Instant Pot Dirty Rice recipe is a quick and flavorful Southern-inspired dish made with ground meat, vegetables, and bold spices. Using the Instant Pot speeds up cooking while locking in savory flavors. It’s a one-pot comfort meal perfect for busy weeknights.
This dish typically features ground beef or sausage, combined with aromatic ingredients like onions, bell peppers, and garlic. Rice absorbs the seasoned broth and meat juices, creating a hearty and satisfying texture. The “dirty” name comes from the rich color the rice takes on during cooking.
With minimal prep and easy cleanup, this recipe delivers home-cooked goodness in less time. It’s ideal for meal prepping or feeding a hungry crowd. Spicy, savory, and satisfying—it’s Southern comfort made easy.
Instant Pot Dirty Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound of bulk pork sausage I prefer using a tube of breakfast sausage
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 bell pepper seeded and finely chopped
- 1 stalk of celery finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning either store-bought or homemade
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 cups long grain white rice
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth preferably homemade or water
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt if you're using homemade broth or water
- 1 bay leaf
Optional:
- 3 green onions chopped
- ¼ cup parsley finely chopped
Instructions
Cook the sausage:
- Heat vegetable oil in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker set to Sauté mode on high (or medium-high heat on a stovetop model) until shimmering.
- Add the sausage and cook, breaking it apart, until it’s crumbled and no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Add vegetables and spices:
- Stir in the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic.
- Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and ½ teaspoon of salt.
- Sauté, stirring often and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes.
Combine the ingredients:
- Stir in the rice with the sausage and vegetables.
- Add chicken broth or water (and another ½ teaspoon of salt if using homemade broth).
- Scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure no bits are stuck, then float the bay leaf on top.
Pressure cook:
- Lock the lid in place and set the pressure cooker to cook on high for 4 minutes.
- Once the cooking time is done, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure.
Serve:
- Unlock the lid, tilting it away from you to avoid steam.
- Discard the bay leaf, then stir in the green onions and parsley.
- Serve and enjoy!
