DIRTY RICE (Cajun Head Style)

🔥 RECIPE OVERVIEW

Dish Name:
Dirty Rice (Cajun Head Style)

Total Time:
40 minutes

Course:
Side / Dinner / One-Pot Meal

Cuisine:
Cajun / Louisiana

Servings:
4–6

Skill Level:
Easy

Heat Level:
Medium

Key Flavors:
Savory • Spiced • Meaty • Classic Louisiana Rice

Main Ingredients:
Ground beef • Smoked sausage • Holy Trinity • Cajun seasoning • Long-grain rice

Best For:
Weeknight meals, potlucks, family dinners, gumbo/jambalaya sides

🔥 INTRODUCTION

Dirty Rice is one of the OG Louisiana comfort dishes — rich, savory, full of Cajun seasoning, and built on the holy trinity with ground meat and rice. This Cajun Head version brings that Baton Rouge flavor with deep seasoning, and a quick one-pot method anyone can make. Serve it with gumbo, eat it as a full meal, or bring it to the cookout — everybody loves Dirty Rice.

🔥 INGREDIENTS

Protein & Base

• 1 lb ground beef (or half beef, half pork)

• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning (for the meat)

Vegetables

• 1 medium onion, diced

• 1 green bell pepper, diced

• ½ cup celery, diced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 green onions, sliced

Rice & Liquid

• 1 cup long-grain rice

• 2 cups beef or chicken broth

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire

• Optional: 1 bay leaf

Seasoning

• 1 tbsp Cajun seasoning (more to taste)

• ½ tsp smoked paprika

• Salt & black pepper

• Optional: pinch of cayenne

🔥 INSTRUCTIONS

1. Brown the sausage.

Cook diced sausage in a large pot until browned. Remove and set aside.

2. Cook the ground beef.

Add ground beef to the same pot. Season lightly with Cajun seasoning. Cook until browned, breaking it apart as you go.

3. Add the holy trinity.

Stir in onion, bell pepper, celery. Cook until soft, about 5–7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

4. Add seasoning.

Add Worcestershire, Cajun seasoning, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Stir well.

5. Add rice + broth.

Pour in rice and broth. Mix well. Add bay leaf if using.

6. Cover & simmer.

Turn heat to low, cover, and cook for 18–20 minutes.

7. Rest & fluff.

Turn off heat, keep covered for 5 minutes.
Remove bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and add green onion.

8. Serve.

Serve hot as a side or a full Cajun dinner.

🔥 CAJUN HEAD TIP

If your rice tastes flat, add a splash more Worcestershire. Secret weapon.

🔥 SUBSTITUTIONS & NOTES

• Replace ground beef with turkey, pork, or chicken

• Add chicken livers for TRADITIONAL Louisiana dirty rice

• Add a splash of hot sauce

• Use andouille for maximum smoke

• Leftovers taste even better