Cajun Dirty Rice
This Cajun Dirty Rice is our new and improved, slimming friendly version of one of our most popular recipes this year! You could call this… "Filthy" Rice!
Also in these categories:
NutritionPer Serving
- Calories369
- Carbs45g
- Protein11g
- Fat2g
- Saturates1g
- Sugars3g
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
Thousands of you have loved making our Dirty Rice, and we’re inundated with questions about it each week. One of the most frequently asked questions, is “can I use beef mince with it, rather than pork?”.
You can, but we think that the combination of flavours needed to be adjusted ever so slightly. So here we are, this is Cajun Dirty Rice, using beef mince.
We’ve used a variety of colourful, crunchy veg for some added texture, but you can use whatever vegetables you like. You could use baby corn, courgette, celery, broccoli or even cauliflower!
What diets is this Cajun Dirty Rice suitable for?
This Cajun Dirty Rice recipe is suitable if you’re gluten free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten free versions;
- Stock pots/cubes
- Worcestershire sauce
You could also enjoy this Cajun Dirty Rice if you’re dairy free.
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
How Weight Watchers friendly is this Cajun Dirty Rice recipe?
- You need to count 9 Points per portion of this Cajun Dirty Rice recipe if you’re on WW Green.
- You need to count 9 Points per portion of this Cajun Dirty Rice recipe if you’re on WW Blue.
- You need to count 9 Points per portion of this Cajun Dirty Rice recipe if you’re on WW Purple.
This recipe is just 9 Points per portion for those following the WW plan, a huge saving on takeaway fried rice dishes!
Do you need any special ingredients to make Cajun Dirty Rice?
There isn’t anything special you need to make this Cajun Dirty Rice, though you will need some Cajun seasoning.
There are different options available in most supermarkets. We used the Tesco version which was pretty mild, but you should probably taste yours and adjust the amount you add to your tastes!
Like your Cajun Dirty Rice a little milder, or want to feed it to the little ones? Then cut down on the Cajun, and add it little by little.
If you forgot to pick up some Cajun spice mix at the shops, we also have instructions of how to make your own here.
You can also remove the fat and tails from back bacon rather than buying bacon medallions. Trim it off with scissors before cooking so that the fat doesn’t make it into the dish!
Can you cook Cajun Dirty Rice another way?
This dish doesn’t take long and works best in a pan on the hob. We wouldn’t recommend the slow cooker or pressure cooker for this one!
How many calories are in this Cajun Dirty Rice?
Each portion of this Cajun Dirty Rice is only 369 calories, This means it falls into our Everyday Light recipe category. You can find all of our other Everyday Light recipes here.
This recipe is great if you’re following a calorie controlled diet, and fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. If your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, adding a bay leaf and chicken stock cube to the water before cooking. Set the rice aside once cooked
Step 2
Add the stock pot to 200ml of boiling water and set aside (this isn’t the water that you cook the rice in – this is separate)
Step 3
Spray a frying pan with low calorie cooking spray, then cook the mince, onions and bacon until brown
Step 4
Add the Cajun seasoning and Worcestershire sauce and stir
Step 5
Add the carrots, mushrooms, peppers and the made up beef stock. Cook until the peppers start to soften
Step 6
Add the cooked rice and spring onion and stir until all the rice is coated
Step 7
Taste and add some more Cajun seasoning if it’s not spicy enough
What should you should serve with this Cajun Dirty Rice?
This dish works well as a meal in itself, but if you’d like to serve it with something how about one of these options?
Whatever accompaniment you choose, don’t forget to account for the extra calories and/or other nutritional values!
How do you know when Cajun Dirty Rice is cooked?
Once the Cajun Dirty Rice is cooked there won’t be any excess liquid and the vegetables will have softened.
The dish takes a total of around 30 minutes to cook on the hob.
Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.
How long can you keep Cajun Dirty Rice in the fridge?
