Chicken Breast with Dirty Rice Recipe

Chicken Breast with Dirty Rice Recipe | Anne Burrell

Chicken Breast with Dirty Rice
Level: Easy
Yield: 2 servings
Total: 1 hr 20 min (includes resting time)
Active: 50 min

Dirty Rice:

• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 small bundle thyme, tied with twine
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 pint chicken livers and hearts, cleaned, diced small
• 8 ounces andouille sausage, casings removed, crumbled
• 1 ear corn, shucked, kernels removed
• One 15.5-ounce can kidney beans, drained
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Salt
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias

Chicken:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 airline chicken breasts
• Kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 8 ounces green beans, trimmed

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1. To prepare the dirty rice: In a medium pot, mix 2 cups of the chicken broth with the rice, minced garlic, bay leaf, and tied thyme bundle. Heat until boiling. Then cover the pot and reduce to a simmer until the rice becomes tender, roughly 15 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and thyme, then gently fluff the cooked rice with a fork.
2. Warm the oil in a large cast-iron skillet set over medium-high heat. Toss in the celery, onions, and bell peppers, cooking them until softened, around 5 minutes. Next, incorporate the diced chicken hearts and livers, crumbled andouille sausage, and corn kernels; continue cooking until they develop a nice brown color. Pour in the leftover 1 cup of chicken broth and scrape the pan's bottom to release any stuck browned pieces. Mix in the drained kidney beans. Season with garlic powder, paprika, cayenne, onion powder, oregano, thyme, red pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons of salt. Let it simmer until the liquid mostly evaporates and all components are fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Fold the prepared rice into the skillet mixture and blend well. Take it off the heat and finish by scattering the bias-sliced scallions on top.
3. For the chicken preparation: Set your oven to preheat at 400 degrees F.
4. In a large oven-safe saut pan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Generously season the chicken breasts with kosher salt on all sides, then lay them skin-side down in the hot pan. Brown both sides to a golden crisp. Introduce the butter and Worcestershire sauce, spooning the melted mixture over the chicken for about a minute. Keeping the skin-side down, move the entire pan to the oven and bake until the chicken's internal temperature hits 160 degrees F, which takes around 10 minutes. Allow it to rest for 5 minutes afterward.
5. Set up an ice water bath in a bowl for shocking the vegetables. In a large pot, bring salted water to a rolling boil. Drop in the trimmed green beans and blanch them for about 3 minutes until they turn vibrant green. Quickly transfer the beans to the ice bath to halt the cooking process, then drain thoroughly. In a medium saut pan, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the blanched green beans and saut until they are heated through and reach the desired tenderness.
6. Plate the chicken alongside the green beans and dirty rice for a complete meal.

This recipe channels classic Cajun magic, where dirty rice gets its gritty charm from browned meats, veggies, and spices that dye the grains with deep, smoky flavor. Imagine chicken livers, hearts, and andouille sausage delivering that signature "dirty" tint and bold depth, kidney beans adding hearty earthiness, and corn kernels offering sweet pops amid cayenne's fiery kickpure Louisiana soul in every bite[1][2].

Pair it with crispy-skinned airline chicken breasts (tenderloin intact for extra juiciness) and snappy green beans for an easy, crowd-pleasing plate that's weeknight-friendly yet dinner-party worthy. Fire up your skillet: first, simmer rice in herb-infused broth for pure fragrance, then saut the holy trinity (celery, onion, bell pepper) with proteins for irresistible texture. Anne Burrell's genius? Oven-finishing the chicken skin-side down locks in juices, basted with Worcestershire for tangy umami that dances with the spices[4]. Rest it for peak tenderness.

Blanch-and-shock those beans for pro-level crunchno mush here! Craving tweaks? Swap turkey sausage for lighter vibes or dial down cayenne for kids. Double up effortlessly for a crowd, just scale seasonings. Leftovers? Fridge 'em 3-4 days; revive with broth splashes. Ready in under 90 minutes with easy skills, this dish begs you to channel your inner Cajun chefserve family-style, tweak the heat, and let fresh scallions make every forkful explode with home-cooked joy!