Popeyes Cajun rice is a savory, peppery side dish of fluffy long-grain rice mixed with browned ground beef, finely minced chicken gizzards, green bell pepper, onion and Creole seasoning. This copycat is made at home with two pans and is ready in 35 minutes. The rice is cooked in beef broth, so every grain has flavor, and the meat mixture is seasoned with garlic, celery seed, cayenne and black pepper. It is a home version of the fast-food side, not the restaurant’s own formula.
How to make Popeyes Cajun rice: Cook 2 cups of rinsed long-grain rice in 4 cups of beef broth, covered, for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook ground beef, minced chicken gizzards, bell pepper and onion in oil for 6 to 8 minutes, until the beef reaches 160°F and the gizzards 165°F. Stir in garlic powder, celery seed, Creole seasoning, cayenne, black pepper and water. Mix in the rice and serve.
Why You’ll Love It
- Big flavor. Broth, beef, gizzards and spice in every bite.
- Quick. The meat cooks while the rice does.
- Budget-friendly. A 1/2 pound of beef stretches to 6 servings.
- A side for anything. Fried chicken, shrimp, pork chops or beans.
- Easy to adjust. The heat comes from a small pinch of cayenne.
Ingredient Notes
Long-grain rice. Two cups, rinsed. Rinsing washes off loose starch so the grains stay separate.
Beef broth. Four cups, in place of water.
Ground beef. A 1/2 pound.
Chicken gizzards. A 1/2 cup, minced very fine. They give the rice its deep, meaty taste and its speckled look.
Bell pepper and onion. Half a green pepper and half a yellow onion, both minced.
Seasonings. Garlic powder, celery seed, Creole seasoning, cayenne and coarsely ground black pepper.
Oil and water. A tablespoon of vegetable oil for the skillet and a 1/2 cup of water to carry the spices.
Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup chicken gizzards, minced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, minced
- 1/2 yellow onion, minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, coarsely ground
- 1/2 cup water
How to Make Popeyes Cajun Rice
1. Cook the rice. Put the rinsed rice and beef broth in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
2. Cook the meat and vegetables. While the rice cooks, heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, minced gizzards, bell pepper and onion. Break up the beef as they cook, about 6 to 8 minutes. Check with a food thermometer: the ground beef must reach 160°F and the gizzards 165°F. Keep cooking if needed.
3. Season. Stir the garlic powder, celery seed, Creole seasoning, cayenne, black pepper and water into the skillet mixture.
4. Combine and serve. Add the cooked rice to the skillet, stir well to combine and serve.
How to Know the Meat Is Done
A common cue for a pan like this is to cook until the beef is no longer pink. Color is a weak test. Ground beef can turn brown before it is hot enough, and tiny pieces of gizzard are dark to begin with, so there is nothing to see. A thermometer gives a real answer.
| Meat | Safe temperature | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Ground beef | 160°F | Browned and crumbly, with no pink |
| Chicken gizzards | 165°F | Firm, dark and no longer glossy |
The two numbers are not the same because gizzards are poultry, and poultry needs the higher one. To check a pan of small pieces, push the meat into a pile, tip the skillet a little and put the tip of the thermometer into the middle of the pile. If the reading is low after the 6 to 8 minutes, keep cooking and check again. Go by the temperature, not by the clock.
Do this before the spices and water go in, and before the rice. Once everything is mixed, it is much harder to get a true reading from the meat.
Tips for Success
How fine should the gizzards be?
Very fine, about the size of the crumbled beef. Small pieces cook quickly and blend into the rice. A food processor makes short work of it.
Why rinse the rice?
Rinsing removes surface starch, so the rice cooks up fluffy instead of sticky.
Should I add salt?
Taste first. Creole seasoning and beef broth are both salty, so the dish may not need any.
Why add water to the skillet?
The water dissolves the spices and lifts the browned bits from the pan, so the seasoning coats the rice evenly.
How do I make it milder?
Leave out the cayenne. The Creole seasoning still gives it a gentle kick.
Is It the Same as Dirty Rice?
It is very close. Dirty rice is a Louisiana dish of rice cooked with minced meat and giblets, which color the grains. Copycats of the fast-food side are built the same way, with ground beef and chicken gizzards, so it is often simply called dirty rice.
Storage and Reheating
Put leftovers in shallow, covered containers and refrigerate them within 2 hours. They keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge or 3 to 4 months in the freezer. Thaw frozen rice in the refrigerator, not on the counter. Reheat, covered, to 165°F. In a microwave, stir or turn the dish and check the heat in more than one spot.
What to Serve With It
This rice is a natural partner for fried chicken and biscuits. It is also good next to Cajun shrimp in foil or slow cooker Cajun steak packets. For more rice dinners, try the cozy beef and rice casserole, the one pot Mexican rice casserole, the chicken and bacon fried rice or the pineapple chicken and rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Popeyes Cajun Rice have in it?
The restaurant’s own ingredient list is not something I can vouch for. This copycat uses long-grain rice, beef broth, ground beef, chicken gizzards, bell pepper, onion and Creole seasoning.
Is Popeyes Cajun Rice the same as dirty rice?
Copycat versions are made like dirty rice, with minced meat and gizzards cooked into seasoned rice.
Why was Popeyes Cajun Rice discontinued, and did it come back?
I do not have a reliable answer on the menu. Check with the restaurant. In the meantime, this pan makes 6 servings at home.
Can I skip the gizzards?
You can, but they are what gives the dish its classic flavor and color.
Final Notes
I mince the gizzards while the broth comes to a boil, so both pans finish together. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Popeyes Cajun Rice
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Ingredients
- 2 cups long-grain rice rinsed
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1/2 cup chicken gizzards minced
- 1/2 green bell pepper minced
- 1/2 yellow onion minced
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
- 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper coarsely ground
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Put the rinsed rice and beef broth in a Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- While the rice cooks, heat the oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, minced gizzards, bell pepper and onion. Break up the beef as they cook, about 6 to 8 minutes. Check with a food thermometer: the ground beef must reach 160°F and the gizzards 165°F. Keep cooking if needed.
- Stir the garlic powder, celery seed, Creole seasoning, cayenne, black pepper and water into the skillet mixture.
- Add the cooked rice to the skillet, stir well to combine and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
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