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 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 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
Instead of rice, I use Orzo pasta, it’s a very small pasta almost like rice. I tend to get choked easily on rice and this is much better for me…instead of one cup of rice it’s one cup of Orzo. try it, you might like it.
Thanks for sharing that with us!
This is a fantastic recipe. I was forced to make a couple of changes, based on what I had in my pantry. My Rotel was the fire roasted version, and I used salted chicken broth AND added the half tsp. salt. As good as it was, I think it will taste better as originally written. Good job!
This is a fantastic recipe. I was forced to make a couple of changes, based on what I had in my pantry. My Rotel was the fire roasted version, and I used salted AND added the half tsp. salt. As good as it was, I think it will taste better as originally written. Good job!
My family loves this dish but I have to say every time I have made it I have had to cook for 3 x 15 minutes to get the rice cooked! Not sure why!? I make jasmine and basmati rice all the time so I know it only takes 15 minutes. Not sure why this happens each time. Still it is delicious and gets eaten up quickly.
Hi Marie! I’m so glad your family is loving this recipe. You’re not doing anything wrong. This can happen, acidity from the tomatoes can slow eown how fast the rice softens. Rice also cooks faster when it’s on its own, the other ingredients can slow down heat transfer. Make sure to bring it to a strong shimmer before covering.
I made this last night and it was easy and absolutely delicious. My one comment is that I don’t really see it as a “meal” but more of an appetizer. I’ll definitely be making it again as a dip to serve with tortilla chips 🙂
Made this tonight for my husband and adult son , who had driven 3 days to visit.
Easy to make. Easy to heat up.
Loads of flavor!!
Will share with everyone.
Thanks again for another hit recipe.
This was amazing!! My rice took a little longer to cook but created no issues at all. Will definitely be including it my dinner rotation
Prepared this for dinner tonight and added another keeper recipe to my ‘Favorites’ file. So easy, and I love the one pan technique. I used my version of Natasha’s Kitchen Taco Seasoning recipe (1 tsp ancho, 2 tsp regular grocery chili powders, and replaced oregano with 1/4 tsp of ground Mexican oregano) to elevate the flavor profile a bit. My husband didn’t even add hot sauce. This dish is filling and satisfying plus, it didn’t spike my blood sugar to the moon. Will definitely be making this again…and again…and again!
That’s great, Jean! Thank you so much for the feedback, and I’m so glad you have a new one to add to your favorites!
This is such a great meal! I found it when I was looking for something to take to a young family experiencing some challenges. I love your personal stories, and figured if Svetlana’s kids and your kids liked it, hopefully these kids would too. Their mom was super grateful. Later, I made it for my husband and I. Fantastic, so flavorful and so easy. And easy to transport! I know I will make this again and again!
Aww, that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Joyce. That’s so thoughtful of you to share this with a family in support of their situation. This is so inspiring to me.
Just made this! Soooooo good ! I went back for seconds but must stop! Delish ! Can I freeze it as we are empty nesters and hate to waste it.
Hi Joanne! Yes, it would work for a freezer meal. Cool it completely and store in an airtight container. To thaw, let it sit in the refrigerator overnight, then reheat it in the microwave or on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth if needed. The tomatoes may have a weird texture, but it shouldn’t change the taste.
Stumbled on this recipe on Natasha’s YouTube channel and my oh my, it is so wonderful!! It’s so easy and one pot! We added green onions as well as lime wedges. Thank you Natasha!!
I totally messed up. Used minute rice and didn’t decrease the liquid!!!
Oh no! Sorry to heat that, Mel! I hope you get to try the recipe as written again sometime.
My 6yo—“that’s amazing!” We love this Mexican skillet!
That’s awesome, Becky! So glad it was a hit.
Have you made it with ground turkey or ground chicken? Has it turned out the same/need any modifications?
Hi Gabrielle. You can use another ground meat in place of beef without any modifications.
Quick, easy and very tasty. We have with tortilla chips like a dip. When I need a recipe this is my go to site.
Another amazing recipe that became our family’s favorite) love love it . Easy , quick , delicious , full of flavor. Thank you , Natasha ❤️
You’re very welcome. I’m so glad your family enjoyed the recipe!
Made this tonight! I had a 1 1/2 lbs ground beef so I adjusted recipe accordingly. I didn’t have Rotel tomatoes but I did have a 14oz can of diced tomatoes and a 4oz can of diced chilies, a little more than needed but used it. Made the taco seasoning and used half, my husband does like things too spicy. Recipe is a keeper… easy and delicious!
I’m so glad you loved it, Pam!
Just wondering why we rinse the rice in this recipe but not in the “Instant Pot Chicken and Rice” recipe? I’ve made that one several times and it always turns out great, should I start rinsing the rice in that recipe as well?
Rinsing rice is all about texture. In this recipe, the un-rinsed rice supports that comforting, creamy casserole like feel and it’s part of the intended result. Since you’ve made it successfully as written, you’re good to keep going as is! But feel free to experiment if you’re curious—sometimes small changes lead to surprising improvements.
Thank You! I appreciate the explanation.
Hi Natasha I made this recipe for dinner tonight I followed it to the t and it came out watery what did I do wrong?
Hi Lydia! Did you drain the beans well and the corn?
So easy, hearty and flavorful. It’s also a one pan meal with very little prep. Perfect for a weeknight dinner.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Ashley!