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!
Everyone loves a great one pot meal. Anytime you can lessen the amount of dishes that need washed, it’s a huge win. That’s the second reason why I love this one pot chicken and dirty rice SO much.
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 really 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.
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!
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @the_chunky_chef on Facebook and Instagram!
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
- enough olive oil to make a paste about 1 Tbsp, but this will vary from person to person
- 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
- Combine all marinade ingredients in a medium sized mixing bowl. Add chicken thighs and turn to coat. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- 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.
- Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and sear for 2-3 minutes per side, to develop a nice crispy skin.
- 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.
- Lower heat to MED-LOW and add in chopped onion, jalapeno and celery. Saute for about 2-3 minutes, until softened.
- Add cayenne, red pepper flakes and salt and pepper and stir.
- Add rice and chicken stock, give it a stir, and let simmer for 1 minute.
- 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.
- Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (covered).
- Remove cover and bake another 10-15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed into the rice.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and minced parsley!
Want to save this recipe for later? Click the heart in the bottom right corner to save to your own recipe box!
Video
Nutrition Disclaimer
The Chunky Chef is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Rachel M Baer says
Oh ya, this is a keeper! Made this last night. Didn’t have smoked sausage, but it didn’t matter. Used green pepper, onion, and mushroom for the veges. So easy, and unbelievable flavors!!! DELISH!! Hub loved it too.
Beverley Moore says
I made this dish Saturday night and its absolutely delicious and so easy to make, my husband can’t wait for me to make it again. However, I can’t find Andouille sausage anywhere so used Chorizo which was tasty.
Brittany says
Delicious! I halved the recipe and it was so good. Simple, not time consuming but. packed with flavor! Seldom do I leave reviews, so obviously it was that good!
Caroline says
This was delicious! I love this recipe because it is the best blueprint I have for other one pot chicken dinners and has guided me through my own variations. Thank you, thank you! xo
Tracy says
I was searching for an easy meal for my Christmas Le Creuset dutch oven (thank you, Santa!) and found this on Pinterest (thank you, Pinterest!)….and I am over.the.moon. in gourmand heaven right now. I followed your recipe exactly (except for the dried red pepper flakes and jalapeño, as I’m a little timid when it comes to heat) and OMG this was SOOOO Flavorful, so satisfying, such a perfect meal for a frigid, cold day. My family loved it, I loved it – and I loved cooking it – and I just wanna say Thank You for sharing this. It’s a definite keeper and repeater here. ✨❤️✨
Laura says
I have doubled this recipe and it worked perfectly and it was so delicious. I am making it again (doubled) this Saturday..it will perfectly for our family, boyfriends & girlfriends of our kids. Going downtown to our tree lighting ceremony then back here for dinner and tree trimming. This dinner is easy and the whole pot of chicken and rice will feed our crowd and all I have to do is make a veggie and we are all done and off to decorate our tree! Thanks for this tasty recipe!
Old Bob says
I recently retired but the wife still works so I have moved beyond my outdoor smoker and started cooking in the actual kitchen! Every week I give my wife a few options that I find online and let her pick one. This one has become her (our) favorite! She works from home and the smell in the afternoon gives her something to look forward to. I just wish I could do more chicken in the same pot but I fear it just wouldn’t be the same. Time to start on the Andouille, later…….
Kristina Gilchrist says
I made this dish tonight for my family. It was a hit! And only one pan to wash, Even better! We like spice in my house. I used chilli peppers from my garden instead of jalapeños and I marinaded the chicken over night. This was an easy dish to prepare on a weeknight. Thanks for sharing!
ECM says
I made this dish tonight after drooling over the photos for the last two days. Made it exactly as listed and MAN, I was not disappointed! Very flavorful. This was a big hit with hubby too, and not just because there was only one pot to clean afterwards. He commented several times how much he liked it. We will absolutely be adding this one to our regular rotation. Thanks for the inspiration!
Monica says
This was so good. Left out the jalapeno peppers and used bell peppers and fresh garlic instead. Also cut down on calories using skinless thighs and chicken tenders. I had a wild rice and quinoa blend on hand so used that. I loved this dish. Full of flavor..will make again using shrimp!
Michelle says
Made this today. Used two jalapeños. Was delicious!!!
ADavis says
Hello! So i am making this this evening and wanting to make sure mine doesnt turn out horrible like the one lady whose did. i am going to use a cast iro pot and i am going to double it as well but do you have any suggestions for making sure its cooked thoroughly in a cast iron skillet?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi there 🙂 I don’t normally double it for my family, so I can’t say for certain, but I think you’re making a great choice with the cast iron pan. Cook it as directed, but check it towards the end and see how the rice is cooking. It may need a bit more time since the amount is doubled. Hope you love it!
Laura says
I have doubled this recipe and it worked perfectly and it was so delicious. I am making it again (doubled) this Saturday..it will perfectly for our family, boyfriends & girlfriends of our kids. Going downtown to our tree lighting ceremony then back here for dinner and tree trimming. This dinner is easy and the whole pot of chicken and rice will feed our crowd and all I have to do is make a veggie and we are all done and off to decorate our tree! Thanks for this tasty recipe!
Avery Smith says
Can you do this recipe in a wok
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Avery, I wouldn’t recommend it, since I think the uneven depth of the pan would make for parts of the rice being cooked and parts being crunchy.
Lizzie says
Didn’t read through all the comments but curious as to why/how some couldn’t double it. I double it all the time and it cooks in the same amount of time (I use a bigger pot so I can have the chicken in one layer).
Most rice recipes use 1c of uncooked rice so when I want more, I cook 2c. Just adjust the liquid. For those who don’t know, for 1c of rice, use 2c of liquid (so 2c of rice use 4c of liquid).
You might need to adjust by 1/4-1/3c depending on whatever else you have in the dish. But that almost always works for me.
Brian Chan says
Can I cook this in a crock pot? This looks amazing! I’m gonna try this very soon.
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Brian 🙂 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!
Kendall Clark says
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.
Tiffany says
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!!
Rachel says
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!
Tracy Johnston says
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
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Tracy 🙂 I’m SO happy that you all loved it, it’s definitely one of our favorites 🙂
Eva says
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. 🙂
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Eva 🙂 I’m SO happy to hear you both loved the dish!!