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.
Lisa says
Made this for dinner tonight. SO good and full of flavor. The rice is amazing!
Carolyn says
I’ve made this dish several times and we LOVE it! It is time consuming but so worth it. I increased the amount of rice and chicken stock for my size family and it’s perfect (1 1/2 cups rice to 3 1/3 cups chicken stock)! Delicious recipe!
Paige says
I made this last night and it was soooo good. I didn’t have sausage and I forgot to garnish with parsley and scallions, but besides those thing I followed the recipe exactly and it was still fantastic. Can’t wait to make it again!
Lisa Anderson says
Great recipe
Although for time savings I used my favorite Cajun seasoning but it would not have affected the process or the end result and it was great. I did add a 1/2 bag of frozen peas at the end.
It is a 5 star recipe, actually it’s more than 5 stars and it’s been placed in my Great Recipe folder.
Jo Sandy says
Tried to day was amazing 😉
Annie says
This dish is awesome! I’ve probably made it 6 or 7 times since I discovered the recipe in November. Thank you! I personally like doubling the amount of sausage and Better than Bouillon mixed with water instead of chicken stock.
Annie says
Whoops, forgot to leave a rating! Easy 5/5
Ashley says
This was so good! I used chicken breasts, left out the jalapeño, and cooked in a cast iron skillet. I may reduce the broth about 1/2 cup next time, as there was a lot of liquid leftover When the rice was done. Will definitely be making again! 🖤
Linda Marra says
Can this be made a head of time. Or partially cooked and finished later.
The Chunky Chef says
Without further testing I truly can’t say for certain. I would think the marinade could be made and left on the chicken as it refrigerates overnight, but other than that you’d want to do all the sauteing and baking at once so you don’t lose that amazing flavor that sauteing things in the same pan adds.
Tammy says
ABSOLUTLY MY NEW FAVORITE RECIPE. Try it, you won’t be sorry. Soooo delicious. BIG hit with my guest.
Brandy says
One of my all time favorite recipes!!! So much so that this is the first time I have ever rated and commented on a recipe. I have made this about once a month for the past couple years and my family and dinner guests love it. I usually do not take the extra time to pre-marinate the chicken and it is still fantastic. Once when I was doing an elimination diet I substituted lentils for the rice and that was very flavorful as well. I was wanting to find some new recipes to put into the rotation and since I made this last night it prompted me to search your site for other recipes. Cannot wait to try the others I found. Thank you for sharing.
Steph says
It turned out perfect! I used a cast iron skillet, didn’t have chili flakes which is probably good because it was decently spicey as the listed ingredients. Delicious! Would definitely make it again!!
Chelsea W says
I love this dish and amazingly, my very picky, particular kids do too! I lowered the heat for our daughter’s sake but otherwise, kept everything the same. Tonight will be my 3rd time making this recipe in the past month so it’s definitely turned into a family favorite here! The ingredients list did intimidate me the first time. It was also one of the first times that I had cooked with a cast iron skillet so a lot of a “firsts” and nerves to go along with it. But I love how this turns out and that I only have one dish to clean up afterwards. My family’s only request is that we add more kielbasa sausage, which I am happy to oblige
Rachel Webb says
Delicious! I made it healthier by using turkey sausage and brown rice and cooked it in the insta pot. It came out perfect! Browned the turkey in the insta pot then transferred to a plate. Next browned boneless skinless chicken thighs then transferred to a plate. Last I sautéed the veggies. I added 1 cup brown rice and 1 1/4 cup chicken broth along with the veggies, chicken, and turkey and cooked for 22 minutes with a 10 minute natural release.
Dee says
I don’t eat pork. Do you have a recommendation for what to substitute the sausage with? Thanks!
The Chunky Chef says
You could try a beef chorizo 🙂
Meggan says
They make chicken andoille sausage. Al fresco, Gilbert’s and aidells (sp?) all make it! I get mine in the hot dog/kielbasa/smoked sausage section!
Margaret says
Dee, my husband had a heart attack a couple of years ago, so I use only turkey smoked sausage.
Danielle says
I make this all of the time and it’s always a hit. I use boneless skinless thighs and still make it per the recipe instructions and it’s delicious!
Lorri says
Yum! Loved it!
My hubby can’t do spicy so I left out the jalapeño, cayenne and red pepper flakes. I did add a green bell pepper and an additional andouille sausage and it tasted amazing! I also used skinless boneless chicken breasts.
Thanks so much for your wonderful recipes!! 😊
Love one pot dishes! 💕
Sarahclarkemodel says
This looks amazing but I am staying with friends and they only have drumsticks. Would they work as a thigh substitute? Excited to make! THANK YOU!
The Chunky Chef says
Yes, drumsticks should work just fine 🙂
Aaron Chiasson says
I have made this many times and absolutely love it. Want to make it for new bf, but she has a Rice intolerance any idea for a sub
The Chunky Chef says
So glad you love it! Quinoa, barley, bulgur, and couscous are common rice substitutions, but I’ve not tested them in this recipe, so I can’t say for certain if any adjustments would need to be made.
Marissa says
I’ve made this so many times now, with bone-in skin on thighs, boneless thighs, drumsticks, and even breast and its great with white rice brown rice and couscous.
It always turns out amazing. The recipe is perfect as written imo but very VERY easy to alter according to one’s tastes. And the instructions are super streamlined and easy to follow.
I ended up investing in an enameled dutch oven when I had a difficult time making sure the rice was properly sealed with a cast iron skillet so this recipe gets DOUBLE 5 stars for encouraging me to buy my favorite piece of kitchen equipment. Thank you for sharing!!
Kelley High says
I absolutely love this recipe. I go back to it again and again.
Stephanie says
Hi There – this looks insanely good. Is it possible for me to make this with skinless boneless chicken thighs? I read some of the other comments and see some folks suggested adding the the chicken breasts in after twenty minutes of cooking in the oven, which may makes sense for these thighs too. But would I still need to brown them in the beginning or would that dry them out? Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!
The Chunky Chef says
I’ve not tested it using boneless skinless thighs, but I think it would work well adding them after 20 minutes in the oven. I would still brown them first, just to give them extra flavor 🙂
Danielle says
I use boneless skinless thighs and just make it per the recipe and its delicious.