Sausage, peppers and cajun spices like paprika and chili flakes flavor low carb cauliflower rice in this one pot, 20 minute dish!
Have you ever felt envious of someone’s heritage?!
Dallas is home to a melting pot of southerners (and all westerners, how do you do), including a big population from Louisiana. I’ve had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people from New Orleans and throughout the state from our time at SMU, and still to this day I’ve never met anyone more prideful about where they’re from and who they are than the people from NOLA. Not to mention they know how to have fun… literally EVERYTHING is a celebration. I want that!!
My version of a Cajun favorite, “dirty rice” — a mix of sausage, peppers, seasonings and cauliflower rice — is a little love note to all my NOLA people. The authentic versions use chicken livers (hence the “dirty” rice moniker) and pork sausage, but in this version we’re using just sausage instead.
This one pot, 20 minute weeknight dinner is my attempt at bringing a little bit of that everything’s a party lifestyle to your dinner plate. A lower carb, higher protein party, that is.
It really couldn’t be simpler to make, either! You’ll:
- Brown the sausage
- Sauté the onions, peppers and celery
- Add the tomatoes, Cajun seasoning, tomato paste and cauliflower rice
- Top with green onions and serve!
TIPS FOR MAKING DIRTY RICE
- You can use any type of sausage you’d like for this recipe (including andouille), just make sure it’s uncooked.
- The recipe calls for one pound of sausage, which comes out to about 3 large links.
- I added the diced tomatoes for extra flavor and to add more of the “dirty” color, but feel free to skip them for a more authentic taste. If you’re not using, add in 1/4 cup chicken broth or water when you add the cauliflower rice.
- If you want to use white rice for the recipe, add one cup at the same time the recipe calls for the cauliflower rice, along with two cups of chicken broth.
Now let’s party! Or better yet, laissez les bon temps rouler!
Cajun Cauliflower “Dirty” Rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb. uncooked pork sausage casings removed
- ½ yellow or white onion diced finely
- 1 green bell pepper diced finely
- 3 stalks celery diced finely
- 1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes or Rotel
- 1 tbs. tomato paste
- 1 tsp. Tony Chachere's Cajun Seasoning see note for Whole30 option
- 3 cups cauliflower rice fresh or frozen
- 1 tsp. salt
- ½ tsp. pepper
- 2 tsp. olive oil or avocado oil
- chopped green onions for serving
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or deep-sided skillet, warm 2 tsp. olive oil. Add in pork sausage, breaking up with wooden spoon and cook until almost no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in diced onion, bell pepper and celery with salt and pepper. Cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add in can of tomatoes, tomato paste, Cajun seasoning and cauliflower rice. Mix well and cover to cook through, about 5 minutes.
- Taste for seasoning, adjusting if needed. Serve hot and top with sliced green onions!