Dirty Casserole–a Cajun-inspired one-pot meal featuring smoky sausage, tender chicken, and flavorful rice cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot.
Dirty Casserole
This delicious take on dirty rice is an easy Instant Pot one pot meal that my household loved. The onion, celery and bell pepper start off the recipe right by flavoring everything nicely. It has so much flavor from the smoked sausage and the cajun seasoning. The chicken thighs turn out super tender. Skyler said, “Mom, this chicken is so good!”
Recipe adapted from One Pot Chicken and Dirty Rice on Asili Glam.
Ingredients/Substitution Ideas
- Olive oil–or canola, vegetable
- Beef smoked sausage–or pork, kielbasa, andouille
- Onion–or shallot
- Celery
- Green bell pepper–or red pepper
- Garlic cloves
- Chicken broth–or water and Better than Bouillon chicken base
- Converted rice–or long grain white, basmati, jasmine
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs–fresh
- Smoked paprika
- Black pepper
- Dried parsley
- Cajun seasoning–I used the Smith’s brand
Steps
Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and swirl around. Add in the smoked sausage and brown for a couple minutes on each side.
Then add in the onion, celery and green pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
Sprinkle in the rice. Place the chicken on top. Sprinkle in the paprika, pepper, parsley and cajun seasoning.
Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 5 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
Stir. Scoop onto plates and serve.
Notes/Tips
- Serve with cornbread or biscuits and a side of coleslaw.
- Can I use chicken breasts instead of thighs? Yes, however they tend to dry out more than thighs.
- Try adding in a can of fire roasted tomatoes (on top of the rice).
- What is converted/parboiled rice? Don’t confuse converted rice (or sometimes it is called parboiled rice) with pre-cooked or minute rice. Parboiled rice has been processed in its husk by soaking, steaming, and drying. As a result, all the nutrients from the husk are absorbed into the grain before it’s removed. The starch content alters in the process, making cooked parboiled rice less sticky than regular white rice. The rice kernels aren’t clumpy and glued together instead they are more separated. I found a bag of parboiled rice at Walmart next to the normal long grain white rice. Sometimes I buy it at Winco in the bulk section. I have also found it in the orange box (Ben’s brand) next to other rices.
- I used my 6 quart Instant Pot*. You can also make this in a 3 or 8 quart pot.
- You can easily double or halve this recipe.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Other recipes you can make with cajun seasoning are Instant Pot Cajun Sausage, Potatoes and Green Beans and Instant Pot Cajun Chicken Pasta.
Did you know you can filter the recipes on my website to search by meat type, IP or Crockpot, low carb, gluten free, etc.? Use the filter to find exactly what you are looking for.
Dirty Casserole
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes (plus 10 minute NPR)
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
Description
A Cajun-inspired one-pot meal featuring smoky sausage, tender chicken, and flavorful rice cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 (12 oz) package beef smoked sausage, sliced into quarter inch rounds
- 1 cup diced onion
- 2 ribs of celery, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, cored and diced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup converted rice
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, each cut into 4 pieces
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 1 tsp cajun seasoning
Instructions
- Turn Instant Pot to saute setting. When display says HOT add in the oil and swirl around. Add in the smoked sausage and brown for a couple minutes on each side. Then add in the onion, celery and green pepper. Saute for 3 minutes. Add in the garlic and saute for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the broth and scrape bottom of pot so that nothing is sticking. Turn off Instant Pot.
- Sprinkle in the rice. Place the chicken on top. Sprinkle in the paprika, pepper, parsley and cajun seasoning.
- Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 5 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. Remove the lid.
- Stir. Scoop onto plates and serve.
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Instant Pot
More Instant Pot recipes with smoked sausage…
Holy Moly Casserole
Italian sausage, red potatoes, sweet corn, Rotel tomatoes, sour cream and cheddar make a flavorful dinner you will be wowed by! Make it fast in the Instant Pot.
Warm Piggy Casserole
Instant Pot kielbasa with carrots, cabbage, red potatoes and bacon. An easy one pot meal.
My Boo Soup
My Boo Soup–an Instant Pot or slow cooker smoky sausage and bacon soup with potatoes, beans, and kale, brightened up with a squeeze of lime. A simple and delicious soup. Save this on pinterest! My Boo Soup For Valentine’s Day I made this for my boo, Greg. I served it up with some rosemary bread.
Backcountry Casserole
A hearty and flavorful Instant Pot or slow cooker dish featuring smoked sausage, red potatoes, and sweet corn in a Cajun-spiced tomato sauce.
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Thank-you very much!!
can u do this recipe in the slow cooker?
The texture of the rice will be a little different than pressure-cooked, but still delicious.
Slow Cooker Version
Ingredients: Same as original.
Instructions:
In a skillet on the stove, heat the olive oil and brown the sliced sausage. Then sauté the onion, celery, and bell pepper for a few minutes until slightly softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the sausage and sautéed veggies to the slow cooker. Stir in the chicken broth and rice. Layer the chicken thighs on top. Sprinkle over the paprika, pepper, parsley, and Cajun seasoning.
Cover and cook on LOW for 4–5 hours or HIGH for 2–3 hours, until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through. Give it a gentle stir once or twice during the last hour if you can
Stir everything together before serving to mix the rice and chicken. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Converted rice (like Uncle Ben’s) is perfect for slow cooking because it doesn’t turn to mush. Don’t substitute with regular white rice unless you’re okay with a softer texture.