If you’re looking for a delicious yet totally easy dinner recipe, this Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet is the one-pan wonder that will make everyone happy (my whole family gets excited about this!).
Watch the video tutorial to see how easy this is! It’s ready in under 30 minutes and comes together in one skillet—seasoned beef, rice, and a glorious layer of melted cheese. Plus, it reheats beautifully.
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Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet Recipe
My sister Svetlana shared this Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet recipe with me. I told her I was looking for more ground beef recipes (since we have it stockpiled in our freezer), and when she told me how much her family loved this dish, I knew I had to try it—and it was such a hit with my family!
The gooey, bubbly layer of cheese on top seals the deal for everyone. Watching those cheesy, savory scoops of beef and rice come out of the pan is enough to make everyone’s mouth water!
We love Mexican-inspired dinners, from flavorful Fish Tacos to Chicken Tortilla Soup and Pork Carnitas. If you are a fan of Mexican cuisine, this Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet is an absolute must-try!
Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet Video
Watch me make this Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet recipe. You’ll be amazed at how fast you can create a mouthwatering, flavor-packed dinner all in one pan. Hit play and get ready to impress your family tonight!
Ingredients for Mexican Beef and Rice Casserole
This recipe couldn’t be easier to make! Simply season the ground beef, then toss in the rest of the ingredients to simmer together in the skillet. It’s honestly hard to mess this one up.
- Ground beef – The hearty protein base for this recipe. I like to use 80/20. You could also use ground turkey or ground chicken for a leaner option.
- Onion & Garlic – Aromatics that add sweetness and tons of flavor
- Taco seasoning – Infuses authentic flavors and spice to each ingredient.
- Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilis (Original) – makes the meat mixture so juicy and tender.
- Black beans – Add more protein to the dish. Be sure to rinse and drain canned beans.
- Corn – Adds sweetness, crunch, and color to the skillet.
- Rice – Serves as the filling, comforting base that absorbs all the flavors. Rinse the rice before using.
- Chicken stock – Adds moisture to soften the rice, while adding a rich and savory flavor. Homemade Chicken Broth will always taste best.
- Shredded cheese – Mexican cheese, Colby Jack, or because I always have mozzarella and cheddar on hand, I make my own blend with equal parts of each.
Don’t Love Beans?
My sister mentioned that her children don’t love beans so she leaves them out and instead increases the rice to 1 cup.
How to Make One Skillet Mexican Beef and Rice
I love that this dish is prepared in one skillet. Not only does it make cleanup a breeze, but the flavors meld together, convincing even the pickiest eaters to clean their plates.
- Brown the Ground Beef – In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 Tbsp oil and then add the ground beef. Cook, breaking the meat apart with a spatula, until it’s no longer pink, about 3 minutes. If you use a leaner ground beef, you may need to add a bit more oil to the pan.
- Sauté – Add the chopped onion and sauté until softened, about 3-4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Season – Sprinkle in the taco seasoning and mix well. If you don’t have taco seasoning on hand, try my homemade Taco Seasoning, which I developed with simple spices you likely have on hand.
- Add Rotel, Beans, Corn, and Rice – Pour in the Rotel tomatoes and green chilis with their juices, along with the drained and rinsed black beans, corn, and rinsed rice, stirring to ensure everything is evenly combined.
Do I Need to Rinse Rice?
Rinsing rice is a good practice to remove excess starch. You’ll also be removing potential dirt, dust, debris, and pesticides. I put my rice in a sieve and rinse under running water until the water runs clear underneath.
- Simmer – Stir in 2 cups of chicken stock and salt, bringing the mixture to a light boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and let it simmer on low for 15 minutes or until the rice is cooked. Turn off the heat.
- Melt the Cheese – Remove the lid, sprinkle the cheese on top, cover again, and let it rest for 5 minutes to melt the cheese.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro before serving, or top with your favorite taco toppings (see ideas below for inspiration).
