Ground beef is a great addition to this Easy Dirty Rice Recipe. Now, wait because it keeps getting better. Not only is this one pan skillet recipe dairy-free, but since we use cauliflower rice, the macros are low-carb and keto too! Serve the spicy Cajun dish as a side or main portion of the meal and bring the flavors of Louisiana to your table.
Browse through more ground beef skillet recipes.
Table of Contents (click to view)
30-Minute One Pan Skillet Meal
I find the savory combination of ground beef, liver, cauliflower rice, veggies, and spices filling enough to qualify as a complete dinner. However, if you feel inclined, you could also serve this as a side along with a main meat or seafood entree.
Don’t let the name turn you off though. There is nothing dirty about this recipe!
In fact, there are many reasons to make this recipe because it is:
- Quick and easy
- Ready in 30 minutes or less
- Made in one pan
- Featuring ground beef (my favorite dinner ingredient)
- Using cauliflower rice (so it’s ok on a keto diet)
- Infused with the power of bone broth
- Contains hidden liver (and therefore, all the benefits of liver)
Sounds pretty good after all, doesn’t it?
Are you wondering what cauliflower rice is? It’s a magic addition to your diet. Let’s give it a try!
How to Make Ground Beef Dirty Rice
Gather 13 simple ingredients and transform them into the best dirty rice recipe with ground beef and cauliflower!
Ingredients
Lard – Rendered from pig fat, lard is a soft savory fat with a deep flavor. You can substitute it with extra virigin olive oil if you prefer.
Celery, bell pepper, onion, garlic – This combination of ingredients is essential to cajun cooking. Affectionately known as the “holy trinity” in both cajun and creole cuisine, they can’t be left out! (1)
Ground beef – 80/20 ground beef is perfect for this; it has a higher fat content that keeps recipes moist and delicious.
Chicken livers – I think we should all be eating more organ meat! However, if it doesn’t appeal to you, omit the chicken livers.
Cajun seasoning – A fiery blend of paprika, garlic, oregano, onion, thyme, cayenne, and black pepper, Cajun Seasoning brings a serious amount of flavor and heat to the dish.
Cauliflower – I use cauliflower as a low-carb and gluten-free alternative to white rice. If you do well with rice, you can substitute it in an equal quantity. I would cook the 3 cups of rice in a separate small pot while the other ingredients stir-fry in the skillet. If using rice, skip step 5 and don’t add broth.
You can also bulk prep cauliflower rice and use a premade portion for this recipe.
Chicken broth – Complimentary to the chicken livers, chicken broth will infuse in the cauliflower and make it nice and tender. You can substitute it with beef bone broth.
Butter – Add this while the meal is hot, so it melts down and coats each bit. Butter enhances all the flavor with a slightly sweet fatty taste.
Scallion – Slice these thinly and garnish before serving for a beautiful presentation and extra bit.
Directions
Warm the lard in a skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 1 minute.
Add the chopped celery and green pepper to the mix. Continue cooking for 2 more minutes.
Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the meat and livers; break apart as needed. You can puree the livers in a blender or food processor. It’s also ok to finely chop them by hand.
Sauté the meat and vegetables until the beef is browned and cooked to your liking.
Season with Cajun Seasoning and salt; mix well.
Add the riced cauliflower; steam for one minute over the top of the meat. Then add broth and stir to sauté for up to 8 minutes until cauliflower is tender enough to pierce with a fork.
I rice the cauliflower by shredding it on a box grater, but you can also chop it into rice-sized pieces by hand. This happens at the same time you chop the onion, celery, and bell pepper.
Remove the skillet from heat. Add butter, mix to combine, and let the better melt throughout.
Garnish with scallions. Serve warm.
More Low-Carb Ground Beef Skillet Recipes
Ground beef is a keto staple I always have around! It’s essential to many easy keto recipes by being so easy, versatile, and affordable to use. Print this Keto Meal Planner and start planing all your keto ground beef recipes!
Kick it off with these related recipes:
- Vegetable and Ground Beef Skillet
- Ground Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Easy Cheeseburger Pie
- 28 Keto Meals with Ground Beef
Easy Cajun Dirty Rice Recipe with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon lard or olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 rib celery chopped
- 1 small green bell pepper deseeded and chopped
- 1 pound ground beef
- ½ cup chicken livers pureed (4 ounces)
- 1 tablespoon Cajun Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups cauliflower riced
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 whole scallion minced for garnish
Instructions
- Warm lard in a skillet over medium-low heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 1 minute.
- Add the celery and green pepper. Continue cooking for 2 more minutes.
- Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the meat and livers; break apart as needed. Sauté until browned and cooked to your liking.
- Season with Cajun Seasoning and salt; mix well.
- Add the riced cauliflower; steam for one minute over the top of the meat. Then add broth and stir to sauté for up to 8 minutes until rice is cooked through.
- Remove from heat. Add butter, mix to combine and melt the butter throughout.
- Garnish with scallions. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition & Macros
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, please calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients and amounts used, using your preferred nutrition calculator. Under no circumstances shall the this website and the author be responsible for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on the given nutritional information.
My husband made this last night and it was DELICIOUS! We’ll be adding this to our repeat recipes.
Yay for the repeat recipe! Thanks for your review, Sabrina.
I’ve never cooked with chicken livers before, but they added such a depth of flavor to this dish! Even my kids couldn’t tell they were in there. Even my kids couldn’t tell they were in there. I also love that nice kick from the cajun seasoning and the whole dish came together beautifully.
Thanks for your comment, Sheila. It’s great to get the “healthy” foods in without anyone knowing the difference, lol.
This Dirty Rice Recipe is my new obsession! The cauliflower rice was filling and the spices made it taste like it simmered all day. Plus, the hidden liver is a sneaky way to get those extra nutrients. Next time I’ll try this recipe with rice to substitute cauliflower.
Glad to hear you are loving it, Steph. The recipe is a great nutrition booster!
I love all the flavors packed in this dish.The cauliflower rice absorbs the flavors. So healthy and delicious!
Thanks, Rosa – it is a dish with quite a lot of flavor 🙂 Happy you enjoyed.
I’m surprised at how cauliflower rice made it feel light yet filling. The spices were just right, and the ground beef made it very satisfying. Plus, it was super easy to make! Thanks for sharing this.
Thanks for the five star review, Shaye.