Blackened Chicken with Dirty Rice

We put off making dirty rice for years because of the chicken livers, which is exactly backwards. They are what the dish is named for: finely chopped, they cook down into the grains, turning the rice a mottled brown and giving it a savory, almost mineral depth that plain rice cannot touch. Paired with blackened chicken thighs seared in a smoking cast iron skillet, this is Cajun cooking at its most direct. Onion, celery and bell pepper, the holy trinity, cook into the rice with ground pork, thyme and cayenne. Everything cooks together in one pot with chicken broth until the rice is tender and every grain is coated in flavor.

The chicken gets rubbed with a generous amount of Cajun seasoning and seared over high heat, about four minutes per side. Your cast iron needs to be properly hot for blackening. If you do not see smoke rising from the pan before the chicken goes in, wait. The livers should be chopped very fine so they in effect dissolve into the rice during cooking. If you leave them in large pieces, the texture can be off-putting for people who are not expecting it. This makes great leftovers and the dirty rice actually improves overnight as the spices meld. Serve it with hot sauce on the side for anyone who wants more heat. This doesn’t last long once it hits the table.

The chicken gets rubbed with a generous amount of Cajun seasoning and seared over high heat, about four minutes per side. Your cast iron needs to be properly hot for blackening. If you do not see smoke rising from the pan before the chicken goes in, wait. The livers should be chopped very fine so they in effect dissolve into the rice during cooking. If you leave them in large pieces, the texture can be off-putting for people who are not expecting it. This makes great leftovers and the dirty rice actually improves overnight as the spices meld. Serve it with hot sauce on the side for anyone who wants more heat.

Make Dirty Rice with the Holy Trinity

Cook ground pork in a large skillet over medium-high heat until browned, breaking it into fine crumbles. Add finely chopped chicken livers and cook until no longer pink – about three minutes. Remove and set aside. In the same skillet, cook diced onion, celery, and bell pepper (the holy trinity) for five minutes until softened. Add garlic, Cajun seasoning, thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir for one minute, then add rice and stir to coat. Pour in chicken broth, return the pork and liver mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 18 minutes.

Blacken Chicken Thighs in Cast Iron

While the rice cooks, coat chicken thighs generously on both sides with Cajun seasoning. Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Sear the chicken thighs four minutes per side until blackened and cooked through to 165 degrees. The spices should be dark and charred, and the skillet will produce significant smoke – this is expected. Let the chicken rest for a few minutes while the rice finishes cooking.

Slice Chicken and Serve Over Rice

Fluff the dirty rice with a fork and stir in sliced green onions and chopped parsley. The rice should be brown from the livers and deeply flavorful from the seasonings. Slice the blackened chicken thighs and arrange over the dirty rice. Each bite should have tender, spicy chicken and savory, earthy rice. This is Cajun food done right – bold, flavorful, and completely satisfying.

Blackened Chicken with Dirty Rice

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• Author: Susan Benton
• Total Time: 45 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings

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Description

Blackened chicken over dirty rice is Cajun cooking distilled to its essence — intensely seasoned protein over rice that gets its flavor and color from chicken livers, the holy trinity, and Cajun spices. The chicken is seared until the spice crust is almost black, and the rice underneath is savory and earthy. It is one of those plates where every forkful has something going on.

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Ingredients

Units USM

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• 8 ounces chicken livers, finely chopped
• 1/2 lb ground pork
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 2 stalks celery, finely diced
• 1 green bell pepper, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

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Instructions

1. Coat the chicken thighs generously on both sides with 2 tablespoons of the Cajun seasoning. Set aside.
2. Cook the ground pork in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking into fine crumbles, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped chicken livers and cook 3 minutes until no longer pink. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, cook the onion, celery, and bell pepper for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add the remaining Cajun seasoning, thyme, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Stir 1 minute.
4. Add the rice and stir to coat. Pour in the chicken broth, return the pork and liver mixture, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly, and cook 18 minutes until the rice is tender.
5. While the rice cooks, heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over high heat until smoking. Sear the chicken thighs 4 minutes per side until blackened and cooked through.
6. Fluff the dirty rice with a fork and stir in green onions and parsley. Slice the blackened chicken and serve over the rice.

Notes

• Chicken livers are what make dirty rice dirty — they give the rice its characteristic brown color and minerally depth. Leave them out and you have rice, not dirty rice.
• Chopping the livers very finely ensures they melt into the rice rather than presenting as identifiable chunks, which can put people off.
• The cast iron skillet must be ripping hot for proper blackening. If you do not see smoke, the pan is not hot enough.

• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Category: Main Course
• Cuisine: Cajun

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 serving
• Calories: 560
• Sugar: 3
• Sodium: 840
• Fat: 22
• Carbohydrates: 48
• Fiber: 2
• Protein: 44
• Cholesterol: 210

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