- August 22, 2019
- 30 Minute Meals
Cajun Cauliflower Dirty Rice
With a handful of common ingredients, you can recreate the classic New Orleans style flavors of your favorite dirty rice with cauliflower! This lower carb take on a Cajun classic is a dinner staple in our house!
It’s no secret that I’m not the biggest fan of cauliflower, but eating a low carb diet has helped me master the in’s and outs of making the best cauliflower rice (and cauliflower mash). I especially love this Cajun inspired version of a classic dirty rice that brings me back to the carb food filled days of NOLA.
This recipe is a handful of staple ingredients from the fridge (sausage, onion, celery and peppers) and I love how easy it comes together. Mix in some of my killer Spicy Cajun Dry Rub Recipe and a few helpful cooking tips and techniques and 30 minutes, you are on your way to making a killer dinner.
Grab all the details, tips, and techniques below for cooking up with quick Cajun inspired dish the whole family will love.
“School” Supplies:
- Cutting Board & Knife
- Large Frying Pan
- Spatula
- Baking Sheet
“Class” Notes:
This recipe is a great meal for a busy night or if you’re looking for a solid meal prep option. The base of this recipe comes from the classic flavors of Cajun dirty rice and is made up of what many call the “Cajun mirepoix”.
A standard mirepoix is carrots, onion, and celery. The Cajun mirepoix is green peppers, onion, and celery (and unofficially garlic). Slice and dice your veggies and then set them aside so you’re ready to cook when needed.
How To Prepare Your Cauliflower For Dirty Rice:
If you are using already riced and frozen cauliflower (the easiest choice), try baking it. I have found baking the frozen cauliflower rice in a 350 F oven for about 10 minutes gives you a chance to season it, avoid having a rather funky smelling kitchen, and allows the rice to defrost and not become a soggy mess.
Mix in some olive, the frozen cauliflower rice (or fresh riced cauliflower works here too) and a few teaspoons of the Cajun Dry Rub recipe. Place it on a baking sheet and spread it out thinly to bake. Cook it until roasted, heated through, and any moisture has absorbed.
How To Make Your Dirty Rice Mixture:
While your cauliflower rice starts cooking in the oven, grab a pan and on the stove top cook the ground pork or sausage until no longer raw and nicely browned.
Add in the veggies and some garlic and sauté until tender. Season the whole thing with a little more Cajun dry rub to tie it all together.
Your cauliflower rice should be cooked by the time your sausage and mirepoix mixture is ready. Fold everything together and cook a few minutes to get it fully combined.
Adding Garlic Cajun Buttered Shrimp:
I prefer to add shrimp to the top of my rice for some extra protein, but it tastes great as is! I choose to cook my shrimp in some garlic, melted butter and the Cajun rub. You could also make my keto friend Po’ Boy style shrimp I use in this salad recipe too.
You could also add chicken or get real Cajun and some fried crayfish. I even enjoy the leftovers for breakfast the next day by adding a fried egg on top!
Full recipe for this perfect Cajun Cauliflower Dirty Rice is below! Try my other Cajun inspired recipes with this Crispy Cajun Almond Flour Chicken Tenders or this Low Carb Shrimp Boil recipe too.
Ingredients
- 4 cups Cauliflower Rice (I used frozen)
- 8 oz. Ground Pork Sausage pork or breakfast sausage
- 1/2 Yellow Onion small diced
- 1 Green Pepper small diced
- 1 Celery Stalk small diced
- 1-2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tsp. Cajun Seasoning
- 1 tsp Oregano
- Salt & Pepper
- Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes
- Optional: 2 Cups Shrimp + 2 tbsp Butter
- Parsley to garnish
Instructions
- 1. Preheat your oven to 350 F. Place the cauliflower onto a baking sheet and spread it out thinly. Bake for 10 minutes until the cauliflower has defrosted and is heated through. Set it aside.
- 2. Dice the onion, pepper, and celery. Mince the garlic. Add salt, pepper, oregano, and red pepper flakes if desired.
- 3. In a pan, cook the ground sausage completely. Drain any extra fat if desired. Add the vegetables and cook until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook an additional minute. Fold the cauliflower rice into the mixture and set aside.
- 4. If adding shrimp, heat a frying pan and add the butter. Toss the shrimp into the butter and saute until pink and cooked. Season with salt and pepper. Place the dirty rice in a bowl and top with your shrimp. Garnish with a bit of parsley and enjoy.