I’m excited to share with you my recipe for Instant Pot Dirty Rice! You will find many different ways to make dirty rice, but my version has ground sausage, ground beef, and a combination of savory spices that make this recipe incredibly tasty!
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It’s a really easy recipe that makes a perfect side dish for many meals. It can even stand on its own as a main meal since it has rice and beef in it. Either way, it’s so flavorful and delicious!
What is Dirty Rice?
Dirty Rice is a comforting dish from Louisiana. It is traditionally made with rice, ground sausage, ground beef or chicken livers, chopped fresh veggies, and cajun spices. It’s called dirty rice because the rice looks “dirty” when cooked with the chicken livers or sausage.
In an effort to keep things easy I came up with this Instant Pot version of Dirty Rice. It has most of the traditional ingredients and all of the flavor but it’s easier than making it on the stove!
What Ingredients Do I Need for Instant Pot Dirty Rice?
This Instant Pot Dirty Rice recipe is very easy but it does require some prep in the form of chopping fresh veggies. All the ingredients for this recipe are simple and you probably have most of them on hand. Below you will find the full list of what you’ll need.
- Ground Pork Sausage: You’ll need one pound of ground pork sausage. You can buy mild or spicy depending on your preference.
- Ground Beef: You will need one pound of ground beef. I like using ground sirloin that’s 90/10, this way I don’t have to drain any excess fat.
- Yellow Onion, Green Bell Peppers, and Celery: You will need to dice one large yellow onion, two stalks of celery, and one green bell pepper. I suggest you chop them finely.
- Jalapeño: You will use one, seeded and finely chopped, jalapeño. I have found that one doesn’t make the dish too spicy at all, but you can always half it.
- Garlic: You’ll need to mince four garlic cloves for this recipe. You can use pre-minced garlic if you have. I always have a jar of minced garlic on hand to save time.
- Better than Bouillon: This stuff is awesome! You will need some Roasted Beef flavored Better than Bouillon. I always have several flavors on hand because they are so good.
- Spices and Bay Leaves: You will need pepper and you’ll also be using some Creole seasoning. I usually use Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. There is no extra salt in this recipe since the Creole seasoning and the Better than Bouillon are both salty enough. You will also need a couple of bay leaves.
- Long-grain white rice: You’ll also need 2 cups of rinsed long grain white rice. You’ll want to rinse it until the water runs clear. I almost always use Jasmine rice, but other long-grain rice will work.
- Unsalted Chicken Stock: Finally, you’ll need two cups of unsalted chicken stock. This chicken stock is my go-to for most recipes.
That’s it! All simple ingredients!
Substitutions for This Instant Pot Dirty Rice Recipe
I always get questions about substituting certain items in recipes. Below are the questions that you may ask me so I’ve gone ahead and answered them for you. If you have any other questions, feel free to leave them in the comments.
Can I leave out the ground pork?
If you don’t have ground pork or you don’t eat pork, feel free to use both parts ground beef instead. The pork does give this dish a particular flavor, but it will still be delicious without it.
Can I leave out the jalapeños?
You can leave out the jalapeños if you don’t want it to be spicy at all. If you want just a little bit of a kick, then you can cut the amount of jalapeños in half. I’ve made it with half the amount and the full amount and we prefer the full amount here in our home. Even my little one loves it, but you know your tastes better than I do!
Do I have to use unsalted chicken stock?
I always get asked why I use unsalted chicken stock. I use it so I can control the amount of salt in our food. By using the unsalted stock, I can decide how salty the dish will be by adding just the right amount of salt. And yes, I recommend using chicken stock in this dish, even though it’s beef and sausage. The reason for that is that store-bought chicken stock is much more flavorful than store-bought beef broth.
What Can I Serve With Dirty Rice?
Dirty Rice can certainly be a meal that stands on its own. After all, it has rice, ground beef, and ground sausage. That said, you can also serve it as a side dish.
