Cajun Rice Recipe (Popeyes Copycat)

Popeyes is one of my favorite fast food chains that make delicious crispy fried chicken. They have a wide variety of chicken meals that’s perfect for sharing. I always go for their crispy chicken, but there was this one particular side dish that I also ordered quite a lot: their Cajun rice (or also known as Cajun dirty rice in Louisiana). Unfortunately, Popeyes Cajun Rice was discontinued from their Popeyes sides menu early this year.

Good thing I’m familiar with making Cajun flavored dishes so I know the basics for recreating this tasty Cajun rice dish. With my homemade Popeyes Cajun Rice recipe, I get to enjoy and savor the side dish much longer. And it only took me less than an hour to make this hearty meal which I served alongside their famous Popeye’s fried chicken.

The ingredients are similar to making a Cajun sauce, just minus the creamy ingredients. What you basically need are the spices such as the garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and ground black pepper. Aside from the spices, the Tony Chachere Creole seasoning makes use of herbs for added depth and flavor. This combination of herbs and spices elevates the savory taste of both the rice and meat bits.

Once you have the spices, the next main ingredients are the long grain rice, chicken gizzards, and ground beef. The rice and meat are another reason why I enjoy this Popeyes Cajun Rice. I love how the finely chopped chicken gizzards and ground beef delicately combine with the long grain rice as it’s cooked on the frying pan. It adds flavor and texture to the rice side dish which makes it extra appetizing to eat.

It took me about 35 minutes to cook the whole side dish and it was definitely worth it. The smell alone while it was frying made me want to eat it already! I stirred the rice a bit more, and then it was ready to serve. It’s one of those tasty rice dishes that you just have to eat once in a while.