This one pot chicken and dirty rice is a dish washing hater’s dream! The chicken is cooked on top of the rice for the most flavorful dish ever!
Amazing Cajun-style flavors collide in this one pot chicken and dirty rice! The crispy chicken, spicy andouille sausage and fluffy dirty rice… all made from scratch… make each bite a true explosion of flavor!
Sooooo, dishes. Who hates ’em? *raises hand* The amount of dishes I do on a weekly basis as I develop and test recipes out for the blog… man, it’s just astounding. And thankfully, my husband is ah-mazing and washes the dinner dishes for me (I cook, he washes), but even so, I just despise them. That’s the second reason why I love this one pot chicken and dirty rice SO much. All you have to clean is ONE pot (well, plus the plate and mixing bowl). Yay for less pans to wash!!!
The first reason why I love this one pot chicken and dirty rice so much… is the FLAVOR!! Yep, that deserves to be in all caps, because it’s. just. that. GOOD! Even the leftovers will knock your socks off. There really aren’t any surprise or secret ingredients to make it so good, it’s more about HOW it’s cooked. The chicken and andouille cook on top of the rice, which means all the delicious juices go right down into the rice. It’s like cooking the rice in a super concentrated chicken stock full of spices!
I used this cooking method from an amazing blogger, Nagi, from RecipeTin Eats, and just adapted it to these Cajun-style flavors!
If you’re worried about the spice, you can totally customize it to your tastes. Here’s how…
To Make it Hotter:
- Don’t take the seeds out of the jalapeno
- Add more than one jalapeno
- Use more cayenne and red pepper flakes
To Make it Milder:
- Use a green bell pepper instead of the jalapeno
- Use less cayenne and red pepper flakes
- Substitute regular smoked sausage for the andouille
This is one instance where I realllllly love using my enameled dutch oven. There will be baked on bits of food that will probably need soaking (which you can’t do with a regular cast iron), and it browns food like a dream. I don’t have a fancy LeCreuset or Staub, but use my trusty Lodge pan… it works like a champ! This is the one I have.
Give this one pot chicken and rice a chance this Fall… I really think you’ll love the Cajun-style flavors!! Simply put, you need this dish in your life!
Helpful Tools for This Recipe:
Lodge Enameled Cast Iron Braiser – This is my go-to pot for just about any dish like this… plus, cleanup is a dream!
Long Grain White Rice – I really like this brand!
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One Pot Chicken and Dirty Rice
Ingredients
- MARINADE:
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp dried minced onion
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- Tbsp enough olive oil to make a paste about 1
- REST OF DISH:
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 link of andouille sausage sliced into 1/4" slices
- 4 bone-in skin on chicken thighs
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- pinch of red pepper flakes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup DRY long-grain rice
- 2 1/4 cup chicken stock or broth
- Sliced green onions for garnish
- Minced fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
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Combine all marinade ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add chicken thighs and turn to coat. Set aside.
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Add drizzle of olive oil to dutch oven and heat over MED-HIGH heat. Brown andouille sausage on both sides, then transfer sausage to a plate.
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Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, to develop a nice crispy skin.
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Transfer chicken to plate with the sausage, and use a paper towel to wipe out any black bits from the pan. Brown bits and pan drippings are good to leave in though.
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Lower heat to MED-LOW and add in chopped onion, jalapeno and celery. Saute for about 2-3 minutes, until softened.
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Add cayenne, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper and stir.
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Add rice and chicken stock, give it a stir, and let simmer for 1 minute.
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Nestle chicken thighs and sausage on top of the rice (pour in the juices that are left on the plate as well). Return to a simmer, then cover.
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Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (covered).
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Remove cover and bake another 10-15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed into the rice.
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Garnish with sliced green onions and minced parsley!
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This is too funny! I have almost the SAME recipe in my drafts folder right now – BA HA HA!!! This looks absolutely delicious Amanda 🙂 I’m so honoured to be mentioned, thank you!N x
Lmao, that is hilarious!! Great minds right? 😉 Can’t wait to see your version! Thank you so much Nagi, your cooking method is just perfect 🙂
I seriously cannot get over how delicious this looks. Seriously unreal!
