Dirty rice has been a favorite of mine for as long as I can remember, but as you can imagine most of the convenience food versions are full of sodium and a list of chemicals a mile long. That’s when I set out to make my own homemade dirty rice recipe that would bring all the flavor and none of the preservatives.
This recipe is simple enough for even beginners to make, and it tastes so good they’ll be asking for seconds. I worked hard to balance healthier options with the full flavor I have come to expect from really good dirty rice, and this is by far the best I’ve made.
Homemade Dirty Rice
Author: Michael Nolan
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey (or beef)
- 1 smoked sausage (beef, pork or turkey)
- olive oil
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 cups sweet peppers, coarsely chopped
- 1 Tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups cooked white rice
- 1 pint stewed or diced tomatoes (or fresh equivalent)
- ⅛ cup pickled jalapeno slices
- cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cut sausage into bite size pieces. In a large stock pot, brown ground turkey and sausage in olive oil over medium heat.
- When cooked through, add salt, pepper, chili powder and minced garlic. Stir and cover.
- Place coarsely chopped peppers and onion in a blender or food processor and pulse until finely minced.
- Add all ingredients except rice, reduce heat to low and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
- Stir in cooked rice, mix well and cover. Allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes to meld the flavors.
