This easy taco skillet with rice, ground beef, and plenty of Tex-Mex flavors cooks up one pan for an easy dinner that's spiced just right! It's a kid-friendly weeknight meal that goes together in a flash!
Are you tired of the same old meals every week? This easy Ground Beef and Rice Taco Skillet is here to save your dinner menu! It's a great way to put a spin on traditional tacos, combining savory ground beef, rice, taco seasoning, and all your favorite Tex-Mex ingredients in one amazing dish.
It's a super flexible recipe for an easy dish to use up ingredients you have in your kitchen or flavors your family loves.
If you love these flavors, you might also enjoy tacos with pork carnitas, Mexican chicken spaghetti, and these delicious taco breakfast burritos.
Why You Will Love This Taco Skillet Dinner
- Comforting Family Dinner This taco beef and rice skillet combines two comfort foods, taco-seasoned ground beef and rice, for an explosion of flavor in every bite.
- Easy Peasy Meal. Easy to make with minimal effort making it perfect for weeknight dinners.
- Simple Cleanup. Everything is cooked in just one skillet which means less dishes to wash!!
- Versatile Skillet Dinner. Add your favorite toppings such as cheese, avocado, sour cream, and jalapenos so you can make it just the way you like it. You can also it wrapped in a tortilla or with a simple salad or side dish!.
- Great for Leftovers. The flavors in this dish blend together and taste even better the next day.
Ingredients
This taco rice skillet recipe only requires a few basic ingredients to make your meal out of this world good. You'll get through your shopping list in no time!
- Ground Beef: Always a popular option but this taco skillet works great with any type of ground meat. Try it with ground pork, chicken, turkey, sausage, or even plant-based meat crumbles.
- Onion: Any type of onion you have on hand works beautifully.
- Chili Powder: A simple seasoning for this easy skillet dinner. You can also use taco seasoning instead for a more complex flavor.
- Crushed Tomatoes: Crushed tomatoes are chopped a bit more fine and blend in with the meat perfectly but you can also use diced tomatoes in a pinch.
- Red Kidney Beans: You can also use white kidney beans, pinto beans, black beans, or chickpeas instead.
- Long Grain Rice: Simple white long-grain rice works perfectly. If you prefer brown rice it makes a great substitute but you may need to adjust the water and cooking time slightly.
- Sweet Peppers: Red bell peppers are always my top choice and easy to find but you can also use other colors of sweet bell peppers.
- Shredded Cheese: Cheddar cheese is always a popular choice but you can use your choice of shredded cheese. Cojita cheese works great if you're looking for a more authentic Mexican taste.
- Corn Chips: Use your favorite! Fritos, tortilla chips, or Doritos all work great.
See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list and exact quantities of each ingredient.
Substitutions and Variations
If you want to switch things up and make your own versions, take a look just below for some mind-blowing suggestions. Your ground beef rice and taco skillet will be loved by all who taste it!
- Add Some Creaminess: Add some sour cream, diced avocado, a dollop of guacamole, or smoked guacamole for creaminess.
- Make a Salad or Burrito: Serve your taco rice skillet over a bed of lettuce or wrap the mixture in tortillas to make a burrito.
- Extra Flavor: Stir in some fresh cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice right before serving.
- Add Salsa: Add your favorite homemade salsa or salsa verde for extra flavor.
- Spicy: Add a bit of chili pepper flakes, diced jalapeno pepper, our jalapeno powder, smoked jalapeno powder, or chipotle powder to the meat mixture for a bit of heat.
- Add Some Veggies: Zucchini, corn, spinach, kale, and sweet potatoes.
How to Make This Beef and Rice Taco Skillet
I can't stress enough how easy this meal is to make and how easy it is to clean up after. A few simple steps and bam...your family will think that you're a genius in the kitchen!
- Cook the ground meat in a skillet with the onions until the meat is browned and the onions are tender.
PRO TIP: If you are using leaner ground meat such as turkey breast or chicken you may need to add a touch of oil to the skillet to help it cook. Fattier cuts of meat may need to be drained after the meat is cooked.
- Sprinkle the chili powder, salt, and garlic salt all over ground meat.
- Add the canned tomatoes with their juices, undrained beans, uncooked rice, and chopped peppers to the skillet.
- Pour in the water and cover with a lid.
- Cook the skillet on low, stirring occasionally until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.
- Top with cheese, cover with the lid, and allow it to melt.
- Sprinkle with corn chips and serve immediately.
Hint: For the best results use uncooked long-grain white rice as parboiled or pre-cooked rice tends to become mushy as it cooks longer than needed.
