Easy Cheesy Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet Dinner
This Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet Dinner only takes about 40 minutes from start to finish. It’s perfect for a busy weeknight dinner and it’s light on clean-up since it’s cooked in one pan.
You can use this recipe as a topping for nachos, make it into tacos, assemble taco bowls, or just eat it straight from the skillet.
Why Make This Recipe
- Versatile: you can tweak the ingredients in this dish to your family’s tastes.
- Kid-friendly: The whole family will love this easy dinner recipe.
- Easy cleanup: Since it’s made in one skillet, cleaning the kitchen after dinner is very easy.
- Convenient: This recipe uses common pantry ingredients and makes lots.
What you Need
- Ground Beef: We like to use 80% beef, which means 80% meat and 20% fat. You can use 90-95% beef, but add more oil to brown it.
- Oil: Vegetable, canola or olive oil are all fine.
- Onion: One medium white or yellow onion, chopped.
- Garlic: A couple of cloves of garlic, minced.
- Rice: Use your favorite long-grain white rice. To boost the nutrition, you could also use brown or whole-grain rice.
- Bell Pepper: Chop a green, yellow, orange or red pepper. Beans also boost the protein levels in this dish.
- Tomatoes: Use a can of diced tomatoes. If you have any, you can use tomatoes that you’ve previously frozen.
- Black Beans: Canned black or pinto beans, drain and rinse them.
- Corn: Use frozen or canned corn.
- Green Chillies: Use a small can of green chilies, previously frozen roasted poblanos, or a similarly mild pepper.
- Spices: Use your homemade taco seasoning or cumin and chili powder.
- Broth: Water, beef broth, vegetable stock or chicken broth.
- Cheese: We use a mixture of mild cheddar cheese and Oaxaca cheese. Oaxaca is a fresh Mexican cheese similar to mozzarella.
How to Make it
Lightly brown the ground beef in the skillet. Add the onion and soften for a minute or two.
Add the garlic and stir to combine.
Add the rice. Stir the rice in for a few minutes.
Add the bell peppers. Combine. Cook an additional minute or two.
Next, add the beans, corn and green chilies to the skillet.
Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper. Combine.
Pour the stock in.
Cover the skillet and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the rice is tender.
Top the casserole with cheese and replace the lid until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.
If you need more quick ground beef dinner ideas, try this Beefy Cheeseburger Pie and this Easy Spanish Rice.
What to Serve with This Skillet Dinner
- Shredded lettuce
- Candied jalapeños or pickled peppers
- Fresh chopped tomatoes
- Sour cream or Mexican creme
- Salsa , pico de gallo or bottled hot sauce
- Sliced avocado or guacamole
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Corn or flour tortillas
Substitutions
- Substitute ground turkey or ground chicken for the ground beef.
More Mexican Foods
Give this easy one-skillet dinner a try this week. You won’t be disappointed.
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I hope you enjoyed the recipe today.
Enjoy. And have fun cooking!
Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 cup rice
- 15 ounces Diced tomatoes
- 15 ounces black beans, drained
- 15 ounces Frozen Corn
- 4 ounces diced green chilies
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1½ teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 cups Beef Broth
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Pour the oil into the skillet and heat it up. Lightly brown the ground beef in the skillet. Add the onion and soften for a minute or two.1 pound lean ground beef, 1 teaspoon oil, 1 medium onion
- Add the garlic and stir to combine.2 cloves garlic
- Add the rice. Stir and cook the rice for a few minutes.1 cup rice
- Add the bell peppers. Combine. Cook an additional minute or two.1 red bell pepper
- Next, add the beans, corn and green chilies to the skillet.15 ounces black beans, drained, 15 ounces Frozen Corn, 4 ounces diced green chilies
- Add the tomatoes, spice, salt and pepper. Combine.15 ounces Diced tomatoes, 1 tablespoon cumin, 1½ teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt or sea salt, 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- Pour the stock in.2 cups Beef Broth
- Cover the skillet and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the rice is tender.
- Top the casserole with cheese and replace the lid until the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.2 cups grated cheddar cheese
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- Shredded lettuce
- Candied jalapeños or pickled peppers
- Fresh chopped tomatoes
- Sour cream or Mexican creme
- Salsa , pico de gallo or bottled hot sauce
- Sliced avocado or guacamole
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- Corn or flour tortillas
