This post may contain affiliate links.
This One Pan Cajun Style Dirty Rice will be your new favourite midweek mince meal. Hardly any washing up and super tasty.
This is another easy mince beef dish that will have you drooling before it’s even on the plate. Cajun Dirty Beef Rice is all made together in one pan, includes veggies and that delicious cajun smoky flavour.
You know I like to try to get more creative with mince dishes beyond the normal bolognese and chilli con carne.
Hope you love this new addition to my weekly meal plans ❤️
Why you’ll love this Dirty Rice recipe
⭐️ Something a little different
⭐️ One pan and done in 40 minutes
⭐️ Big flavours and meaty deliciousness
About this One Pan Cajun Style Dirty Rice
⭐️ Dirty rice is a traditional Louisiana Creole dish, named because of the colour the rice goes from cooking it with meat.
⭐️ The dish has a sad and difficult history. It originated with slaves cooking this cajun style dirty rice with the small scraps of organ meat they were given to live on along with rice.
⭐️ Over the years it was adapted to add traditional creole ingredients of the holy trinity of onion, celery and green peppers.
⭐️ You can read more about the history of the dish and an authentic version here: Dirty Rice, Dirty History.
⭐️ I’ve used a one pot method for making this cajun style rice, so you don’t need to boil the rice beforehand.
Ingredients for Dirty Rice
- Olive oil
- Beef mince – I like 5% but use whichever one you usually buy to your own taste or budget.
- Onion – I use pre-chopped frozen, but fresh is fine too
- Garlic – Fresh or frozen, jarred or paste is OK
- Celery
- Green peppers
- Cajun spice mix
- Long grain rice
- Tomato puree
- Beef stock
- Cheese grated
- Spring onions – Optional, to serve
Substitutions
- Vegetables – You can mix and match your veggies to taste or to use whatever you have left in your fridge that needs using up. More vegetables will also make it go further.
Leftovers
In the fridge You can keep this recipe in the fridge for 3 days. Just be sure to follow cooked rice food safety guidelines (i.e. do not leave it hanging about at room temperature, cool it very quickly and then reheat fully until piping hot before serving).
In the freezer You can freeze this, however sometimes rice dishes are not at their best afterwards. Just wait until it’s totally cold and then put into a freezer proof container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost thoroughly before reheating in the microwave or or the hob. It may need a little extra water.
Top tips for making Dirty Rice
Spice level
The Cajun spice in this should be fairly mild and suitable for children (unless you buy a particularly fiery one!)
If you’d like more heat, add another teaspoon in at the same time. If you are worried about spice, start with 3 tsp and add more if needed.
Dirty Rice FAQs
One of the great things about this dish is that it tastes like a total treat because the Cajun is so full of flavour.
However, it’s fairly light, especially if you use lower fat mince and plenty of veg.
Yes, just leave off the steps putting the cheese on top. I just added it as a tasty finishing touch.
A really good, sturdy one-pan pan with a lid that can go in the oven, if possible. I recently did a review of these all-in-one pans, which I hope you find useful!
Let me know how you got on and what you thought of these recipes. Please rate the recipe using the ⭐️ below.
Also I’d LOVE to see your cooking creations. If you’d like to share yours with me, you can tag me on Instagram (@tamingtwins).
Dirty Rice {Cajun Style Beef One Pot}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 500 g Beef mince
- 1 Onion, Peeled and chopped
- 3 Cloves of garlic, Peeled and crushed
- 4 Sticks of celery, Cut into small chunks
- 3 Green peppers, Cut into small chunks
- 4 tsp Cajun spice mix
- 200 g Long grain rice
- 4 tbsp Tomato puree
- 800 ml Beef stock
- 75 g Cheese , Grated
To serve:
- 6 Spring onions (optional), Chopped
Instructions
- Heat the oil over a medium heat in a large, deep frying pan. Add the mince. Fry for 5 minutes until browned.
- Add the onion, garlic, celery, green peppers, cajun spice mix and cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables are starting to soften.
- Rinse your rice really well in a sieve (until the water coming out is clear) and then add to the pan, along with the stock, tomato puree and salt and pepper.
- Give everything a good stir, pop the lid on and cook for 15 -20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the rice has soaked up the stock and is cooked through.
- Preheat the grill to HIGH.
- Fluff the rice up with a fork and sprinkle over the cheese. Pop under the grill to finish off for about 3-5 minutes.
- Sprinkle on the spring onions if you’re using them.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Lovely. Quick and easy! Just what I need. Thank you.
Perfectly cooked rice in 18 minutes.
Loved this!