Description
Dirty Rice is the ultimate down-home comfort food: hearty ground beef, sautéed veggies, seasoned rice, and bold Cajun flavors all come together in one easy one-pot meal. Ready in under 35 minutes, it’s the perfect weeknight dinner that’s budget-friendly, savory, and kid-approved. 🌟
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- 1 green or red bell pepper, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice (uncooked)
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Optional: Chopped green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up with a spoon. Drain excess fat if desired.
- Add diced onion, bell pepper, celery, and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 3–5 minutes until vegetables are softened.
- Stir in uncooked rice and toast for 1–2 minutes.
- Season with smoked paprika, thyme, Cajun seasoning, and black pepper. Pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 18–20 minutes until rice is cooked and liquid is absorbed.
- Fluff rice with a fork and garnish with chopped green onions if desired. Serve warm!
Notes
- For extra spice, add cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce.
- For an authentic Southern twist, add chopped andouille sausage or chicken livers.
- If using pre-cooked rice, reduce broth by half.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: One-Pot
- Cuisine: Southern
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 plate
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 750mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9g
- Trans Fat: 0.5g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 24g
- Cholesterol: 70mg