Cajun-Style Dirty Rice
This Cajun-Style 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!
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories369
- Carbs45g
- Protein11g
- Fat2g
- Saturates1g
- Sugars3g
Your dishes
You’re amazing, look at the Cajun-Style Dirty Rice dishes you’ve made…
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-Style 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-Style Dirty Rice suitable for?
This Cajun-Style 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-Style 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.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Cajun-Style Dirty Rice?
There isn’t anything special you need to make this Cajun-Style 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-Style 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-Style 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!
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‘This dish has become a firm family favourite! Ultimate comfort food without the calories’
How many calories are in this Cajun-Style Dirty Rice?
Each portion of this Cajun-Style 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-Style 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-Style Dirty Rice is cooked?
Once the Cajun-Style 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-Style 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-Style 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-Style 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-Style Dirty Rice
This Cajun-Style 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
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
Looking for Slimming World Syns or Weight Watchers (WW) Points?
With ever-changing plans and point calculations, we have made the decision to remove WW Points from the website - referring to your individual plan or advice from your consultant is always going to give the most accurate results.
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145 comments
See what others have to say
GemmaTuesday 4th February 2020
I added 1 tsp of paprika and 1 tsp of garlic granules, fond it gives it some extra flavour.
Lovely recipe, thank you!
Holly LevellTuesday 12th May 2020
Hi Gemma, thanks so much for your suggestions! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
MichelleSunday 2nd February 2020
I’m currently making this and while I’m waiting for the carrots to cook, the peppers and mushrooms are getting really over cooked. Have I missed something in the instructions? Thank you.
Holly LevellTuesday 26th May 2020
Hi Michelle, I have edited the recipe to state all the vegetables should be diced and roughly the same size. This means they cook at similar rates the vegetables should still have a slight bite to them and shouldn’t be overcooked. Hope that helps
AmiMonday 20th January 2020
Does this recipe use 5% extra lean beef mince? When I put the nutritional info above into my ww calculator is comes out at 11sp for the green plan. Thanks
Holly LevellTuesday 26th May 2020
Hi Ami, We have double checked this recipe and the WW points are as follows 9 Purple, 9 Green and 9 Blue. It could be how you have inputted ingredients check out out hand guide which 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/
Jane BatteyTuesday 14th January 2020
This is the first recipe I’ve made from this site and it was amazing! Hubby is taking leftovers for lunch tomorrow and fussy teenager wolfed it down. I used beef mince, frozen peas, sweetcorn instead of yellow and green peppers but kept the red. Absolutely delicious meal that I’ll definitely make again.
Sharon FitzpatrickMonday 11th May 2020
Hi Jane, thanks so much for your great comment. We’re really pleased to hear your first recipe went down so well and thanks for letting us know!
shereeFriday 3rd January 2020
We all love this food! But fund it very salty. Think the combination of bacon and 2 stock cubes that’s used makes it very salty. Think next time I’ll just boil the rice in normal water.
Holly LevellTuesday 26th May 2020
Hi Sheree, so sorry you found the Cajun Dirty Rice too salty for your taste. You could try reduced salt stock pots and see if that helps!
KristinaTuesday 31st December 2019
Hiya
not sure if I’m being stupid but what is the beef stock for? The recipe says pop into 200ml boiling water then nothing…
Holly LevellTuesday 12th May 2020
Hi Kristina, add the beef stock along with the carrots, mushrooms, peppers in step 5 and cook until the peppers start to soften. The stock will reduce down and be absorbed by the vegetables and rice giving a real depth of flavour to the Cajun Dirty Rice.
JolitaThursday 19th December 2019
I’m trying to follow this recipe, but what do you do with the water in step 2? Thanks
Holly LevellTuesday 12th May 2020
Hi Jolita, the beef stock as added along with the carrots, mushrooms, peppers in step 5 hope that helps!
ClaireThursday 12th September 2019
I prepped the meat and veg part of this recipe and when cooled, I froze half without the rice. Later that day at mealtime I cooked the rice and added it to the pan. I’ll do the same when I eat the frozen portion. 2 meals and no worry about reheating the rice. Perfect!!
Emma TFriday 13th September 2019
Hi Claire,
So glad you enjoyed it!
Helen KirbySaturday 31st August 2019
A friend cooked this while we were staying with her – there is only me at home who will eat this – the recipe in the book suggests it can be frozen. I have never frozen rice before. I understand it needs to be cooled as quickly as possible etc. etc. but how do you reheat this? many thanks! Helen
Emma TMonday 23rd September 2019
Hi Helen,
Defrost the rice and then reheat in a microwave for 5-6 minutes until piping hot. For more information, please see this NHS page regarding the safe reheating of rice:
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/can-reheating-rice-cause-food-poisoning/
Hope that helps!
