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This Easy Dirty Rice with Shrimp offers a fresh take on the traditional Cajun dish. The addition of shrimp turns this into a fabulous main dish. Easy to make and very flavorful!

This recipe turns a boring bowl of rice into a flavorful main dish. Just add some browned ground beef and “the trinity with the Pope” which is diced bell peppers, celery, onions and garlic. I think you will love this recipe!

The traditional Cajun “dirty” rice is a well loved Louisiana classic with as many different recipes as there are cooks. The classical version uses chopped chicken livers or gizzards which give it a distinctive dark color dubbing it “dirty” rice. I have added some ground beef and shrimp instead which makes this easy dirty rice with shrimp a great main dish for dinner or lunch.

Easy Dirty Rice with Shrimp - A healthy twist on a Cajun classic. The addition of shrimp turns this into a fabulous main dish. Easy to make and very flavorful!

It refrigerates well and it serves more than 4 depending on your appetite. This easy dirty rice with shrimp goes well with sriracha if you want to add some more spicy kick to it.

I am always looking for ways to use leftover rice and this recipe is perfect. You can use either leftover rice or cook rice as you prepare the rest of the dish.

Easy Dirty Rice with Shrimp - A healthy twist on a Cajun classic. The addition of shrimp turns this into a fabulous main dish. Easy to make and very flavorful!

How To Make Easy Dirty Rice with Shrimp

What you need

1 1/2 cup uncooked rice

1 bay leave

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp + 1/4 tsp cayenne, divided

1/8 tsp + 1/2 tsp paprika, divided

1/8 tsp + 1/2 tsp thyme, divided

1 lb medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 bell peppers (I used 1 green & 1 orange)

1 lb ground beef (or ground pork sausage)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 tsp cumin

2 scallions, chopped

Instructions

Cook brown rice according to package directions in water along with 1 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp cayenne, 1/8 tsp paprika and 1/8 tsp thyme.

When the rice is almost ready, heat oil  in a skillet over medium high heat, and cook shrimp until done, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Discard liquid from shrimp in the skillet, and heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, and bell peppers. Saute on medium heat until soft about 5 minutes. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, cumin, remaining cayenne, paprika and thyme. Add ground beef and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes until cooked through.

Add cooked rice and shrimp to the skillet, toss, cover and cook for a couple of minutes. Serve warm and sprinkle some scallions on top. Enjoy!

If you enjoyed this Dirty Rice with Shrimp recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!

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Easy Dirty Rice with Shrimp

Easy Dirty Rice with Shrimp – A healthy twist on a Cajun classic. The addition of shrimp turns this into a fabulous main dish. Easy to make and very flavorful!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6

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Ingredients  

Instructions 

  • Cook brown rice according to package directions in water along with 1 bay leaf, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp cayenne, 1/8 tsp paprika and 1/8 tsp thyme.
  • When the rice is almost ready, heat oil in a skillet over medium high heat, and cook shrimp until done, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
  • Discard liquid from shrimp in the skillet, and heat oil over medium high heat. Add onion, garlic, celery, and bell peppers. Saute on medium heat until soft about 5 minutes. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, cumin, remaining cayenne, paprika and thyme. Add ground beef and cook for about 10 – 15 minutes until cooked through.
  • Add cooked rice and shrimp to the skillet, toss, cover and cook for a couple of minutes. Serve warm and sprinkle some scallions on top. Enjoy!

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 268g | Calories: 406kcal | Carbohydrates: 42.2g | Protein: 43.3g | Fat: 6.2g | Saturated Fat: 1.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4.3g | Cholesterol: 216mg | Sodium: 522mg | Fiber: 2.2g | Sugar: 2.7g

Nutrition Disclaimer: Nutritional values are estimates and may vary with ingredients, brands, and portion sizes. For accuracy, use your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Disclaimer: The information provided in this recipe is for informational purposes only and should not be considered medical or nutritional advice. I am not a doctor or a dietitian. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized guidance regarding your diet or health. For more details, please read my full disclosure page.

Easy Dirty Rice with Shrimp - A healthy twist on a Cajun classic. The addition of shrimp turns this into a fabulous main dish. Easy to make and very flavorful!

Save This Recipe

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Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Delicious Meets Healthy.

About Neli Howard

Meet Neli Howard, the food blogger and recipe developer behind the food blog Delicious Meets Healthy. With over 12 years of cooking experience, Neli specializes in easy, wholesome recipes made with real ingredients and a lot of flavor. Her work has been featured in Forbes, MSN, Yahoo!, CNN, Healthline and more.

5 from 5 votes (1 rating without comment)

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8 Comments

  1. Tyler says:

    Do you drain the fat from ground beef?

    1. Andrew H says:

      5 stars
      The rice will probably absorb it. Personally, I would start the beef before the veg, wait for some fat to melt out, and save some oil by using the beef fat to cook the veg.

  2. Arielle says:

    5 stars
    This was so easy and delicious! Next time I’ll add a little more of the spices to make the flavor a little stronger next time. Otherwise easy and delicious, definitely will make again!

  3. Richa Gupta says:

    5 stars
    I just love anything with the combo of Shrimp and this looks delicious!

  4. MegUnprocessed says:

    I need to try this dirty rice. Love those flavors in it!

  5. Jersey Girl Cooks says:

    5 stars
    I make lots of shrimp dishes for dinner. Love this one!

  6. Shelby says:

    This sounds and looks really delicious! Because I am Keto I will sub the cauliflower rice. Thanks for the recipe!

  7. Linda Manns Linneman says:

    This meal sounds yummy. We love shrimp and rice at our house so this will be a hit. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe