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!
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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.
Jessica Ferrante says
Made this last week when I hosted a Monday night Football Game. It came out delicious!!! Can’t thank you enough for sharing this fabulous recipe. One of my hardest critics commented “this is the best”.
Aaron McBride says
This was a great recipe! Very easy to make. We did a little twist on it because we do a lot of freezer meals. We had some shredded chicken with celery and carrots in the freezer, as well as some home mode Chicken/Vegetable stock. We substituted the sausage with bacon and followed the rest of the steps of the recipe before adding our shredded chicken. Then to top it off we added some caramelized onions and mushrooms. I made it a little heavy on the spicy side, so next time we won’t add jalapenos with the seeds.
My whole family liked it, which is a big deal, because with 4 children under 11 years old, we have quite a few that are picky eaters. Look forward to trying other of the recipe’s you have shared!
Wmom23 says
Tried this last night. I made a few changes, so this isn’t a review of this recipe, per se, but for the general idea. Instead of making a spice mix for the rub, I just used Badia Cajun seasonings mix. After browning the chicken, I tasted a little of the spice, and I found it quite spicy, so I left out the jalapeno pepper AND all the other seasonings. This made this a very easy dish to prepare. I also had 9, yes 9 chicken thighs. So I doubled the rice and used 2 cans chicken stock (which is about 4c). It came out really yummy, and the family said that it was a winner. Not a weeknight meal for me (due to the 45m of cooking AFTER the ~30 prep), but maybe on a Sunday and have leftovers for the rest of the week.
Dee says
So this dish is cooked in a pot but in the oven? Is that correct?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Dee 🙂 Yes, you’re correct. Starts on the stovetop, finishes in the oven.
Gracie says
This recipe looks amazing! Unfortunately my dorm room doesn’t have an oven, only a stovetop. Do you know if/how the recipe can be adjusted to be made completely on the stove?
Thank u so much! I look forward to trying this
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Gracie 🙂 I’ve never tested it, but here’s how I think it could work. Complete through step 12 of the recipe. Instead of baking it in step 13, cook on Medium Low on the stovetop for about 15-20 minutes, or until liquid is reabsorbed and chicken is cooked through. I’d probably use skinless chicken thighs, since the stovetop method won’t get the skin on the regular thighs crispy. Hope you love it!
Gracie says
Thank you so much! I’ll be trying this out later this week 🙂
Mike says
What happens on steps 2 and 12?
The Chunky Chef says
The recipe card populates those images as steps, when they’re really not. They’re just showcasing the written steps.
Tan says
Hi I wanted to know could you use skinless chicken breast for this recipe instead of chicken thighs?
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Tan 🙂 Chicken breasts won’t be as tender or juicy, but if you wanted to use them I would skip adding the chicken before baking. Go ahead and add the sausage on top of the rice mixture and bake it covered for 20 minutes. Then add your chicken on top of the rice mixture, re-cover, and continue baking for the rest of the 15 minutes. Then uncover and bake as directed.
Latania Dillon says
Can you use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, absolutely! They may cook a little faster though.
Robert DeCuir says
Thank you for posting the One Pot Chicken and Dirty Rice recipe which I plan on making this evening. I do have a question regarding salt content: the recipe calls for “salt and pepper to taste” which doesn’t really help me out. I am using a custom blended sausage that is exclusively produced for a local eatery, “The Jambalaya Shoppe” which doesn’t have a strong salt presence and with locally grown rice, I will add approx. 1 teaspoon of salt to the rice, chicken stock is a low salt version as well. Would you recommend an additional amount for the remaining mixture?
Thank you for your time and consideration, Bobby
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Bobby 🙂 I say salt and pepper to taste, as everyone’s sausage will have different salt contents, and people have different tastes in regards to how salty their food is. I would add the 1 tsp, and when it’s finished cooking, taste some and see if you think it should be saltier. If so, add more.
Static says
Is the one cup of rice in this recipe a rice cup or a standard measuring cup size?
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, all the measurements are standard sizes
Seema Patel says
I made this for my extended family 5 adults, 4 kids (2 of which are fussy eaters), EVERYONE loved it!! We will definitely be making this again! Thank you for such a wonderful, well thought out recipe…so much flavor, so much fun and a perfect one pot dish that impresses the guests!
Note: We followed the recipe as is except that we added yellow bell peppers (cut into large squares) and some prawns!
Cindy says
Hi I’m ok olanning on making this for dinner tomorrow but I had one question. Do I fry the rice or I just add it? Hope it turns out great like everyone has said. Thank you
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Cindy 🙂 No need to fry the rice, although you certainly could… but cooking just as the directions state will result in fluffy rice in the end.
Julia says
Looks AMAZING! Can’t wait to make this, especially after reading all the glowing comments! I was wondering if you could freeze this meal??
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Julia 🙂 I’ve never tried to freeze the recipe, so I can’t say for certain if it would work.
Robert DeCuir says
While I haven’t made this yet, I am impressed with your great photos and your video detailing the steps and the order to take them in. Living here on the Gulf Coast AND the southern portion of Louisiana, its always interesting on reading someone else’s take on preparing an Acadian dish such as this. Too often food dishes here in Louisiana are believed to have robust flavors based upon too heavy of a peppered seasoning and not a mingling of flavors as you have put together. I for one look forward to your version. Thanks for posting it, Bobby
Neva says
This was so easy, and so, SO good. I like my food salty as heck so I added extra salt. At first I thought the chicken by itself was a tiny bit bland, but then when I took a bite of everything together it was PERFECT. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
William T Bennett says
Mahalo Nui Loa for the Chicken and Dirty Rice recipe. It’s fantastic!
Marcella says
I love this recipe and am making it for the 2nd time tonight! Can you tell me if the calories listed are per serving? Do you have any other nutritional info you can share? I’m currently tracking my points and it would be so helpful!
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Marcella 🙂 I’m so happy to hear you love the recipe!! Yes, the calories listed are per serving, and I don’t provide other nutritional information as I’m not a nutritionist and would hate to inadvertently give anyone false information. If you’re following weight watchers, I would input the recipe into the recipe builder on weight watcher’s website and it will tell you the point value 🙂 Also, hop on over to my healthy recipes site if you’d like, I provide point values for all my recipes there http://www.smartskinnyrecipes.com
Heidi says
I don’t usually comment online but I had to because my husband and I have made this twice in two weeks and we absolutely love it!! The cooking time was a bit longer for us–I think because we used long grain brown rice, so we adjusted the second time around. And I’ll put smoked paprika in anything that calls for spice so we did that too 🙂 A really delicious recipe, thank you for posting!
Laura says
I received an enamel pot like this at my bridal shower, nearly 8 years ago and have never used it. Mine is much deeper though, and I’m wondering if this will work for this recipe. I don’t cook much, but it’s one of my goals this year.
The Chunky Chef says
I think it should work just fine, or you can use any oven safe skillet you have. Alternatively, you could make the recipe through step 10, then transfer the rice mixture to a 13×9 baking dish, nestle the chicken on top of the rice, cover with foil and bake as directed 🙂
Cheri V. says
Hi. I am wondering if all but the baking can be done ahead of time.
The Chunky Chef says
Hi Cheri, I’ve never tried that before, so I can’t say for sure.