Clairea45Saturday 31st August 2019
Something I have done is to batch cook the meat mixture and then freeze it in portion sized bags until I need it. Defrosting, warming back up and then adding the rice and spring onions takes away the worry of reheating the rice.
Emma TMonday 23rd September 2019
Hi Claire,
This is a great idea! Here are some NHS guidelines on how to safely reheat rice:
https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/food-and-diet/can-reheating-rice-cause-food-poisoning/
Tracey MclellanFriday 2nd August 2019
Tried this recipe after a friend recommended it. We love it. And have it on a regular basis now. I swap before minced Turkey sometimes then use chicken stock instead of beef. We keep the rest for lunch at work next day. Yum yum. Bought your book. All recipes I’ve tried have been a complete success. Cant recommend enough. Thanks , Tracey x
Emma TTuesday 24th September 2019
Sounds delish! So glad you enjoyed it!
Kevin WalshTuesday 11th June 2019
Hi, how long do you think this would last in the fridge?
Emma TThursday 20th June 2019
Hi Kevin,
It should last a couple of days in the fridge – the NHS website has some useful info about storing food ????
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-store-food-and-leftovers/
Joan WilshawSunday 9th June 2019
Hi, I’m vegetarian , can I make this without the bacon, using quern or vegi mince?
Emma TThursday 20th June 2019
Hi Joan,
Yes! I’m sure it would be delish! ????
LindsayFriday 31st May 2019
Can I make this in my Instant Pot? How??
Emma TMonday 3rd June 2019
Hi Lindsay,
We’ve not made this in the Instant Pot – as it’s pretty quick to make on the hob, I’m not sure it would be suitable to cook in a pressure cooker ????
StaceFriday 17th May 2019
Could you do this in a slow cooker please?
Emma TMonday 3rd June 2019
Hi Stace,
We’ve not tried it in the slow cooker – I suspect the rice would end up a bit too soft so it’s probably a recipe to stick to the hob to make!
Dawn DriscollTuesday 12th February 2019
I cooked the full recipe a few weeks ago for my husband and I and loved it, I froze the rest and we are planning on eating it tomorrow evening. How would you recommend reheating it? Thanks Dawn ????
normaThursday 31st January 2019
1Cook the rice according to the packet instructions, adding a Bayleaf and chicken stock cube to the water before cooking. Set the rice aside once cooked.
2Add the stock pot to the water 200ml of boiling water and set aside (this isn’t the water that you cook the rice in – this is separate)
So what do we do with this 200ml and stock cube if we don’t cook the rice in it. i have a senior moment !!
Louise PearceMonday 28th January 2019
I made this but added some cayenne, paprika and black pepper as well as fresh coriander during and after cooking. It’s very tasty ????
DebbieSunday 27th January 2019
This is absolutely delicious. Did get a bit confused with when to add the beef stock as not in the instructions but read the comments and found out to add at stage 5. I used wholegrain easy cook basmati rice to be extra good. This dish is so tasty. Will definitely be making again and again ????
KateThursday 3rd January 2019
Hi guys! Came to this page following a suggestion that you could make it in an actifry. Can you explain how you would do that please. Thanks so much!
IngridTuesday 11th December 2018
Any ideas how to convert this recipe for a tefal actifry, I’ve just been given one and want to use it for the first time
HannahSunday 21st October 2018
Hi there, looking forward to trying this however my partner can’t eat rice and a bit worried about freezing this. Would I be able to make a Double portion, fridge and reheat the next day?
HannahMonday 22nd October 2018
Thanks so much for your reply. The recipes all look delicious! X
JulieMonday 1st October 2018
Just cooked this for dinner tonight, first time in a while and omg I remember how tasty this is , why o why did I leave it so long .. so looking forward to your recipe book x
leanneThursday 13th September 2018
I am rubbish at cooking rice can i use boil in the bag rice or not ? PS : Literally cant wait for your cookbook !!!! xx
Geraint DaviesSaturday 8th September 2018
In the method, no.2. It says put the stockpot in a pan of 200ml of boiling water and put aside in the recipe it doesn’t say what to do with it
MLJTuesday 31st July 2018
Hi,
I made this tonight, absolutely bloody lovely????. Even got a thumbs up from a fussy 15 year old. Thanks for your beautiful recipes ????
Ann LavertySaturday 2nd June 2018
Made this for tea tonlght using mince pork absolutely delicious thanks for recipe will do it again
CathyThursday 31st May 2018
Totally delicious ????
Annette ReidMonday 21st May 2018
Could this be re-warmed in a saucepan? Going camping soon and wanted to make this to take with me x
Iinda douganFriday 4th May 2018
Hi I’m going to try this soon is it plain white rice that you use thanks x
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