Cajun Dirty Rice

Well, not-so-dirty rice, in this case, since I use ground beef instead of the traditional chicken livers. This makes a lovely side dish for grilled or air-fried chicken, but you could also make a vegetable for a side and be done with dinner rather quickly, which is what I end up doing when I make this for my son.

{ Serves 4 }

Active Time	Function	Release	Total Time
10 minutes	Sauté; Pressure/Manual (High)	Natural/Quick	34 minutes

Dietary Considerations: Gluten-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Soy-Free, Dairy-Free

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1½ cups fresh or frozen mirepoix, or ½ cup each diced yellow onion, diced bell pepper, and diced celery
• 1 pound 85% lean ground beef
• 1 cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon salt-free Cajun seasoning
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup water

1. Select SAUTÉ on the Instant Pot. When the pot is hot, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the mirepoix and ground beef. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to break up the clumps of meat. (Don’t worry about cooking the beef fully at this stage; you just want to break it up so it’s not one big piece of meat.) Add the rice, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, oregano, salt, and bay leaf. Stir well to combine. Select CANCEL. Stir in the water.

2. Secure the lid on the pot. Close the pressure-release valve. Select MANUAL and set the pot at HIGH pressure for 4 minutes. At the end of the cooking time, allow the pot to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure.

3. Stir gently to fluff up the rice, discard the bay leaf, and serve.