If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy our Chicken and Beans Skillet or our Slow Cooker Pulled Beef Tacos.
Storage
- Refrigerate: Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freeze: Extend the life of your cooled leftovers by freezing them in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
- Reheat: If frozen, thaw the container in the refrigerator overnight if necessary, or use your microwave's defrost function. Reheat in a microwave or skillet before serving.
What Goes With Taco Skillet
Looking for some ideas and inspirations for creating an entire meal with this taco rice skillet. Here are some favorites!
- Add Some Appetizers: Chips and some homemade queso are always a fun way to kick off dinner or you may enjoy some of these air fryer taquitos.
- Set Out Toppings on the Table: Some ideas include shredded cheese, sour cream, avocado or guacamole, pico de gallo, diced tomatoes, green onion, or fresh cilantro to add variety and enhance the flavors. This allows everyone the opportunity to add what they like most to their plate.
- Add a Salad: Enjoy a simple green salad, bell pepper salad, or even a jalepeno coleslaw.
- Serve Up a Simple Veggie: Steamed vegetables, green beans and corn, or oven roasted potatoes and carrots all work great!
Tips
By following these tips, you'll be well on your way to perfecting a tasty ground beef and rice taco skillet.
- Choose the Right Pan. A large non-stick skillet helps to cook everything evenly, reduces the chances of ingredients sticking to the pan, and makes clean-up a breeze.
- Rice Undercooked? If your rice is still undercooked after cooking you may need to cook it a bit longer. Add more liquid if it's needed.
- Watch It While It Cooks. You will need to stir the dish frequently to prevent sticking. If you notice the ingredients are sticking, lower the heat, and continue stirring to prevent burning.
- Too Much Liquid. If you find your rice is soggy or the dish looks watery, simmer it for a few more minutes with the lid removed, allowing some of the excess liquid to evaporate.
Recipe FAQ
Here are some of the frequently asked questions I receive about this recipe. If you still have one that's not listed below, feel free to contact me directly and I'll be happy to help you make a masterful meal.
To make your ground beef and rice taco skillet healthier, consider adding more vegetables, increasing the amount of beans, and using less meat. You can also use lean ground beef, ground turkey, or chicken to reduce the overall fat content. Brown rice makes a great option to increase the fiber and nutrient content. You can even replace it with quinoa for a different twist on the dish.
The main spices in a ground beef taco skillet recipe typically include chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. These spices are added to the ground beef to give it a flavorful, taco-seasoned taste when combined with the rice and other ingredients.
For this recipe, it is recommended to use uncooked long-grain white rice or brown rice. Pre-cooked rice might become too mushy as it cooks further during the process.
You can never have too many one-pot skillet meals and this recipe is a definite keeper! The ingredients are so easy to keep around for when the mood strikes you or you just want something fast to make for dinner. Really.
Grandma’s Cheesy Texas Beef Skillet Video
Other Delicious Tex-Mex Dinners to Try
Do you like Tex-Mex? Here are some recipes you may also like to try.
Are you ready to put the pedal to the metal when it comes to making this superb-tasting dish. Well folks, on your mark, get set and start cooking!
Beef Taco Skillet with Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef pork, chicken, turkey or sausage
- ¾ cup onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic salt
- 1 can (16 oz) crushed tomatoes, (do not drain)
- 1 can (15 oz) red kidney beans, undrained
- ¾ cup long grain rice, uncooked
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup peppers chopped
- 1 cup shredded cheese
- 1 bag corn chips for serving, if desired
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add onions and ground meat. Brown meat until no longer pink and onions are tender. Drain if necessary.
- Sprinkle chili powder, salt and garlic salt all over ground meat.
- Add canned tomatoes, undrained beans, uncooked rice, water and chopped peppers.
- Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally for 20 minutes. Top with cheese. Cover until cheese is melted.
- Sprinkle with corn chips, if desired, and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Choose the Right Pan. A large non-stick skillet helps to cook everything evenly, reduces the chances of ingredients sticking to the pan, and makes clean-up a breeze.
- Rice Undercooked? If your rice is still undercooked after cooking you may need to cook it a bit longer. Add more liquid if it's needed.
- Watch It While It Cooks. You will need to stir the dish frequently to prevent sticking. If you notice the ingredients are sticking, lower the heat, and continue stirring to prevent burning.
- Too Much Liquid. If you find your rice is soggy or the dish looks watery, simmer it for a few more minutes with the lid removed, allowing some of the excess liquid to evaporate.
Nutrition
This post was originally published May 2019. It has been updated with new images and content.
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