In our home, when we make gumbo, we like to make a pot of Instant Pot Dirty Rice to eat alongside. A few of my kids like it inside the gumbo, but I like to eat it in a separate bowl. You can also serve this rice with blackened chicken or fish.
Essential Items
Here are some essential prep tools, utensils, and appliances I used to make this recipe.
Featured Items
Here is a list of the products featured in this post or products similar to those featured in this post:
- 8-Quart Instant Pot Duo Plus
- Wooden Utensils
- Measuring Spoons
- 2-Cup Liquid Measuring Cup
- Large Liquid Measuring Cup
23 Must-Have Electric Pressure Cooker Accessories
Make sure to check out my Ultimate List of Electric Pressure Cooker Accessories! I’ve included everything you could ever need to help make your pressure cooking quicker, easier, and even more convenient.
How To Make Dirty Rice in the Instant Pot
Here’s a step by step for the recipe. If you’re well versed in using your Instant Pot, you can skip this part and go straight to the recipe.
Step 1: Prep the Veggies
You’ll need to start by chopping all your fresh veggies. I recommend you chop them finely.
Step 2: Sauté the Ground Pork and Beef
You’ll need to set your Instant Pot to ‘Sauté’ and adjust the heat level to “More” using the “Adjust” button. Once the display reads “Hot”, you can put your ground pork in and break it up into small pieces with a spatula. Next, add the ground beef and break it apart as well. Cook the beef and pork sausage until they are browned. This usually takes about 8 to 10 minutes.
Step 3: Add the Diced Veggies and Seasonings
Now, it’s time to add all your chopped veggies to the pot. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and jalapeño. You will also add the Better than Bouillon, the cajun seasoning, and pepper at this point. Stir everything together and continue to cook until the onions and peppers soften up. This will take about 2 to 3 minutes. You can now cancel out of ‘Sauté’.
Step 4: Add the Rice & Chicken Stock
Now, add the rice and chicken stock to the pot. Give everything a gentle stir and deglaze the bottom of the pot while doing it. Use a wooden spoon, or similar, to scrape the pot and remove anything stuck to the bottom. When you’re done deglazing, add the two bay leaves by laying them on top of the mixture. You will remove these after cooking.
Step 5: Cook the Dirty Rice
Close your pot and set it to ‘Sealing’. Set the cook time by pressing “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” and then using the “+” and “-” buttons to adjust the time 3 minutes. Using the “Pressure” button, ensure that the pot is set to cook on “High Pressure”. Once the cooking time is finished, you will allow for a 10-minute Natural Pressure Release – the digital display will read “L0:10”. Once the 10 minute NPR is up, release the remaining pressure, and when the pin drops, open the pot.
Step 6: Fluff the Rice
Make sure to remove the bay leaves. You can fluff the rice with a fork and top it with chopped green onions if you’d like.
Serve and Enjoy a Bowl of Dirty Rice!
Look at that! In about 30 minutes you’ll be enjoying one of the most delicious and comforting cajun side dishes that you can make in your pressure cooker. And your family is going to absolutely love this recipe! This dirty rice is perfect served with just about any meat including chicken, beef, pork, and fish. It is the perfect pair to a seafood gumbo or other cajun inspired dishes.
Did you make this Instant Pot Dirty Rice? In my opinion, this is the best Instant Pot Dirty Rice recipe out there! Please, let me know in the comments when you try it if you agree.
More rice recipes that you may enjoy:
Looking for even more Cajun recipes to make in the Instant Pot? If you want to try your hand at a few other Cajun recipes in your pressure cooker, check out my recipes for Instant Pot Cajun Shrimp Alfredo or Instant Pot Cajun Pasta.
And I definitely recommend you try my Cajun Creamed Corn. It’s an easy stovetop recipe you will love!
Need a main meal to go with this side dish? If you’re looking for a perfect meal to enjoy with this recipe, then try my Simple Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs. They’re so delicious and a perfect complement to this Instant Pot Dirty Rice!