Jocelyn (Grandbaby cakes) recently posted…Brown Sugar Biscuit Apple Shortcakes
I am a weirdo and don’t mind dishes, lol. Everyone is floored I do not touch my dishwasher! But my hands sure hate me. I can definitely stand behind this meal if it will save me some time! Plus I know my family will love it!
Kacey @ The Cookie Writer recently posted…Jalapeno Popper Potato Poutine + Giveaway
The perfect weeknight dinner!! It looks incredible!!
Katerina @ diethood .com recently posted…Crock Pot Balsamic Chicken
I’m raising both hands! And seriously, you can just see the flavor in this dish, it looks incredible. Adding to my “dinner” bookmarks!
This dish looks seriously tasty. I love all that fluffy rice, sausage and chicken…in one pot! I’m lucky, my husband normally does the dishes after dinner so I know he’d appreciate this meal for more than one reason.
Renee – Kudos Kitchen recently posted…Savory German Bratwurst Strata with Pretzel Rolls
What a great looking dinner!!
Meg @ With Salt and Wit recently posted…Thai Style Peanut Chicken Cauliflower Rice Wraps
I cannot believe something this delicious can be made in just one pot!
Krista recently posted…Apple Cider Moscow Mule
This looks just perfect to me! Gosh, when it comes to dishes I sometimes feel like the huge pile in the sink is like a never ending story! I wash them, dry them and put them away and there it’s time to make another dish again lol!
Julia @ HappyFoods recently posted…Easy Homemade Apple Pie
Made this last nite and my bride gave it 10+ stars Would love to see more “One Pot” recipes. Thank you sooooooooooo much.
Hi Dave 🙂 I’m SO happy to hear that you both loved this dish!! I have some more one-pot style recipes in the works, so stay tuned 🙂
I use Nagi’s method as well!!! It really is the best isn’t it?!? And ummm this…this is gorgeous. the colors the textures! Everything is ridiculously stunning!
This looks so good! Thanks for the recipe! Do you think I could make this in a crock pot? Any suggestions for a crock pot version?
THANKS!
Hi Joelle 🙂 Thank you! I’ve never done it in the slow cooker, as it’s designed to be a one pot stovetop/oven meal… but it might work. What I would suggest is to brown the sausage and chicken, and cook onions and peppers as directed. Then move all the rice components, including the chicken stock, to the slow cooker. Lay the chicken thighs and sausage on top of the rice, cover and cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. I would check on the rice about halfway through cooking and see how it’s doing. If it’s dry, add a splash of chicken stock. You may have to play around with times, since all slow cookers are different and I didn’t develop and test this version myself 🙂 Good luck!
Has anyone tried making this dish in a different pot than the one she mentioned? Any success? I don’t have the one she uses.
Hi Yasmine 🙂 It doesn’t have to be the exact pot, you just want something that can go from the stovetop to the oven. If it doesn’t have a lid, you could even use foil to cover the pan 🙂
Could this be done in a crock pot, and if so how would you suggest doing it?
Hi Shannon 🙂 I’ve never done it in the slow cooker, as it’s designed to be a one pot stovetop/oven meal… but it might work. What I would suggest is to brown the sausage and chicken, and cook onions and peppers as directed. Then move all the rice components, including the chicken stock, to the slow cooker. Lay the chicken thighs and sausage on top of the rice, cover and cook on LOW for 2-3 hours. I would check on the rice about halfway through cooking and see how it’s doing. If it’s dry, add a splash of chicken stock. You may have to play around with times, since all slow cookers are different and I didn’t develop and test this version myself 🙂 Good luck!
This looks incredibly delicious!! I’m marinating the chicken now. My question is can it marinate overnight? Our friends surprised us by taking us out to dinner so I was going to make it tomorrow. Is that OK?
Hi Cheryl 🙂 I think it will be perfectly fine to marinate it overnight… just make sure it’s in an airtight bag or container in the refrigerator 🙂
Hello. I came across this on pinterest and happened to have all the ingredients on hand so I made it for dinner for my family last night. I doubled the recipe since I had 8 chicken thighs instead of 4. I have a large cast iron pot so everything fit in nicely. It came out awful. Not only did it take 40 minutes longer to cook than the recipe stated, if I hadn’t check on it and stirred the rice often ( I had to remove the chicken thighs, stir the rice, then replace the chicken) it would have all been uncooked instead of just some of the rice. The rice towards the bottom of the dish was mushy and the rice at the top was still uncooked. I went by the chicken internal temperature for my cooking time, and there was so much oil and grease that the partially cooked mostly mushy rice was inedible. The seasoning on the chicken was good, I think next time I will cook the chicken and rice separate.
