This healthy dirty rice recipe is a nutrient-dense, one-pot meal made with ground turkey, sausage, chicken livers, and bold Cajun seasoning. Perfect for a quick dinner, this Cajun dirty rice recipe is packed with protein and flavor, making it a comforting yet wholesome dish that's ready in under 30 minutes.
Dirty rice is a Louisiana dish made with rice, ground meats, chicken livers, and Cajun seasonings. The liver gives it a "dirty" appearance, while the spices and aromatics create a rich, hearty flavor. Traditionally, it was a resourceful way to use up inexpensive cuts of meat while packing in bold, spicy flavors. Isn't that just so second-nature for our ancestors?
Looking for more liver recipes?
Check out creamy chicken livers, beef liver pate, and 30-minute chicken liver and onions.
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Recipe Overview
- Prep and Cook Time: 10 minutes to prep and 30 minutes to cook
- Cooking Method: Stove-top
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Ancestral diet
- Tools Needed: sharp knife, cutting board, and deep cooking pan
- Skill Level: Easy
What is an ancestral diet? Read my post on what nourishing foods are based on the traditional dietary principles of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
Reasons to Love this Dirty Rice recipe
If you're looking for a dish that can easily and indistinguishably hide liver - this one is it. This dish has so much going on that even those with a keen aversion to liver won't notice it.
The finely minced liver blends seamlessly with the ground meats and Cajun spices, making it virtually undetectable while still adding richness and nutrients.
Ingredients for Dirty Rice
- Meats: I like to use ground chicken or turkey, sausage, and always liver. Traditional dirty rice recipes always include chicken livers or other organ meats, so if you're going for the classic flavor - don't skip this!
- Vegetables: yellow onion, celery, and green bell pepper give you savory flavor and crunch. You'll also need a healthy cooking fat like butter or tallow to saute the onions.
- White rice: feel free to use either long-grain or short-grain white rice. My preference is short-grain, but make sure it's not sushi or arborio rice, where the starch content is high.
- Broth: this will give amazing flavor to the dirty rice. If you want to tone down the flavor, use chicken bone broth but if you want to add robust flavor, I recommend going with beef bone broth. Either will work here; just depends on your preference.
- Aromatics: DIY Cajun seasoning, garlic, bay leaves, and salt and pepper are the key flavor builders in this dish. Minced garlic also helps give a nice kick. If you don't have Cajun seasoning, you can use equal amounts of smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a pinch of oregano.
Substitutions and Variations
- Mix and match - Feel free to use whatever meats you have on hand. Any sausage will work (breakfast, hot Italian, etc..) and any ground meat can be subbed in for the ground turkey.
- Spicy - Add fermented jalapenos or red pepper flakes when sauteeing the vegetables. You can also add a splash of the jalapeno brine to the broth.
- Smoky - Add an extra dash of smoked paprika or chipotle powder for a smoky depth of flavor.
- Veggie-loaded - Mushrooms would be a delicious addition here and you can also add zucchini, spinach, or bell peppers of other colors.
Make it Nutrient-Dense
When made with quality ingredients, this dish is a powerhouse of nutrients. There's mineral-rich broth and incredibly nutrient-dense chicken livers (use pastured chicken from farmers you trust), and it's packed with healthy fats, from cooking fat to sausage and more! It also helps to use homemade Cajun seasoning that's free from anti-caking agents.
How to Make Dirty Rice
The complete printable recipe is below in the recipe card for your convenience. Follow these simple step-by-step instructions for the best results.
Step 1. Saute
In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter or tallow. Add onions and cook onions until translucent and slightly browned.
Step 2. Brown
Push the onions to the edges of the pan to make room in the center and increase heat to high. Add the ground turkey and sausage and cook until browned, breaking it up with a flat spatula.
Step 3.Dice
While the meats are browning, finely mince the chicken livers. I like to pat them dry with paper towel first to remove any excess moisture (as that will only cause them to steam during cooking).
Step 4. Cook
Push the onions and meat mixture to the outer edges of the pan to make room in the center. Add the minced chicken liver and cook for about a minute (it cooks fast!). Combine with the rest of the meats.
Step 5. Add
Reduce heat to the medium. To the meat mixture, add celery and green bell pepper and stir to combine. They don't have to fully cook through before adding the rice and broth in the next step.
