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Home » American Recipes » Cajun Dirty Rice

Cajun Dirty Rice

By Hank Shaw on January 1, 2018, Updated June 6, 2022 - 28 Comments

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4.83 from 23 votes
Cajun dirty rice recipe in a bowl
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Dirty rice is a traditional Cajun preparation, and it happens to be one of the best uses for giblets ever — especially to those who think they hate eating them.

I am not too proud to say that this dirty rice recipe is roll-your-eyes-back-in-your-head good! I mean, really, really fantastic. Spicy, meaty, and richly flavored, it is a perfect side dish, or a light supper on its own. It is, effectively, a Cajun take on Chinese fried rice.

A bowl of Cajun dirty rice
Photo by Holly A. Heyser

What makes dirty rice “dirty” is ground up gizzards and minced liver. And when I say “minced,” I really mean chopped almost into a puree. You really never know you’re eating giblets. Seriously.

If you don’t have any wild game giblets — because you didn’t save them — make this recipe with regular chicken giblets. Please. Then come back and tell me how sorry you were for not saving the gizzards, hearts and livers of all those ducks or geese or pheasants you shot.

I most often use duck giblets for my dirty rice, but pheasant, grouse, wild turkey or really any game bird will do. You can even use the hearts, livers and kidneys from rabbits or squirrels.

The only caveat is that small birds like teal or quail are really not worth cleaning the gizzards from. I mean you can if you want, but you get only a smidge of meat. Mallards and geese are ideal, as are wild turkeys and pheasants.

And big game works, too. Grind heart meat and some liver and you’re in business. Or some leftover braised tongue, or even diced kidneys.

My method for cooking dirty rice is one of two I’ve seen throughout Cajun Country, which is basically anywhere south of Interstate 10 in Louisiana. The “fried rice” style, which I think is lighter and fluffier, and the “jambalaya style,” where you cook the giblets and vegetables first, add the uncooked rice, and then cook it all together. To me, that method is OK, but feels muddy and heavy. You do you.

(If you like jambalaya, here is my recipe for wild game jambalaya.)

Oh, and if you ever happen to be in New Orleans on a Saturday, make sure to visit Mother’s, which, arguably, has the best dirty rice in town. It’s legit.

A bowl of Cajun dirty rice
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4.83 from 23 votes

Cajun Dirty Rice

As I mentioned above, any sort of livers and naughty bits will work here. I normally use duck or goose giblets, but upland game bird giblets are excellent, as would ground deer liver and heart. The trick to good dirty rice, at least to me, is to get a succession of crusts on the bottom of the frying pan that you scrape away with a wooden spoon. Each crust adds a little more flavor; it's a technique you see a lot in Italian sugos, which are long-cooked pasta sauces.
Prep Time20 mins
Cook Time20 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Cajun
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 256kcal
Author: Hank Shaw

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice
  • 3 tablespoons duck fat, lard or vegetable oil
  • 1/2 to 1 cup livers from birds, or about 3 ounces deer liver
  • 1/2 to 1 pound of ground meat from gizzards and hearts or any other ground meat
  • Salt
  • 1 1/2 cups meat broth
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
  • 1 to 3 hot chiles anywhere from Tabasco to jalapeno, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 4 green onions. chopped

Instructions

  • Cook the rice as usual. Move the cooked rice to a sheet pan and lay it out to cool. You need to start with cool rice. And yes, you can do this step a day ahead if you want.
  • If you are using gizzards, clean them of grit and that silver membrane and either chop fine or grind in a meat grinder. A meat grinder is better, but not everyone has one. Alternately, you can use any ground meat. Either finely grind or finely chop the livers.
  • Heat the duck fat over medium-high heat and, when it is hot, add the ground gizzards and the chopped livers. Toss to coat in the fat and then let them sit a bit to develop a crust on the bottom of the pan. Stir only occasionally, as you want to develop a good crust. If your Cajun seasoning isn't salty, salt the meat now.
  • Pour about 1/4 cup of the broth into the pan and use it to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the onion, peppers, celery and garlic. Mix to combine and Cook for a solid 3 to 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft.
  • Sprinkle over the oregano and the Cajun seasoning and let a crust form on the bottom of the pan again. When it does, add the rest of the broth and the rice and mix to combine. Scrape the bottom of the pan again. When the liquid has almost totally evaporated, mix in the green onions. You're ready when the liquid has all evaporated. Serve hot.

Notes

Serve this on its own for a light dinner, or as a side dish to gumbo, or roast birds or venison.

Nutrition

Calories: 256kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 36mg | Potassium: 210mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 685IU | Vitamin C: 14.3mg | Calcium: 37mg | Iron: 1.1mg
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Filed Under: American Recipes, Recipe, Southern, Wild Game

Avatar for Hank Shaw

Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet's largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Comments

  1. Avatar for ShaneShane says

    June 14, 2022 at 2:07 pm

    Hank, recommendations on removing or replacing the garlic (one of my food sensitivities)?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      June 14, 2022 at 2:08 pm

      Shane: Easy. Leave it out! 😉

      Reply
  2. Avatar for Jared J HemmertJared J Hemmert says

    November 29, 2021 at 12:32 pm

    Making this tonight with pheasant giblets, so excited!!
    What is a good main dish to go with it that’s week night simple?

    Reply
    • Avatar for Hank ShawHank Shaw says

      December 3, 2021 at 8:37 am

      Jared: Maybe fried pheasant breasts? Or something grilled?

      Reply
  3. Avatar for Billy JoeBilly Joe says

    September 10, 2021 at 3:37 pm

    Best wild game dish I’ve ever made! My wife doesn’t eat wild game and after trying this dish she wanted seconds. Hank Shaw is the man, everything he does is too notch.

    Reply
  4. Avatar for AshleyAshley says

    September 8, 2021 at 3:17 pm

    Made this last fall with goose! Love dirty rice!

    Reply
  5. Avatar for Abby DavenportAbby Davenport says

    September 8, 2021 at 3:02 pm

    Love this recipe, it’s comfort food and a crowd pleaser!

    Reply
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Hi, my name is Hank Shaw. I am a James Beard Award-winning author and chef and I focus my energies on wild foods: Foraging, fishing, hunting. I write cookbooks as well as this website, have a website dedicated to the intersection of food and nature, and do a podcast, too. If it’s wild game, fish, or edible wild plants and mushrooms, you’ll find it here. Hope you enjoy the site!

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