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Frugal and Quick Beef Dirty Rice Recipe

Frugal and Quick Beef Dirty Rice Recipe

September 14, 2025
Quick and frugal beef dirty rice recipe ready in 30 minutes. A filling family meal that’s perfect for weeknights on a budget! 
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Makes: 4 hearty servings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Resting 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 hearty servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients
  

  • 1 & 1/2 lbs Ground beef - browned and drained
  • 2 6.8oz boxes Rice-a-Roni Beef Rice
  • 5 cups Water - or as per instructions if using a different brand of rice mix
  • 1 Beef stock cube
  • 1/4 to 1/2 Dried red pepper flakes - to taste
  • Salt & Pepper - Optional, to taste, add after cooking
  • 1 cup Grated cheddar cheese - Optional, to top

Equipment

  • pot with a lid
  • colander
  • spoon or spatula
  • Measuring jug
  • measuring spoon

Method
 

Brown the ground beef.
  1. Brown the ground beef in your pot. Drain using a colander, then return the beef to the pot.Tip: we cook beef in big batches, drain, and freeze it in meal-size bags so recipes like this come together even faster.
Make the rice.
  1. Add both boxes of rice directly into the beef. Skip the box’s step about frying the rice in butter. The beef has enough grease to do the job.
  2. Stir in 5 cups water, the beef stock cube, both seasoning packets from the boxes, and the red pepper flakes.
  3. Turn the heat to high. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lid on or off, it doesn’t matter at this stage.
  4. Once boiling, lower the heat to medium-low. Cover with the lid and simmer for 20 minutes, or follow the cooking time listed on your rice brand.
  5. Stir a couple of times during the simmer to keep the rice from sticking. Some will stick anyway – don’t stress, it’ll soak off quickly with some dish soap and warm water whilst you eat!
Serve.
  1. Taste and season if needed. Sprinkle with grated cheddar if your family likes the cheesy finish. Serve hot.

Notes

 

Serving Ideas

  • This recipe is flexible enough to work in plenty of situations.
  • Serve with a simple green salad to balance the richness.
  • Add a side of steamed vegetables for a more complete plate.
  • Roll leftovers into tortillas for a next-day lunch hack.
  • Top with sour cream, or even hot sauce for an extra kick!
 

Storage

We usually just keep leftovers covered in a bowl with plastic wrap and reheat in the microwave for 90 seconds the next day. Not suitable for freezing.
 
 

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.