Optional Taco Toppings
- Diced avocado or Guacamole
- Sliced black olives
- Chopped green onion
- Diced bell pepper
- Diced tomatoes or Pico de Gallo
- Homemade Salsa
- Sour cream
- Sliced jalapeños
- Lime wedges
Serve with
You can serve this as a meal or make it the main course with these simple sides:
- Cucumber Avocado Salad
- Mexican Street Corn (Elote)
- Warm Tortillas
- Mexican Chopped Salad
- Avocado Corn Salad
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
Make-Ahead
Since this recipe keeps and reheats well, it’s great for meal prep. My best tips for re-heating are to add a sprinkle of water to keep things moist and add a fresh ingredient, whether that’s some extra cheese or garnish – it can really brighten up leftovers.
- To Refrigerate: Once the cooled, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days.
- To Reheat: Place a portion on a plate, sprinkle it with water to keep it moist, and microwave in 30-second increments until it’s steamy and hot. To reheat on the stovetop, place a portion in a skillet over medium-low heat, add a splash of water, cover, and heat until steamy hot.
Whether you’re in a hurry or not, I hope you’ll enjoy this flavorful and satisfying Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet. It’s a quick and easy meal that brings everyone to the table for a delicious family dinner.
Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef, 80/20 or 85/15
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 Tbsp taco seasoning
- ½ tsp fine sea salt, or to taste
- 10 oz can Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilis , (Original)
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn, rinsed-frozen or canned
- ¾ cup jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 cups Mexican cheese, Colby jack, or equal parts mozzarella and cheddar
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and then add the ground beef. Sauté, breaking it apart with a spatula just until it’s no longer pink, about 3 minutes.
- Add chopped onion and sauté until the onion is softened, another 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Add taco seasoning and stir to combine.
- Add Rotel tomatoes and green chilis with their juices, black beans, corn, and rice. Stir to combine.
- Add 2 cups chicken stock and salt, and bring to a light boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer on low for 15 minutes or until the rice is done cooking. Turn off the heat.
- Open the lid, sprinkle on the cheese, then cover and let it rest for 5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with cilantro before serving, or use your favorite taco toppings*.
Notes
- Diced avocado or Guacamole
- Sliced black olives
- Diced fresh tomatoes
- Chopped green onion
- Pico de Gallo or Homemade Salsa
- Sour cream
- Sliced jalapeños
- Lime wedges
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hi Natasha .. would it be possible to make this in the slow cooker ?
Thanks
Randy
Hi Randy! I haven’t tested that method to advise.
Soooooooooooooooo yummy ! I decorated with cilantro , chopped tomatoes and avacodo and took a picture. So pretty! And ….it was so tasty! We loved it! Thank you for another wonderful flavorful recipe Natasha!
I’m sure it looks beautiful and I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed it a lot!
Absolutely love this and all my family love it too even my husband who hates mince but he loved this dish when I made it ❤️ ♥️
I’m so glad it’s being enjoyed by all!
Hi Natasha,
I made this the other night and it was a big hit. I doubled the recipe and hardly had any leftover for the next day. I made it just as written. Everyone loved the taste. Cant wait to try
Shakshuka. Love your one skillet meals!
That kind of feedback truly makes my day. Thank you so much, Nadia!
Can you use regular long grain rice instead of jasmine? I have everything needed to make this, but no jasmine rice!
Hi Kristin! That should work fine since Jasmine rice is a long grain rice. Keep an eye on the rice towards the end. If you want it more tender, you may need to add a splash more water.
Hi Natasha,
I just made this recipe and it is tasting great. I am having it tomorrow so I left the cheese off. Can I reheat this in a covered casserole dish in the oven and then add the cheese at the end? Or do you have another suggestion for reheating the entire amount ? Thanks.
Hi Doreen! I have this note above- To Reheat: Place a portion on a plate, sprinkle it with water to keep it moist, and microwave in 30-second increments until it’s steamy and hot. To reheat on the stovetop, place a portion in a skillet over medium-low heat, add a splash of water, cover, and heat until steamy hot.
Yes, I read that but I am having dinner for 15 people tomorrow and that dish is one of items I am serving. I made it in the skillet but transferred it to a large oven proof casserole dish. I am trying to keep my stove top as free as possible as I am also making fajitas. I was inspired by your Cinco de Mayo menu and have made most of the items. I am just trying to sort out reheating without ruining anything. I can’t wait to try your Tres Leches dessert. The sponge layer baked beautifully. I will add the whipped cream topping and strawberries tomorrow. Thanks for such great recipes.