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Instant Pot Dirty Rice
RICE, GROUND PORK, AND GROUND BEEF WITH DICED VEGETABLES AND CREOLE SEASONING
Essential Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork sausage
- 1 pound ground beef
for the Veggies
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 1 green bell pepper(s) diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper(s) seeded and finely chopped, optional
for the Herbs & Spices
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ tablespoons Better than Bouillon Roasted Beef flavor
- 1 ½ tablespoons creole seasoning I prefer Tony Cachere’s
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
for the Stock & Rice
- 2 cups unsalted chicken stock I prefer Kitchen Basics
- 2 cups long grain white rice rinsed until water runs clear
- 2 bay leaves
optional Garnish
- 2 green onion(s) chopped
Instructions
prepare the Ground Pork & Ground Beef
- Set to Sauté: Set the Instant Pot to ‘Sauté’, use the ‘Adjust’ button to set the heat level to ‘More’, and allow the pot to heat up.
- Cook the Ground Pork & Beef: As soon as the digital display reads ‘Hot’, add the ground pork to the pot and separate it into small pieces using a large spatula or spoon. Next, add the ground beef and cook both the pork and beef together, breaking them apart into smaller and smaller pieces as they cook. Continue until they are cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the Veggies, Herbs & Spices: Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, jalapeno, garlic, Better than Bouillon, creole seasoning, and pepper. Mix the veggies and seasonings into the meat and cook until the onions and peppers are soft. About 2 to 3 minutes.
- Cancel Sauté: Cancel out of the Sauté function.
add the Chicken Stock & Rice
- Add the rice and chicken stock to the pot and give all the ingredients a good stir, mixing the rice into the meat and vegetables while fully deglazing the bottom of the pot. Finally, add the 2 bay leaves.
set the Cook Time
- 3-Minute Cook Time: Close the Instant Pot and set the pressure release valve to ‘Sealing’ and then set the pot to cook on ‘Manual’ / ‘Pressure Cook’, ‘High Pressure’ for 3 minutes.
- 10-Minute NPR: Once the cook time has completed, allow for a 10 minute NPR (natural pressure release). Release any remaining pressure after the ten minute NPR has completed.
Fluff & Serve
- Open the pot, remove the bay leaves, fluff with a large spoon, serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Notes
Deglaze the liner: If you do not deglaze the bottom of the liner after cooking the ground pork and ground beef, the pot may not come to pressure which will prevent the rice from fully cooking. So, once you’ve added the chicken stock to the pot after cooking the meat, fully deglaze the liner by scraping off any bits stuck to the bottom.
followed this to the T and it was amazing thankyou for having this recipe
Hi Rick! So happy you loved it! Thanks for stopping by!
Any advice for doing it in a crock pot or on the stove top? I don’t have an instant pot. This recipe looks delicious and my family would love it.
Hi Meggan! I, unfortunately, don’t have a stovetop or slow cooker recipe for this but will add it to my list for this year! Thanks for stopping by!
The flavor is amazing. But we had issues with our instant pot “burn” while coming to pressure. I had to end it before it came to pressure.
We did all the measurements exact…any thoughts?
Hi Debbie! Glad you liked the flavor. As far as the burn message it could be a number of things. Newer pots than mine seem to be a lot more sensitive and will give the burn message more easily. It could also be that there were bits of sausage stuck to the bottom, which is why it’s very important to deglaze when you add the liquid. I hope you were able to cook it through and enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by!
Thank you! Your recipe & pics are awesome..makes it so easy to follow. I’m making this tonight & I can’t wait to try it!!
Hi Andrea! Thank you so much for your kind words! Hope you enjoyed it!
I generally prefer Long Grain Brown Rice over White or Jasmine. Any reason not to make this substitution?
Hi! You can make it with brown rice, but brown rice takes longer to cook than white. It would still be delicious! I haven’t tried this recipe with brown rice, but when I make brown rice alone, I cook it for 22 minutes. Hope this helps!