This Creole rice is everything you'd want from a Southern side: tomato-y, warmly spiced, and full of flavor in every grain. It's the rice that makes people ask what's in it, and it's done in one pot in about 25 minutes.
I first made it to go with blackened mahi-mahi, and it was such a good pairing that it became a regular in our rotation. It also happens to taste a lot like the Cajun rice at Popeyes, which is never a bad thing.
If you need a rice dish that can hang with bold mains or hold its own as a base for shrimp and sausage, this one's a keeper.
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Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love This Creole Rice
- What is Creole Rice?
- Creole Rice vs Cajun Rice
- Ingredients
- How To Make Creole Rice
- Turn It Into a Meal
- Variations To Try
- What to Serve with Creole Rice
- How to Store Leftovers
- Tips for the Best Creole Rice
- Recipe FAQs
- More Filipino Rice Recipes
- Did you try this recipe?
- Recipe
- Easy Creole Rice
Why You’ll Love This Creole Rice
- Big, cozy flavor from tomatoes, garlic, and Creole-style seasoning
- Super easy to prepare in one pot.
- Versatile – pairs with seafood, chicken, or veggies.
- A perfect base for jambalaya or a side for gumbo.
- Delicious for family dinners or a Southern-inspired meal.
- Makes a great base for Creole-style bowls when you need dinner fast
What is Creole Rice?
Creole Rice (pronounced kree-ohl) hails from Louisiana, where Creole and Cajun cooking thrive. This style of cooking blends French, Spanish, and African influences.
The rice is usually cooked with flavorful vegetables, spices, and sometimes meats or seafood. It’s a popular dish in the South, often served with main dishes like jambalaya or gumbo, and is known for its vibrant flavors and colorful ingredients.
Creole Rice vs Cajun Rice
Creole rice and Cajun rice are super similar (both are bold, Southern, and obsessed with seasoning), but the vibe is a little different:
- Creole rice is often more tomato-forward and a bit more “saucy,” with a slightly milder, rounder flavor.
- Cajun rice tends to be smokier and spicier, and it’s usually more about deep seasoning than tomatoes.
The good news: you don’t need to stress. This recipe works with either Creole seasoning or Cajun seasoning, just taste as you go, especially since some blends are saltier or hotter than others.
Ingredients
- Jasmine rice — Light, fluffy, and soaks up the broth beautifully. Long-grain white rice works too. Rinse it before cooking to remove surface starch so the grains stay separate.
- Chicken broth — Cooks the rice and adds depth. Use low-sodium if your Cajun seasoning blend runs salty.
- Butter — Sautés the aromatics and adds richness to the base.
- Garlic — Fresh minced garlic. Don't skip it.
- Onion — The sweet, savory backbone of the dish.
- Red bell pepper — Adds color, mild sweetness, and that Southern aromatic base. Green bell pepper is more traditional and slightly more bitter - either works.
- Roma tomatoes — Diced. They add a juicy tang and pull it all together. Canned diced tomatoes (drained) work fine if that's what you have.
- Cajun seasoning — The star of the show. Tony Chachere's and McCormick are easy to find everywhere. If you want to DIY: combine ½ teaspoon each of paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and dried oregano, plus a pinch each of cayenne, black pepper, and salt.
- Salt and pepper — Adjust at the end after you taste, especially if your seasoning blend is already salty.
- Cilantro — Fresh, for garnish. If cilantro isn't your thing, flat-leaf parsley works just as well.
See recipe card for quantities.
How To Make Creole Rice
- Rinse the jasmine rice to remove excess starch and achieve fluffy, separate grains.
- Melt that butter in a medium pot. Add the garlic and onion, sauté until softened and fragrant then stir in the Cajun seasoning, diced tomatoes, and red bell peppers. Add the rice and toss it with the vegetables and seasoning to coat.Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and let the rice simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked through and all the liquid has been absorbed.
- Take the pot off the heat and let it sit, covered, for an additional 5 minutes. This allows the rice to steam and fluff up beautifully. Then, fluff the rice gently with a fork and taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper if needed
- Just before serving, stir in a generous sprinkle of fresh cilantro. The vibrant green color and light, peppery taste are the perfect finishing touch to this flavorful Creole rice!
Turn It Into a Meal
Creole rice works beautifully as a side, but it also makes a solid base for a full meal. A few easy options:
- Shrimp: Toss cooked shrimp (or one-pan spicy shrimp) right on top before serving.
- Andouille sausage: Slice and brown it in the pot first, remove, then build the rice in the same pan. Stir the sausage back in before serving.
- Chicken: Shredded rotisserie chicken stirred in at the end keeps it weeknight-easy.