Hi Mary 🙂 I’m sorry you didn’t have a great experience with this recipe… I know how frustrating that can be. However, I think the reason it didn’t turn out is that you doubled it… as I’ve used this method NUMEROUS times, with no problems, as have many others. Even if you have a larger pan, I think there’s just too much going on for it to cook as directed in the recipe, which is why it needed much longer to cook the chicken through. I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor though, and hope next time you can adapt things to your liking 🙂
Hi there
Made this twice (without the sausage) in the past 2weeks. Very tasty, easy and quick
I want to add (tail on) shrimp next time, when do you recommend I add it? I imagine I won’t have to precook it ?
Thanks!
Hi Arielli 🙂 I’m so happy that you’ve enjoyed the dish!! Shrimp would be a great addition… although I haven’t cooked it that way before, so I can’t say for certain, but I think when you take the lid off for the last 10 minutes of cooking would be a good time to add the shrimp, since they don’t take long to cook 🙂
It’s Arielli again. Thanks for the tip i’ll do that!
One more thing, not sure why I’m experiencing this on this recipe but I bookmarked this page and every time I load it, it takes me straight to the bottom of the page (btw I’m on an iPhone). I bookmarked other recipes on your blog and when I load them it takes me to the top of the page, as it should. Not sure if this is associated with the particular setup of this page or if others are experiencing the same issue.
Hi Arielli 🙂 You’re welcome! It’s because somehow when you bookmarked it, it saved it with your comment as part of the url… I’ve done this myself a few times on other websites.
I was planning to try this tonight. Based on the comments, do you recommend NOT doubling the recipe, or will it just take longer to cook? I have boneless, skinless thighs on hand. Could I use them instead or should i go to the store and get skin on bone in? Thanks!
Hi Stacey 🙂 Yes, you can use boneless skinless thighs, just put the chicken in the pan 20 minutes into the baking time (since it won’t need to cook as long without the bones). I can’t say for certain whether it can be doubled… as I’ve never done it, this meal is plenty for our family of 4. For the comment above, (without knowing the type of pan, if everything was followed correctly, type of rice used, etc), doubling it was the the only variable I could think of that would cause the recipe to turn out like she said it did. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Thank you! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious!! The boyfriend devoured it even before it had time to cool down. I cooked it on the stove top though because I don’t have any oven safe cooking pots yet. I also added a frozen pea, carrot and bean mix in for some extra veg. It worked wonderfully. Definitely saving this recipe!!
Hi Alissa 🙂 I’m SO happy to hear that you both loved it so much! I’m also glad to hear that you were able to adapt it to the stove-top 🙂
Delicious and easy
Hi Sandra 🙂 So happy to hear you enjoyed it!
This looks delicious!! Is that 1 link of sausage? thanks!
Hi Janet 🙂 Thank you! Yes, 1 link of sausage, unless you’d prefer more.
Made this for supper tonight. Doubled the recipe to feed my family. Instead of adding the chicken back into the pan, I put the rice and chicken into a baking dish. Cooked it for 10 mins longer than the recipe called for and it turned out fantastic. A bit spicy even though I didn’t at the jalapeño pepper. My step son had 3 servings!! We definitely will be making this again! Thank you for the delicious recipe!
Hi Sue 🙂 I’m so happy that you all loved this meal! Sounds like you made some great adaptations 🙂
Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs in this recipes? If so, how many?
Hi Ann 🙂 I’ve not made it with boneless chicken breasts, as we love the juicy flavor of the thighs… but I’m sure you could substitute breasts. I would do as many as you can comfortably fit in your pan, probably 3 or 4 (depending on their size). I hope you love it!
I made this for dinner tonight and it was FANTASTIC! My husband had seconds, which is saying something! I did omit the extra cayenne & red pepper that is added along with the rice, just because I wasn’t sure how hot the end product would turn out. It still had a small kick to it (coming from someone who does like spicy). Next time I’d add even more andouille. There will definitely be a next time!
Hi Will 🙂 I’m SO happy to hear that you both loved this dish!! Thanks for coming back to leave such a nice comment 🙂
What size of Dutch oven/enameled pan did you use?
