My Mexican beef and rice skillet is a fast, one-pan dinner combining taco-seasoned floor beef, veggies, and fluffy rice. It’s budget-friendly, family-approved, and prepared in about half-hour!
Should you’re craving extra Latin dinners, strive picadillo and arroz con polo. I additionally love the flavors on this low-carb baked Cajun hen with cauliflower rice.
Like my Mexican burrito skillet and taco pasta recipes, this Mexican beef and rice skillet is a type of fast, simple weeknight meals I can throw collectively in half-hour. Even higher, all of the elements prepare dinner in a single pan! Impressed by Spanish rice recipes, this all-in-one dinner incudes tender rice full of tomato and daring taco spices, rounded out by juicy floor beef, onions, and diced bell peppers.
About This Flavorful Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet
- Daring Mexican flavors. Juicy floor beef, tender fajita veggies, and rice are simmered in a smoky, savory seasoned broth. It’s an effective way to make use of reasonably priced floor beef and leftover rice.
- One-pan, half-hour. Every part cooks collectively in a single pot, making it excellent for busy weeknights whenever you need one thing hearty, flavorful, and quick.
- Tasty and versatile. Serve this beef and rice straight from the pan, scoop it into heat tortillas, or use it as a filling for lettuce wraps or zucchini boats. It additionally reheats superbly, so lunch the following day is already lined.
You’ll Want These Substances
Right here’s a fast have a look at the elements on this Mexican rice skillet. Scroll to the recipe card for the printable recipe quantities and step-by-step directions.
- Olive Oil – Or whichever cooking oil you favor.
- Onion and Bell Peppers – I add in diced yellow or white onions and bell peppers, as you’ll discover in fajitas. Any colour of bell pepper works (I take advantage of purple and inexperienced).
- Garlic – Freshly minced. Should you don’t have recent garlic, substitute ¼-½ teaspoon of garlic powder per clove.
- Floor Beef – I choose utilizing lean floor beef because it’s much less greasy. You may make this recipe with leftover taco meat, or swap the bottom beef with floor hen or turkey.
- Taco Seasoning – I take advantage of my do-it-yourself taco seasoning. Sure, you may most undoubtedly use store-bought taco seasoning, however do-it-yourself is finest. 😉 You’ll be able to even use fajita seasoning, which may be very related.
- Tomato Paste – Common tomato sauce additionally works in a pinch.
- Rice – You’ll wish to use long-grain white rice, equivalent to basmati or jasmine rice, or brown rice for this recipe (save the minute rice for a Hoppin’ John skillet!). You need to use raw rice, or see my word afterward about making this Mexican skillet with leftover rice.
- Beef Broth – Low-sodium is finest. You can additionally use hen broth or vegetable broth.
Recipe Ideas
- Use a big skillet with a tight-fitting lid. This helps the rice prepare dinner evenly and take in the liquid correctly.
- No peeking! Don’t carry the lid whereas the rice cooks. Peeking too early releases the trapped steam, leading to undercooked rice.
- Alter the seasoning on the finish. Taco seasoning blends differ, so style earlier than serving and add salt or spice as wanted.
- Let it relaxation earlier than serving. A ten-minute relaxation after cooking permits the rice to complete absorbing moisture and retains the skillet from changing into soupy.
Simple Variations
- Use shredded beef. As an alternative of browning the bottom beef, make this skillet recipe with leftover cooked Mexican beef, like beef barbacoa or beef machaca. You’ll be able to prepare dinner the rice after which stir the meat in on the finish.
- Swap the protein. Floor turkey or hen works effectively. These milder, leaner meats may have a bit of additional seasoning.
- Add in greens. Chopped or sliced mushrooms, canned peas and carrots (drained), or a frozen vegetable combine make nice additions. For finest outcomes, preserve the full quantity of greens to not more than 2 cups so the rice cooks correctly.
- Add corn and beans. Add frozen corn or drained canned corn, together with canned black beans or pinto beans (additionally rinsed and drained). You can additionally add chickpeas.
- Make it tacky. Stir in a shredded Mexican cheese mix or crumble Oaxaca cheese on high.
What to Serve With Mexican Beef and Rice
Serve this Mexican beef and rice skillet with toppings like diced avocado, guacamole, bitter cream, and do-it-yourself salsa. On the facet, take pleasure in a easy inexperienced salad or a candy potato salad, topped with avocado dressing, and heat garlic bread for a straightforward, filling dinner. It’s additionally nice scooped into tortillas or naan, or loved straight from the skillet for a fast meal.
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Sauté the greens. Set a big skillet over excessive warmth and heat the olive oil. Add the onion and bell peppers; prepare dinner, stirring often, for 4 minutes.
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Prepare dinner the meat. Add within the floor beef and break it up with a wood spoon. Season with taco seasoning and stir round till effectively integrated. Prepare dinner the bottom beef for 7 to eight minutes, or till browned.
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Add tomato paste, rice, and broth. Stir within the tomato paste and rice, and prepare dinner for 1 minute. Pour within the beef broth and blend effectively. Deliver to a boil, then decrease the warmth to medium-low.
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Cowl and simmer. Cowl the skillet with a lid and proceed to prepare dinner for about 12 to 14 minutes, or till many of the liquid is absorbed.
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Take away from the warmth and let it relaxation. Take away the skillet from the warmth; stir the meat combination with a fork and canopy once more. Put aside for 10 minutes, and preserve it lined.
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Serve. Fluff with a fork and style for seasonings; regulate accordingly, then serve.
Energy: 316kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 21g | Fats: 9g | Saturated Fats: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 5g | Trans Fats: 0.3g | Ldl cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 304mg | Potassium: 643mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 855IU | Vitamin C: 45mg | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 3mg
Dietary information is an estimate and supplied as courtesy. Values could differ in keeping with the elements and instruments used. Please use your most popular dietary calculator for extra detailed information.
The way to Make This Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet
We’re sautéeing the greens, cooking the meat, and simmering the rice in the identical skillet. Not solely does this make cleansing up tremendous fast, however all of the flavors meld collectively into a really scrumptious Mexican-inspired meal. Let’s get began:
- Prepare dinner the greens. First, warmth the oil in a big skillet. Sauté the onion and bell peppers till softened.
- Brown the meat. Subsequent, add the bottom beef and taco seasoning. Prepare dinner, breaking apart the meat, till it’s browned and cooked by way of, about 7 minutes.
- Add the rice and liquids. Stir within the tomato paste, rice, and beef broth, mixing till the whole lot is effectively mixed. Deliver the skillet to a boil.
- Simmer till tender. Scale back the warmth to low, cowl, and prepare dinner for 14 to fifteen minutes, or till the rice is tender and many of the liquid is absorbed.
- Fluff, relaxation, and serve. Take the skillet off the warmth and fluff the rice with a fork. Cowl, and let sit for 10 minutes earlier than serving.
Use Leftover Rice
I like making this beef and rice skillet with leftover cooked white rice. On this case, as a substitute of cooking the rice within the beef inventory, stir the tomato paste and cooked rice into the browned floor beef. Prepare dinner for five minutes, till the whole lot heats by way of.
You may also make a low-carb model of this recipe with cauliflower rice utilizing the identical technique as above.
How To Retailer
- Refrigerate. As soon as the meat and rice have utterly cooled, retailer them in an hermetic container and preserve them within the fridge for as much as 3 days.
- Reheat. I recommend reheating leftovers in a skillet set over medium warmth. Add a bit of little bit of broth or water when reheating to assist loosen the combination.