As we all know you can get food poisoning from eating reheated rice, but, it’s not actually the reheating that can cause issues, it is, in fact, the way that the rice has been stored beforehand where the problem begins.
Rice can contain spores that are resistant to heat and can survive the cooking process.
If cooked rice is left standing at room temperature these spores can grow into bacteria. At this point, the bacteria can be destroyed by reheating the rice thoroughly.
You should remember to do the following if you’re going to keep leftover rice:
- Cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within one hour) then put it in the fridge immediately. You can split larger portions up into smaller batches to cool quicker.
- Reheat and use any leftover rice (stored in the fridge) within one day.
- When you reheat any rice, always check it is steaming hot all the way through.
- Don’t reheat cooked rice more than once.
Can I freeze this Cajun Dirty Rice?
As when keeping rice in the fridge, make sure to do the following if you plan to freeze it:
- Cool the rice as quickly as possible (ideally within one hour) then freeze it immediately. You can split larger portions up into smaller batches to cool quicker.
- Freeze as soon as the rice is cold.
- When you reheat any rice, always check it is steaming hot all the way through.
- Don’t reheat cooked rice more than once.
How do I reheat Cajun Dirty Rice?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
For more information about reheating rice please take a look at the NHS website.
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Cajun Dirty Rice
This Cajun Dirty Rice is our new and improved, slimming friendly version of one of our most popular recipes ever! You could call this… “Filthy” Rice!
-
Prep Time
10 MINS
-
Cook Time
30 MINS
- KCals 369
- Carbs 45G
- WW Points:
- Updating soon
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, adding a bay leaf and chicken stock cube to the water before cooking. Set the rice aside once cooked
- Add the stock pot to 200ml of boiling water and set aside (this isn't the water that you cook the rice in - this is separate)
- Spray a frying pan with low calorie cooking spray, then cook the mince, onions and bacon until brown
- Add the Cajun seasoning and Worcestershire sauce and stir
- Add the carrots, mushrooms, peppers, and the made up beef stock. Cook until the peppers start to soften
- Add the cooked rice and spring onion and stir until all the rice is coated
- Taste and add some more Cajun seasoning if it's not spicy enough
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139 comments
See what others have to say
KateMonday 15th November 2021
I have made this dish so many times and it is so tasty. I habe frozen some this time. Can I defrost it in the microwave and then heat it up?
HollyTuesday 16th November 2021
Hey Kate, yes you can use the defrost function on the microwave but the rice must always be defrosted before reheating. Hope that helps!
Valerie ScottSaturday 28th August 2021
Bacon disagrees with me. Can I use smoked ham instead? Thanks
HollyTuesday 31st August 2021
Hey Valerie, yes you can substitute the bacon for smoked ham if you prefer, hope that helps!
Eguolo OmonighoTuesday 29th June 2021
How much does one serving weigh and is the calories by serving?
HollyTuesday 29th June 2021
Hey, the calories and nutritional information is per serving of the recipe. We work out our recipes on the serving size not by weight. To work out your own weight of a serving you would need to make the finished dish and divide servings, as the weight will vary due to variation of ingredients and water content it’s not something we can do as an exact measure. If you scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page on the website there is a little arrow by servings and you can alter up or down to serve more or less people. Hope that helps!
Helen HaywoodWednesday 26th May 2021
I don’t have any cajun seasoning, what can I use for an alternative please
HollyThursday 27th May 2021
Hey Helen, have a look at THIS article it talks you through how to make some popular spice blends including cajun, hope that helps!
Eileen CaseySaturday 20th March 2021
Hi the 5% steak mince I use is a 500g pack, I dry fry it first and drain it before adding the other ingredients, and the mince then weighs 350g
HollyWednesday 31st March 2021
Hi Eileen, mince will lose weight after it’s cooked for this recipe we use 500g raw beef mince before cooking so that is correct, hope that helps!
Pamela HeathcoteMonday 2nd August 2021
I’m a bit confused. You mention raw pork but the recipe states beef. I think I’d prefer pork . Will it make any difference to calories please?
