Tex-Mex Dirty Rice

“Dirty” rice gets dirty with the addition of meat—ground pork or beef, sausage, even chicken liver in Cajun country. I wanted to give this dish a little Tex-Mex flair, so I went with Mexican chorizo and included both spicy chile and mild bell pepper, as well as onion and a couple savory spices.

Top it off with creamy avocado and sharp cheddar cheese for an easy, simple dinner loaded with flavor—without any fuss.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb Mexican chorizo
• 2 jalapeno chiles, thinly sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
• sea salt
• 1/2 tsp chile powder
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
• chopped avocado, shredded cheddar cheese, and lime wedges for serving

Prepared Vegetables and Garlic

Preparation

Heat a large skillet over medium and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chorizo and cook, stirring to break up the meat, until browned and cooked through, 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chorizo to a bowl, leaving accumulated oil in the pan.

Add the jalapeno, garlic, bell pepper, and onion and season with salt. Cook until beginning to soften, 5-6 minutes.

Return the chorizo (and any accumulated juices) to the pan and stir in the chile powder and cumin. Fold in the cooked white rice and check for seasoning, salting lightly if desired. Cook, stirring frequently, until well combined and hot throughout, 2-3 minutes. 

Chorizo Beginning to Cook

Cooked Chorizo 

Jalapeno Mixture Beginning to Cook

Cooked Jalapeno Mixture 

Chorizo Returned 

Rice Added

Serve the dirty rice topped with chopped avocado and cheddar cheese with lime wedges on the side.

Tex-Mex Dirty Rice