Hi Sandra 🙂 I linked to the exact pan I used within the post as well as in the recipe itself, but in case you missed it… it’s this 3 quart braising pan http://amzn.to/2gpB9Sw
The chicken and dirty rice recipe is so good!!! My husband told me I could make that more often. 🙂
Thank you
Hi Janet 🙂 I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband loved this one pot dish as much as we do!!
After reading some of the requests and comments, I gave the recipe a try and made some changes to it that I thought worked fairly well. I do not have a crock pot as I have a flat surface stove and cast iron cookware doesn’t work that well for my environment. I do, however, have a 3.5qt large bottom ceramic non-stick covered pan that I use frequently for one-pot dishes, and some glass and ceramic bake-ware.
To accommodate my slightly different cooking arrangement, I made the following changes:
Increased rice to 1.5 cups
Increased chicken broth to 2.5 cups
Used 4 boneless chicken breasts cut into halves.
Follow the general instructions, with the following exceptions:
I browned the sausage and the chicken a little longer since they would not be baked as long
I slightly caramelized the onion mixture, since they wouldn’t be baked as long to further release the flavors
When you add the rice, do not add back the chicken and sausage yet. Leave the rice mixture in the pot, bring to a boil, and the reduce to a simmer. Cover promptly and leave alone for 18 minutes.
Bake the chicken and sausage at a reduced oven temp, say 275, while the rice is cooking.
After 18 minutes, check the rice for tenderness. You may need to had a 1/2 cup of broth for evaporation. (I did). Its ok if the rice is a little on the tough side as we are going to bake it for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and sausage from the oven and set to 350. While the oven is heating, turn off the stove, but leave the rice covered.
Transfer the rice mixture to a 13×9 oven safe dish (or similar volume). Sooth out the rice and arrange the chicken and sausage nicely on the top.
Bake for 15 minutes, and then garnish.
I made no other changes to the ingredients. I must say this is a very tasty dish! My hats off to the Chef!
For those who wish to increase the volume, adjust your broth to rice ratio accordingly. Also adjust the spices slightly to account. You may wish to use the stove top method described above as it gives better control of the cooking of the rice.
Hi Paul 🙂 I’m SO happy you enjoyed this dish and were able to make some changes to make it work for you and your home 🙂
I made this the other night and it was a hit! I did attempt a different version as I used brown rice, which I usually make in the rice pot. I did try cooking it on the stove top a few minutes longer and in the oven longer but the rice still had a “bite” to it. Lesson learned. I’ll use the white rice next time.
Hi Lisa 🙂 I’m so happy this recipe was a hit!! Brown rice can certainly be tricky to substitute, glad you enjoyed it anyway!
Wow!!! This recipe rocks!! It is now going on my family’s rotation. I used 6 chicken breast halves instead and it was so good. Everyone was raving! I have been so bored with my cooking lately and this livened everything up. Thank you! 🙂
This was delicious! My husband and I loved it. Just need a quick clarification: On step 10, adding the rice and chicken stock, it says to let simmer for one minute. Since the pan was on med-low, there wasn’t really any simmering. I kept it at one minute and everything cooked all the way through, but I was wondering if I should have let it come to a simmer, then gone on to step 11. Thanks!
Hi Jamie 🙂 I’m so glad you both loved it! My pan retains heat very well, so mine had no problem simmering, but that will vary with different pans and burners. I think what you did was just fine 🙂
Made this tonight and the whole family loved it. I used boneless, skinless chicken breast and brown rice. I added 1/2 cup more broth since I was using brown rice and cut the cooking time down to 20 minutes covered and 15 uncovered. Also cut the cayenne pepper in half. This is definitely a keeper in our house. Thanks for sharing!
Hi Shelly 🙂 I’m so glad you all loved it!! Great ways to adapt it to your family’s tastes 🙂
I’m not a fan of chicken thighs, but I would love to use chicken breasts, or even wings. What would I have to change in this recipe to make that happen?
Hi Brandon 🙂 Not sure about the wings, although a few other readers have successfully substituted chicken breasts (boneless)! I would think reducing the cooking time to 20-25 minutes covered and 10-15 minutes uncovered should work for the boneless chicken breasts 🙂
Found this via Pinterest, and wow, it looks incredibly delicious and I need it in my life now!
