Instant Pot Dirty Rice Recipe

Taking a look at the ingredient list for chef and recipe developer Keith Kamikawa's recipe for Instant Pot dirty rice can be a bit intimidating. It's quite long, which means you're probably going to have to take a trip to the grocery store before you make this stuff. The good news is that the actual prep and cooking work is pretty easy, and better still, the finished dish is a genuine meal in a bowl, Kamikawa says.

And if you're wondering what's the story with the name here, don't overthink it. Kamikawa says: "The origin of the dirty rice name is just based on the way it looks. All of the seared meats and sautéd vegetables gives the rice a darker, 'dirtier' look."

This Instant Pot dirty rice is packed with protein, carbs, and veggies, so you don't have to worry about side dishes and such, and it's also so packed with flavor that you'll end up feeling it was more than worth the effort to gather all of those ingredients. And to chop and sauté and season and cook them, too. As long as you have an Instant Pot on hand, some measuring cups, and a good sharp knife, this recipe really is pretty easy to manage, and it's certainly worth the work. So let's get cooking!

Alright, ready to run through all of these ingredients? Then take deep breath, and here we go! 

You'll need some olive oil, pork sausage ("I used kielbasa," Kamikawa says), a yellow onion, a celery stalk, and half of a green and red bell pepper, all of diced small. Don't forget the minced garlic cloves, about four ounces of chopped chicken livers, some dried oregano, some dried thyme, some cayenne pepper, paprika, about two cups of chicken broth, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, bay leaves, about two and a half cups of long grain white rice ("we used basmati," the chef says). To finish it off, pick up scallions, chopped fresh parsley, and salt and pepper. And that's it!

A bit nervous about the livers there? Kamikawa says: "I totally understand being a bit intimidated by the chicken livers but would always recommend trying it with them first. Chicken liver is the most mild of mainstream livers and offers a wonderful earthy, rich flavor to the rice that any substitute won't bring. That being said, the most popular substitute for chicken liver is bacon. I mean, you can't go wrong with bacon. You could even add both the liver and the bacon, and I guarantee you won't be disappointed!"

Before you start cooking, you have a lot of chopping and measuring to do. So go ahead and chop up those veggies, slice the sausages and chicken livers, and measure out the spices and sauces.

Now, it's time to get cooking. Turn the Instant Pot to "sauté," and when it's hot, add the olive oil and sauté the pork sausage until it is mostly cooked through, then add the chopped chicken livers. Sauté those until they have browned.

Next add the onion, celery, and red and green bell peppers, and cook them until vegetables begin to soften, which will take about five minutes.

Once the veggies have softened, add the garlic, oregano, thyme, cayenne, paprika, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir in these seasonings well, and then add the Worcestershire and Tabasco and mix these two sauces in thoroughly.

Now add the rinsed rice (you did rinse the rice well, no?) and the chicken broth (or a veggie broth is fine if need be) into the pot, and mix everything together thoroughly, being sure to scrape any food that is stuck on the bottom of the Instant Pot loose and then stir it in. Now add the two bay leaves, but don't forget to remove them later.

Now it's time for the Instant Pot to shine. Or pressure cook, rather. Close and lock the Instant Pot's lid and cook on "manual" for eight minutes. Then release the pressure for 10 minutes naturally, and finally quick release any remaining pressure.

Next unlock the lid, discard the bay leaves, and add in the sliced scallions and chopped parsley. Finally fluff the rice and serve the meal, much to the joy of all. And for the record, while this meal does have a bit of spicy kick to it thanks to the cayenne and Tabasco, if you want some more heat, add some red pepper flakes along with the scallions and parsley. 

Looking to make a genuine feast? Kamikawa says: "Dirty rice can totally be a meal on its own, but it works wonderful when paired with other traditional Cajun dishes. Blackened fish, shrimp, or chicken with fresh lemon is amazing with dirty rice. Have a big bowl of gumbo and some grilled corn with your dirty rice. You can even stuff and bake bell peppers with it."