Chorizo Creole Dirty Rice (One Pot)
This is a weeknight staple built on one pan and big Creole flavor. Chorizo browns off first, then the garlic, onions, and a mix of green and red bell peppers go in to soften. The rice gets toasted right in all that flavor before the stock comes in, and the whole pot finishes in the oven so the grains turn out thick and firm. It comes together with everyday pantry seasonings and almost no cleanup.
The move worth stealing from this video is that oven finish. Once the stock comes to a boil, the whole pan goes into a 400°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes — no stirring, no peeking, no burner to babysit. When it comes out, the rice should look thick and firm.
There are only two numbers to keep in your head — 1 cup of long-grain rice and 2 cups of chicken stock, the only amounts I call out on camera. The seasoning is paprika, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper stirred through to your taste, which is why this one settles into a weeknight rotation so easily.
Watch me make it — video from my YouTube channel
The recipe
Chorizo Creole Dirty Rice (One Pot)
Ingredients
- chorizo
- garlic, chopped
- onion, chopped
- green bell pepper, chopped
- red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
- 2 cups chicken stock
- oil, for the pan
- paprika, to taste
- Creole seasoning, to taste
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
How to Make It
- Oil a large oven-safe pan and set it on the stove to heat up.
- Add the chorizo and cook, breaking it down, until it is no longer pink in the middle.
- Stir in the garlic and onion.
- Add the green and red bell peppers and mix everything together.
- Saute the vegetables for about 3 to 5 minutes, until softened.
- Add the rice and toast it in the pan for about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Season with paprika, Creole seasoning, salt, and pepper, stirring until evenly blended.
- Slowly pour in the chicken stock, scraping up any rice stuck to the bottom so everything cooks evenly.
- Bring the pan to a boil.
- Transfer the pan to a 400°F oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Check after 35 minutes; the rice should be thick and firm. Serve hot.
Curtis's Tips
- Cook the chorizo until no longer pink in the middle, breaking it apart as it browns.
- Use both green and red bell peppers for color and a little sweetness.
- Toast the rice in the pan for a few minutes before adding the stock to deepen the flavor.
- When the stock goes in, scrape up the rice stuck to the bottom of the pot so the dish cooks evenly.
- Finish the rice in a 400°F oven for 30 to 35 minutes instead of the stovetop; it should come out thick and firm.
- The only amounts stated on camera are the 1 cup of rice and 2 cups of stock — the exact ingredient and seasoning amounts are in the video's description box, so season to your taste and check there for specifics.
Why this works
Browning the chorizo first sets up everything that follows — the garlic, onions, and both bell peppers get their 3 to 5 minutes in the same pan, and the rice toasts there for 4 to 5 minutes before any liquid arrives, which is what builds the flavor into the grain. When the stock goes in, scraping up the stuck rice is the difference between an even cook and a patchy one. A stovetop boil, then the 400°F oven, turns that rice and stock into grains that finish thick and firm.
FAQ
What kind of chorizo should I use?
The chorizo in this video goes into the oiled pan loose and gets broken apart as it browns — I keep cooking it until it's no longer pink in the middle. So look for fresh, raw chorizo that crumbles like ground sausage; I don't name a brand or store on camera.
Do you rinse the rice first?
There's no rinsing step in this video. The 1 cup of long-grain rice goes into the pan uncooked and toasts with the chorizo and vegetables for about 4 to 5 minutes before the stock goes in.
How much paprika and Creole seasoning do you use?
I don't call out exact seasoning amounts on camera — the only measurements in the video are the rice and the stock. What you can watch me do is stir the seasoning through until it's evenly blended before the stock goes in, so start modestly and season to your taste.
Do I need an oven-safe pan?
Yes — the same pan that browns the chorizo on the stovetop goes straight into the 400°F oven to finish, so make sure yours, handle included, is oven-safe.
Estimated nutrition, per serving (recipe makes about 4 servings): ~490 calories · 19 g protein · 26 g fat · 45 g carbs. Computed from the ingredient list using standard reference values — an estimate, not a lab analysis; your exact brands and portions will vary.