I imagine it would be fine to reheat in the oven in your casserole dish. I don’t have the exact timing for that. I would keep it covered, add a splash of water or broth to keep it moist if you notice it dries out. You can remove the foil for the cheese to get melty and golden brown towards the end if necessary.
I hope you love the tres leches! It’s one of my favorites.
Hi Natasha, I reheated the ground beef and rice dish in the microwave after I added a sprinkle of water. Then I put the cheese on it and popped it in the oven until the cheese melted. It was a big hit.
The Tres Leches was absolutely delicious. Such a marvellous smooth creamy taste. It’s my new favourite dessert. I even had it for breakfast the next morning; I couldn’t resist.
Thanks for all your fabulous recipes.
Can I use long grain white rice instead of jasmine rice?
Hi Laura, that should work fine since Jasmine rice is a long grain rice. Keep an eye on the rice towards the end. If you want it more tender, you may need to add a splash more water.
I made this and love it! I am writing to tell what I altered for anyone who might have the same needs. Due to digestive issues corn is not a part of our diet. I really didn’t wantto leave it out. So I puréed it with the canned juice and added it to the recipe. I am thinking that it gave a creamy texture that we found very pleasant. Also, I have my own taco seasoning-I will decrease the measurement added next time. My seasoning was much stronger than we believed it would have been if I had used packaged seasoning.
Wonderful recipe. Once I started making Natasha’s taco seasoning mix I never looked back, it was great in this recipe. I had some collard greens that were languishing in the fridge so I steamed those, chopped them up and threw them in too! Plain Greek yogurt is the new sour cream in our house and this just put the dish over the top. 👏 👏 👏 Once again well done Natasha’s Kitchen
I followed your recipe to the tee, and then we ate so much our stomachs hurt! I’m always trying new recipes, and yours always make it into my recipe box and rotation! I wish I took a picture! You’re the best! Thank you!
Hi Linda! I’m so happy you loved this recipe! Thank you for the feedback. So glad to know you’re enjoying my recipes.
Do you have a substitute for the tinned tomatoes and chilli I live in Australia and I can’t find them here.
Hi Julie! I do not, but you can use fresh diced tomatoes and chopped green chilies in its place.
I’ve made something similar to this before and I will make this one as well. I wonder if using cauliflower rice instead of regular rice will lower the macro on the carbohydrates considerably? I would be interested in that.
Hi Sandra, You could serve this on cauliflower rice instead of rice. I can’t give the exact instructions without testing that but you could follow the recipe up to step 4. You shouldn’t need to use 2 cups of broth since you’re not using rice. But one of my readers did share this, I hope its helpful ” Cauliflower rice doesn’t absorb liquid like Jasmine rice does. Reduce the amount of brothby half to prevent the dish from becoming watery.
Since cauliflower rice has a milder flavor than Jasmine rice, you may want to increase the seasonings slightly to maintain the intended flavor.
cauliflower rice only needs 5 minutes to become tender. Add it near the end of the cooking process to avoid overcooking and becoming mushy.”
Great dish. I followed exactly except I added some cayenne. Very tasty, and just one pan.
Thank you! I’m glad you loved it!
I made this tonight and it is fabulous. My husband loves it. When I ask what he thinks of a new dish he always says “it was OK”. Not today. “It was great!” It was so simple and fast to make I’ll definitely making it again. I found a packet of HOT taco mix at the store. it gave a little zing but too much heat for kids. I’m sending it to my daughter who makes a taco bake with crescent rolls as a crust. This is definitely better. Thank you so much for sharing.
This was delicious. I used some previously cooked rice and cut down on the amount of chicken stock. Perfect!
My only request is could you please add “cooking mode” to the recipe? My laptop kept shutting down and the battery died.
Hi Gail, I’m so glad you enjoyed the Mexican beef and rice skillet recipe. Also, we have a built in automatic cook mode on all of our recipes without needing a separate button for it.