later
PBJ~

Print