Just had this dish……Outstanding…I added some sausage and crimini mushrooms…Thank you so much….The flavors just popped…I went for the heat.
What are you thoughts on using pork chops in place of the chicken? I’m going to give it a try as it’s the exact style of recipe I’m looking for!
Hi Jana 🙂 I’ve never done it, but I think it would work well!
Making this for a fourth time for tonight’s dinner! Soo delicious. I wonder if adding a can of red beans to this recipe along with the rice would work? My husband’s idea actually.
Hi Genevieve 🙂 I’m SO happy that you all love the recipe! Ooooh I think adding a drained can of red beans would be a fantastic addition 🙂
You are awesome! THANK YOU for the quick response! I’m browning my chicken as I type. I follow you on FB. I posted a pic once of this recipe before. Can’t wait to try it with the beans! Love your recipes! 💜 Genevieve Martin SA, TX
You’re welcome!!! I thought your name sounded familiar… thanks for sharing your pic 😀 Thanks for being such a loyal reader 😀
Awesome recipe. Today was the first time I made it. I did cook 8 thighs but the only thing that I did different was when the recipe called for adding the chicken to the rice I opted to grill it while rice and sausage cooked. It turned out fantastic. Will be making this again! Thank you!
Hi, I am also a fan of Nagi and have made both of her recipes for Thighs and Rice. I wish I could find a recipe where I could make her dishes and yours all on the stove top without having to use the oven.. Can this recipe work just on top of the stove, and if so, what do I have to do modify it. Thanks for
the recipe and I am most sure that Nagi appreciated your comment.
Hi Scott 🙂 Here’s how I would adapt this for a stovetop only version:
Cook the chicken completely on the stove, set it aside and cook the rice on the stove (reduce the liquid by 1/2 cup). Just follow the recipe directions up to the point just before putting it in the oven. Instead of doing that, put the lid on and cook on medium low until the liquid is absorbed (about 12 – 15 minutes). When the rice is almost ready, put the chicken back on top of the rice and put the lid on to warm up, and finish cooking the rice.
Made this for the first time a few weeks ago, and I can honestly say that I think it’s one of the best meals I’ve ever cooked (and I’m 50 years old and no slouch in the kitchen!) Even my food-sensitive and very picky autistic son came back for seconds. Luckily, spicy is something he likes – I kept the seeds in the jalapeno, and increased the cayenne & red pepper flakes. 🙂 I made it in a 5 qt enameled dutch oven, and it was perfect. I think for the summer I’m going to grill the chicken (I marinated overnight and the flavors were wonderful) and the sausage, just to give it some extra smoky flavor.
Thank you!!
Any chance you have the nutritional values for this recipe?
Hi there 🙂 As I’m not a nutritionist and don’t want to pass on any inadvertently false information, I don’t provide full nutrition information for my recipes. I’ve had several readers contact me to say that they use http://www.myfitnesspal.com/recipe/calculator to calculate the information for themselves 🙂
Tried this last night-this recipe is delicious!
My husband still won’t stop raving about it. Apparently it’s made it into his *Top 5 Recipes of All-Time.*
Love it! Thanks so much for sharing. 🙂
Hi Eva 🙂 I’m SO happy to hear you both loved the dish!!
Awesome!!!!! This dish is every thing it says….it delivers! Spicy Yes! If you don’t care for spicy then follow the directions to tone it down. It would be a great dish even with out the spice. Hand Up Awesome
Hi Tracy 🙂 I’m SO happy that you all loved it, it’s definitely one of our favorites 🙂
OMG this dish is so awesome!!! Making this for the second time tonight and im excited!! I used boneless thighs because it is what i have on hand, but WOW the flavors here are impeccable!! Thank you for this wondeful dish!
I have madr this before and everyone loves it. I was sitting thinking abaout what tonight’s dinner would be and thought about this. I think I’m going to add in some sauteed shrimp at the last minute and roasted brocolli on the side. Thanks for a delicious and quick meal!!
I made it just like the directions. With a few exceptions. I used more water towards the end to keep the rice from drying out. I did not bake it. Just used a cover on my pampered chef pan. My chicken was boneless skinless thigh meat. I used chicken base instead of broth. Still so flavorful. I will make this again and highly recommend it.