HollyTuesday 3rd August 2021
Hey Pamela, sorry for the confusion I’ve now updated my previous comment. Yes you can use pork instead of the beef and alter the calories accordingly, hope that helps!
Eileen CaseySaturday 20th March 2021
Hi why is it that, this exact same recipe in the 1st PON cookbook comes out to 291 calories, and this version comes out to 369 cals and yet the recipes and yet the ingredients are identical
I’ve made it several times, and add my ingredients through Neutracheck to get the total calories
HollyWednesday 31st March 2021
Hey Eileen, The book went to print to the best of our knowledge and calculations. However, it is always the case that books have corrections and errors on a first print. Once any typos, spelling errors or calorie calculations are found, these are submitted to our publisher so that the corrections can be made for reprints, so the most recent print of the book will always be the most correct. In this case the calories are correct on the website. Thanks for your message.
Kirstie EnsorSaturday 20th February 2021
Can I use a beef stock cube or
Does it have to be a stock pot
Thank you
HollyFriday 12th March 2021
Hi Kirstie, you can use a stock cube instead of a stock pot, the stock pots bring a much richer and intense flavour to the finished recipe. Hope that helps!
LCWednesday 3rd February 2021
If I’m using microwavable basmati rice can you let me know how many grams to use please? Thanks! L x
LisaThursday 4th February 2021
Hi!
Do you mean the ready cooked frozen rice?
As a rule of thumb, 50g of raw rice is equivalent to around 125g of cooked rice, although this can vary a little depending on the type of rice you use and how long you cook it for. Hope this helps!
DeniseThursday 17th December 2020
How many calories would you roughly think it’d be per portion if I didn’t use bacon and substituted the meat for quoin, also would you add anything else to make up for the taste?
HollyFriday 18th December 2020
Hi Denise, have a look at our guide HERE on how we work out points and calories for our recipes this will help you work out the calories with your alterations for this recipe. The flavour should be fine without the bacon but have a taste and if you think it needs a little more add some extra Worcestershire sauce hope that helps!
Lisa JohnsonThursday 10th December 2020
Anybody made this with cooked rice and if so what do I need to take out or add?
HollyMonday 14th December 2020
Hi Lisa, if you are using cooked rice follow the recipe from step 2 and add your cooked rice in step 6. You may want to add the chicken stock cube to the stockpot and boiling water so you don’t miss out on the flavour. Hope that helps!
LouiseWednesday 18th November 2020
Can this be made in a slow cooker?
HollyThursday 19th November 2020
Hi Louise, I wouldn’t recommend cooking the Cajun Dirty Rice in the slow cooker. Whenever I make this recipe at home I always freeze a couple of extra portions and then when I need a quick meal it’s ready for me in the freezer. Hope that helps!
Lou BeattieWednesday 9th September 2020
Could this be eaten cold, won’t have access to a micro when I return to work?
LisaWednesday 9th September 2020
Hi Lou
This is delicious cold, but we would always advise following NHS guidelines in regards to storing cooked rice. You can find them here.
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/can-reheating-rice-cause-food-poisoning/#:~:text=Ideally%2C%20serve%20rice%20as%20soon%20as%20it%20has%20been%20cooked.&text=Keep%20rice%20in%20the%20fridge,reheat%20rice%20more%20than%20once.
Colin SmithSunday 23rd August 2020
I’ve made this with beef, pork & beef, Pork, & chicken mince it’s fantastic with what ever mince you decide to use I also add 2 cloves of garlic & sometimes 1/4 of a red chilli for some extra heat, it’s great to freeze & eat later. The whole family loves it
LisaMonday 24th August 2020
Thanks for your comments, Colin. Its a great dish and really adaptable! Glad you enjoyed it!
VickiSaturday 20th June 2020
Do you know the WW points if turkey mince is used instead of beef?
