Dirty Rice Casserole

This easy Dirty Rice Casserole is the perfect side dish or meal! Made with ground beef, pork, vegetables, rice, and a great mix of seasonings, it’s loaded with flavor.

Easy Dirty Rice Casserole Recipe

We absolutely love an all-in-one dish that can be served as a side or main meal and this dirty rice casserole fits the bill. It’s so easy to make and flavor packed with ground beef, pork, vegetables, chicken broth, and lots of seasonings including cajun spice.

What is Dirty Rice?

Dirty rice is a classic Louisiana Creole dish made with rice which develops a “dirty” color as it cooks from being combined with pork, beef, or chicken, onion, green bell pepper, celery, and spices.

Ingredients Needed

Besides the ground beef and pork, and vegetables, you’ll need just a few pantry staples for this rice recipe.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for details and measurements.)

• Ground Beef and Pork – Using lean ground beef and ground pork makes this rice dish extra hearty and filling.
• Vegetables – Diced green bell pepper, onion, celery, and minced garlic add flavor, texture, and aromatics.
• Dry long grain white rice – The dry white rice soaks up the liquid and seasonings as it bakes and becomes so flavorful. Avoid short-grain rice which will be way overcooked in this dish and turn to mush. See below for rice variations.
• Chicken broth – I use low sodium to control the salt level. Vegetable broth or beef broth can be used instead depending on what you have on hand or your flavor preference.
• Seasonings – Paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, dried thyme, cajun spice, salt, and pepper season the dish.

How to Make Dirty Rice Casserole

This side dish is so easy to make and is flavor-packed. Here’s a summary.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for details and measurements.)

1. Sauté the beef, pork, and vegetables. Add the ground beef and pork to a nonstick skillet. Brown the meats, breaking them up into small crumbles, cooking until no pink remains. Drain off the grease and transfer to a 9×13 baking dish coated with nonstick spray.
2. Cook the vegetables. In the same skillet, add the diced bell pepper, onion, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are tender. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
3. Add other ingredients. Stir in the uncooked rice and all the seasonings. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes.
4. Transfer to casserole dish. Transfer the rice and vegetable mixture to the baking dish with the cooked meat.
5. Add chicken broth. Pour the chicken broth over the meat and vegetable mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine.
6. Bake. Cover the baking dish tightly with foil and bake at 375F for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, stir, and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
7. Serve. Remove from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving and enjoy!

Tips and Substitutions

• Use a different protein. Substitute with ground turkey or ground chicken for a leaner option. Ground lamb or additional ground beef/turkey/chicken can be used in place of the pork, if preferred.
• Try a different rice. We prefer long-grain white rice for its fluffy texture and ability to not clump together. However, you can use basmati or jasmine rice for a similar result. Brown rice or wild rice can be used, but note that you might need to adjust the amount of liquid and cooking times since these varieties take longer to cook. Also note that wild rice will be chewier.
• Prevent the casserole from drying out. Ensure you have enough liquid (broth) in the mixture before baking, and cover the baking dish tightly with foil during the first half of the baking process to retain moisture.

Serving Suggestions

This is great as a side, but the added beef and pork make this rice dish quite hearty and filling and can be enjoyed all on its own. Whether you’re serving it as a side or main meal, though, it pairs great with cornbread, creamed spinach, coleslaw, or a simple green salad.

Make Ahead and Proper Storage

• Make ahead. You can assemble the casserole a day ahead and store it covered in the refrigerator. When you’re ready to eat, bake it according to the recipe instructions, adding a few extra minutes to the baking time if it’s cold from the fridge.
• Leftovers. Any leftover Dirty Rice Casserole should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can be kept for up to 3 days.
• To Reheat: Microwave portions on high for 1-2 minutes or heat the entire casserole in the oven at 350°F for 20-25 minutes until it’s warmed through. You may want to add a splash of water to the rice if it’s too dry after being stored.
• To Freeze: Store in the freezer in airtight, freezer-safe containers or resealable plastic bags. When ready to eat, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight. Once thawed, you can reheat it using the microwave or oven as above.

More Rice Recipes To Try:

• Mushroom Rice
• Spanish rice
• Rice Pilaf
• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Coconut Rice

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!

Dirty Rice Casserole

5 from 5 Ratings

This easy Dirty Rice Casserole is the perfect side dish or meal! Made with ground beef, pork, vegetables, rice, and a great mix of seasonings, it's loaded with flavor.

Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 6 to 8 as a side

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 pound ground pork
• 1 medium green bell pepper , seeded and diced
• 1 medium yellow onion , diced
• 2 stalks celery , diced
• 2 cloves garlic , minced
• 2 cups dry long grain white rice
• 4 & 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cajun spice
• salt and black pepper , to taste

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
• In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef and ground pork, breaking it up into tiny crumbles, until browned and no pink remains. Drain excess fat and transfer to the prepared baking dish.
• In the same skillet, add the bell pepper, onion, and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds.
• Stir in the rice, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and thyme. Cook and stir for another 2 minutes.
• Transfer the rice and vegetable mixture to the prepared baking dish with the cooked meat.
• Pour the chicken broth over the meat and rice/vegetable mixture. Season with a bit of salt and black pepper. Stir to combine.
• Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
• Remove the foil, stir, and continue baking for an additional 15-20 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
• Once done, remove from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Use a different protein. Substitute with ground turkey or ground chicken for a leaner option. Ground lamb or additional ground beef/turkey/chicken can be used in place of the pork, if preferred.

Swap the broth. Vegetable broth or beef broth can be used instead of chicken broth depending on what you have on hand or your flavor preference.

Try a different rice. We prefer long-grain white rice for its fluffy texture and ability to not clump together. However, you can use basmati or jasmine rice for a similar result. Brown rice or wild rice can be used, but note that you might need to adjust the amount of liquid and cooking times since these varieties take longer to cook. Also note that wild rice will be chewier.

Nutrition

Calories: 570kcal | Carbohydrates: 55g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 101mg | Sodium: 155mg | Potassium: 802mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 350IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 4mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

Other Notes

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Southern

Keyword: dirty rice, dirty rice casserole, dirty rice casserole recipe

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