- Dirty rice: Add cooked ground beef or ground pork (and chicken livers if you're feeling traditional) to get that classic dirty rice flavor.
Variations To Try
- Tomato-free: Skip the tomatoes and add a little more broth for a less tangy, smokier flavor.
- Spicy Creole: Add cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce. Start small and taste as you go.
- Herby twist: Stir in fresh thyme and flat-leaf parsley for a more aromatic, herby version.
- Lemon zest finish: A little lemon zest right before serving brightens everything up.
- Cauliflower rice: Swap the jasmine rice for cauliflower rice, reduce the broth to ¾ cup since it doesn't absorb as much liquid, and shorten the cook time.
What to Serve with Creole Rice
- Blackened Mahi-Mahi - the original pairing and still the best
- Baked Blackened Salmon
- Lemongrass Chicken (Chicken Inasal)
- Creamy Cajun Pasta — if you want to double down on the Southern flavors
- Grilled chicken, Cajun gumbo, or one-pan spicy shrimp
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover Creole rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop with a small splash of broth or water to loosen it up and keep it from drying out.
To freeze: cool completely, then store in airtight containers or zip bags for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat with a splash of water or broth so it steams back to fluffy.
Tips for the Best Creole Rice
- Rinse the rice. This one step makes a real difference. Rinsing removes surface starch and keeps the grains from clumping together into a gummy mess.
- Bloom the seasoning. Add the Cajun seasoning to the pot with the vegetables before you add the liquid. Letting the spices cook in the butter for a minute or two brings out their aroma and makes the whole dish taste more developed.
- Keep the lid on. Once the rice is simmering, resist the urge to lift the lid or stir. Every time you open the pot, steam escapes and you throw off the cooking. Set a timer and walk away.
- Let it rest. After the 18–20 minutes are up, take the pot off the heat and let it sit covered for 5 more minutes. This steaming phase is what makes the rice finish cooking evenly without going mushy at the bottom.
- Fluff with a fork. Use a fork, not a spoon. A fork separates the grains gently without smashing them down.
- Watch the salt. Cajun and Creole seasoning blends vary wildly in their salt content. Always taste the rice before adding extra salt at the end. If your blend is already salty, use low-sodium chicken broth too.
Recipe FAQs
Creole rice is tomato based and more like a seasoned red rice side dish. Dirty rice is usually made with ground meat and sometimes chicken livers or gizzards, which give it a darker color and a heartier feel.
Yes. Creole seasoning is usually a little more herby, while Cajun seasoning tends to be smokier and spicier. Either one works here, just taste as you go if your blend is salty.
It is the mix of onion, bell pepper, and celery that builds the base of many Louisiana dishes. This recipe uses onion and bell pepper, but you can add celery if you want that more classic flavor base.
Jasmine rice works really well because it stays light and fluffy while soaking up the flavor. Long grain white rice is also a great choice. Try to avoid short grain rice because it gets too sticky.
Yes, but it needs more time and a little more liquid. You will need to adjust the simmer time so the rice has enough time to cook through.
Usually it comes down to too much liquid, too much stirring, or heat that is too high. If that happens, take the lid off and let it cook a little longer so some of the extra moisture can cook off.
Yes. It reheats well and keeps in the fridge for a few days. Add a small splash of broth when reheating to help bring the texture back.
More Filipino Rice Recipes
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Recipe
Easy Creole Rice
Equipment
- 1 medium pot
Ingredients
- 2 cups rice
- 4 cups water/ chicken broth
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ cup roma tomatoes diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoon cajun seasoning
- ½ cup red bell pepper chopped
- salt and pepper
- cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- First things first, we gotta rinse that jasmine rice! Give it a good swish in a strainer under cold running water until the water runs clear. This removes excess starch for fluffy, separate grains of rice.2 cups rice
- In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.2 tablespoon butter
- Add the garlic and onion, sauté until softened and fragrant.1 tablespoon garlic, ½ cup chopped onion
- Stir in the Cajun seasoning, diced tomatoes, and red bell peppers.½ cup roma tomatoes, 2 teaspoon cajun seasoning, ½ cup red bell pepper chopped
- Add the rice and toss it with the vegetables and seasoning to coat.
- Pour in the chicken broth, salt and pepper and bring to a boil.4 cups water/ chicken broth, salt and pepper
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 18-20 minutes until the rice is cooked.
- Fluff the rice with a fork and garnish with cilantro before serving.cilantro for garnish
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Notes
- Use jasmine rice for a light, fluffy texture.
- Sauté the veggies thoroughly to develop a rich, deep flavor.
- Let the rice steam in the pot with the lid on for perfect doneness.