Holly LevellSaturday 20th June 2020
Hi Vicki, we have a handy article on how we work out the calories and points for all our recipes which should help! https://pinchofnom.com/how-to-work-out-calories-and-points-in-a-recipe/
JenFriday 19th June 2020
Another firm favourite! We have this even when we’re not watching our weight. However despite it serving four we do scoff it all between the two of us!!!
Holly LevellSaturday 20th June 2020
Hey Jen, so glad you liked the Cajun Dirty Rice! It’s one of my favourites to!
TinaThursday 18th June 2020
Could you please clarify why this recipe is 369 cals but your books states 291 cal, thanks
Holly LevellSaturday 20th June 2020
Hi Tina, this recipe has been updated for all future print runs of our book. The correct calories are 369 kcal as it appears on the website. Hope that helps!
CarysSunday 7th June 2020
Is the recipe right to say 2 tsp of cajun seasoning?
Steve CowderoyMonday 8th June 2020
Hi Carys, thanks for getting in touch with us, yes 2 tsp in this recipe, if this is to spicy you can reduce the amount or add more if you prefer more heat. Hope this helps.
JaeWednesday 27th May 2020
Is the 200g of rice the uncooked or cooked weight? I usually use a microwaveable pack which is 200g cooked. So I’m unsure if I am using to little? Thanks
SharonThursday 28th May 2020
Hi Jae, the 200g of rice is the uncooked weight. Thanks for your question and hope you enjoy this recipe.
GraceTuesday 26th May 2020
Is there anyway to work our protein/fat/carb per serving?
Holly LevellTuesday 26th May 2020
Hey Grace, if you click on any of our recipes on the website there is a little nutritional information table at the start of the page which states the basics for each recipe calories, carbs, protein etc We also have this guide that shows you how to work out calories and points in a recipe: https://pinchofnom.com/how-to-work-out-calories-and-points-in-a-recipe/ Hope that helps!
Janita CookWednesday 20th May 2020
No indication of when the bay leaf goes in and why theres chicken and beef stock?
Janita CookWednesday 20th May 2020
Sorry just discovered in with rice
Sharon FitzpatrickThursday 21st May 2020
Thanks Janita, glad it’s all sorted now.
Sharon FitzpatrickThursday 21st May 2020
Hi Janita, thanks for your question and yes, you’re right, the bay leaf is added to the rice in step 1. The chicken stock cube is used in the water used to cook the rice and the beef stockpot is used when cooking the beef. Hope you enjoy this recipe.
Helen LudlowWednesday 2nd December 2020
The ingredients state chicken stockpot whereas the method states chicken stock cube – which is correct or does it not matter.
HollyThursday 3rd December 2020
Hi Helen, thanks for pointing that out I have now amended the recipe. The Cajun Dirty Rice uses 1 chicken stock cube and 1 beef stock pot. The chicken stock cube is used to cook the rice and the beef stock pot is made up with water and added in step 5. Hope that helps!
JodieThursday 14th May 2020
No indication of where u use or add the beef stock?x
Holly LevellThursday 14th May 2020
Hi Jodie, add the beef stock in step 5 along with the carrots, mushrooms and peppers hope that helps!
KarenTuesday 7th April 2020
I don’t have spring onions could I use shallots
Sharon FitzpatrickThursday 7th May 2020
Hi Karen, we wouldn’t really recommended using shallots, as this recipe already has onions in it, and shallots are very similar. To add a similar flavour and colour to spring onions, you could stir in some chopped fresh chives just before serving. Hope this helps and thanks for getting in touch.
EllenSunday 5th April 2020
Could this be done with cauliflower rice? Husband is watching his carbs…..
Steve CowderoyMonday 11th May 2020
Hi Ellen, thanks for getting in touch with us, i think this would work well using cauliflower rice. Please let us know how you get on with this.
AshleeTuesday 3rd March 2020
How many grams are in one portion?
Thanks
Steve CowderoyFriday 8th May 2020
Hi Ashlee, thanks for getting in touch with us. This recipe works out at 306g per portion based on it serving 4 people. Hope this helps.
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