Step 6. Cook
Add rice, Cajun seasoning, minced garlic, salt and black pepper, and broth. Stir to combine. Tuck in bay leaves. Bring to a boil on high heat then reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked.
Helpful Tips
- Brown the meats on high heat - Don't rush the browning process and don't overstir it as it cooks. The caramelization adds richness to the dish and you want the ground meat to have brown crusty spots.
- Rinse rice well - Be sure to rinse your rice thoroughly to remove excess starch. This helps the rice cook up fluffy and prevents it from becoming sticky.
- Add ingredients in stages - Saute the onions first, then add the meats, then add the veggies, and other rest of the ingredients. Doing it in stages like this helps to build flavor.
- Mind the heat - Get comfortable with the burner dial because you'll be adjusting it often in this dish to really bring out the flavor. Brown on high but simmer on low.
Troubleshooting
- My ground meats are not browning. Increase the heat a tad and avoid disrupting the meat too often. Let it sit in the pan for a minute or two (on high temp) before stirring, which helps develop a nice brown crust.
- There's too much liquid in my rice. This is usually a result of adding too much broth or not enough rice. In either case, you can carefully strain off the excess liquid or remove the cover and allow the liquid to evaporate over heat.
Product Highlight!
Large Stainless Steel Saute Pan
I use this often for dishes like these. It's a 5.5 quart deep pan with a lid and a very heavy and thick bottom (perfect for browning those meats).
Serving Suggestions
This is a complete dish on its own because it has protein, carbs, and fiber. But if you wanted to serve this as a side dish, consider these options to pair it with:
Main dish: Pair Cajun dirty rice with a simple meat dish like pan-fried pork chops or salt and pepper chicken wings.
Fresh salads: A simple salad like cucumber dill salad or arugula salad with goat cheese will work here.
Condiments: You know I love including a ferment or two in all my meals. This spicy sauerkraut or pickled green tomatoes will give you all the tang you need to complement the Cajun dirty rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Some great options are beef or chicken heart. They both have mild flavor and hold up well when finely chopped, making it a good substitute for liver in the dish. Beef or lamb kidneys have a distinct taste but can also be subbed in for liver.
Store leftover dirty rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. These glass snap containers are perfect for leftovers. To reheat, add a splash of broth to restore moisture and reheat over medium heat in a covered medium saucepan.
Yes, this dirty rice freezes well. Just keep it in an airtight container or a silicone zip-top bag, removing as much air as possible to avoid freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat.
Looking for more one-pan meals? Here are some ideas:
Did you make this Dirty Rice recipe? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ recipe rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comments. Thank you!💚
Printable Recipe
Dirty Rice with Ground Turkey and Chicken Liver
Equipment
- deep stainless steel frying pan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter or tallow
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 pound ground sausage
- 1 cup chicken livers, minced approximately ½ pound
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 2 celery rib, diced
- 2 cups long-grain white rice rinsed
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 ½ cups chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Saute: In a large pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter or tallow. Add onions and cook onions until translucent and slightly browned.
- Brown: Push the onions to the edges of the pan to make room in the center and increase the heat to high. Add the ground turkey and sausage and cook until browned, breaking it up with a flat spatula.
- Dice: While the meats are browning, finely mince the chicken livers.
- Cook: Push the onions and meat mixture to the outer edges of the pan to make room in the center. Add the minced chicken liver and cook for about a minute (it cooks fast!). Combine with the rest of the meats.
- Add: Reduce heat to medium again. To the meat mixture, add celery and green bell pepper and stir to combine.
- Cook: Add rice, Cajun seasoning, minced garlic, salt and black pepper, and broth. Stir to combine. Tuck in bay leaves. Bring to a boil on high heat then reduce heat and simmer covered for 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Serve warm with fresh green onions.
Notes
- Brown the meats on high heat - Don't rush the browning process and don't overstir it as it cooks. The caramelization adds richness to the dish and you want the ground meat to have brown crusty spots.
- Rinse rice well - Be sure to Prince your rice thoroughly to remove excess starch. This helps the rice cook up fluffy and prevents it from becoming sticky.
- Add ingredients in stages - Saute the onions first, then add the meats, then add the veggies, and other rest of the ingredients. Doing it in stages like this helps to build flavor.
- Mind the heat - Get comfortable with the burner dial because you'll be adjusting it often in this dish to really bring out the flavor. Brown on high but simmer on low.
Beth says
This recipe is a winner! Will make again.