Description
Dirty rice with ground beef brings Cajun comfort right to your dinner table, blending spicy ground beef with aromatic rice for a hearty Southern-style meal that’ll have your family asking for seconds.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1 pound ground beef (85% lean)
Main Ingredients:
- 3 cups beef broth (or water with beef bouillon)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or butter)
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 bell pepper (green or red), finely chopped
- 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (adjust to taste)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Rinse 2 cups of rice under cold water until the liquid turns clear, preventing sticky texture.
- Bring 3 cups beef broth to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan at high heat.
- Add rinsed rice, reduce temperature to low, cover, and simmer for 15-18 minutes until liquid absorbs completely.
- Remove rice from heat, let sit covered for 5 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat at 375°F.
- Add 1 pound ground beef, cooking 5-7 minutes while breaking into small pieces until completely browned.
- Drain excess grease, leaving approximately 1 tablespoon for flavor enhancement.
- Reduce skillet temperature to medium and add 1 small chopped onion, 1 chopped bell pepper, and 2 chopped celery stalks.
- Saute vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until they soften.
- Incorporate 3 minced garlic cloves, cooking 1 minute until aromatic.
- Sprinkle ½ teaspoon each of black pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, dried thyme, and dried oregano over the mixture.
- Mix thoroughly to coat beef and vegetables with seasonings.
- Pour 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce and optional hot sauce into the skillet, stirring to combine.
- Add prepared rice to skillet, blending completely with beef and vegetable mixture.
- Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, allowing flavors to meld together.
- Remove from heat and garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
- Taste and adjust seasonings as desired before serving hot.
Notes
- Rinse rice thoroughly to prevent clumping and achieve a fluffy texture that separates easily when stirred.
- Choose lean ground beef to control the fat content, but keep a small amount of grease for extra flavor depth.
- Customize the heat level by adjusting cayenne pepper and hot sauce amounts to match personal spice preferences.
- For a gluten-free version, swap Worcestershire sauce with a certified gluten-free alternative and check seasoning labels carefully.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30-34 minutes
- Category: Beef
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Cajun
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 321 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 430 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 20 g
- Cholesterol: 75 mg