Chicken With Dirty Rice Stuffing

By
Lynn Livanos Athan
Lynn Livanos Athan
First-generation Greek American, Lynn Livanos Athan has published many recipes. She has culinary school training and teaches Greek cooking.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 01/29/23
Chicken With Dirty Rice Stuffing on a plate with arugula

The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 70 mins
Servings: 6 to 8 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
600 Calories
32g Fat
14g Carbs
58g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6 to 8
Amount per serving
Calories 600
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 32g 42%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Cholesterol 341mg 114%
Sodium 247mg 11%
Total Carbohydrate 14g 5%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 58g
Vitamin C 15mg 76%
Calcium 53mg 4%
Iron 7mg 36%
Potassium 597mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Anyone familiar with Cajun cooking may recognize the term “dirty rice.” It’s essentially a pilaf flavored with chicken livers or giblets and it is so named because it takes on a brown or “dirty” color.

In this recipe, boneless chicken fillets are stuffed with a combination of chicken livers and rice (preferably cooked in chicken broth) and flavored with plenty of scallions and toasted pine nuts. The chicken is then baked with a bit of white wine and the end result is moist and flavorful.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for drizzling

  • 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter, divided

  • 1/2 pound chicken livers

  • 6 medium scallions, or green onions, chopped, with 4 inches of green parts

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/2 cup dry white wine, divided

  • 1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted

  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley, plus more for garnish

  • 2 cups cooked rice

  • Salt, to taste

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients

    Chicken With Dirty Rice Stuffing ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat the olive oil and 4 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat.

    Melted butter in a skillet

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  3. Add the chicken livers and sauté until all the pink color disappears, about 10 minutes.

    Chicken liver cooking in a skillet

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  4. While the livers are cooking, use a wooden spoon to break the pieces down into smaller pieces about the consistency of ground beef.

    Chicken liver cooking in a skillet

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  5. Add the green onions and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.

    Liver and green onions cooking in a skillet

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  6. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about a minute.

    Garlic, liver and green onions cooking in a skillet

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  7. Add 1/4 cup white wine to the pan to deglaze and then add toasted pine nuts, parsley and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue heating another 5 minutes for flavors to meld.

    Wine, pine nuts, parsley, liver and green onions cooking in a skillet

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  8. Remove from heat and stir in the cooked rice to the mixture. Set aside to cool slightly.

    Rice and liver mixture in a skillet with a wooden spatula

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  9. Pound the chicken breasts or thighs lightly on a cutting board until they are an even thickness. You don’t want them too thin, but you do want them to cook evenly.

    Pounded chicken breasts on a wooden cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  10. Lightly grease a large baking dish or nonreactive pan.

    Greased baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  11. Place 1 of the pounded chicken pieces on your cutting board. Place approximately a 1/4 cup of stuffing mixture on one half of the chicken.

    Filling on top of a pounded chicken breast, on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  12. Fold the other half over to cover.

    Chicken wrapped around the filling on a cutting board

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  13. Repeat with remaining chicken and stuffing. Transfer the stuffed chicken pieces in the baking dish or pan. Drizzle the rolls lightly with olive oil. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and then dot each piece with a pat from the remaining butter. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of white wine to the pan.

    Chicken and stuffing in a baking dish, with butter on top

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

  14. Bake uncovered in a 350 F oven for approximately 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with a bit of chopped parsley for serving.

    Chicken With Dirty Rice Stuffing in a baking dish

    The Spruce Eats / Christine Ma

Tips

  • If you like, you can drain the pan juices and heat in a small saucepan to thicken for an easy sauce.
  • If you are using chicken breasts and the pieces are larger, you may need to roll the cutlets into logs around the stuffing and secure with toothpicks. Chicken thighs tend to be smaller and will only make a single fold over the stuffing mixture.