Skillet Mexican Beef and Rice

A quick, one-pan dinner made with seasoned beef, rice, veggies, and cheese—perfect for busy weeknights and Cinco de Mayo!

Prep time: PT15M

Cook time: PT30M

Total time: PT45M

Rating

4.58 stars (45 reviews)

Keywords

one skillet, skillet bake, under one hour

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef or chicken
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup taco seasoning
3/4 cup long grain rice
2 cups chunky red salsa
1 can (14 ounce) black beans, drained
2 cups spinach ((optional) )
2 cups fresh or frozen corn
1 1/2 cups Mexican cheeses ((cheddar/pepperjack/colby jack))
plain Greek yogurt
shredded lettuce or chopped cilantro
chopped scallions
cubed or sliced avocado
lots of fresh limes

Cuisine

American
Mexican

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.2. In a large oven-safe skillet, cook the beef or chicken, onion, bell pepper, and taco seasoning, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Cook 10 minutes until the beef is browned. Add the rice. Stir in the salsa, the beans, spinach, if using, and the corn. Add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. 3. Place the lid on the skillet and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Allow the rice to cook for 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked into the rice, but not all of it.4. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the cheese over the beef/rice. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.5. Serve topped as desired with yogurt, avocado, cilantro, scallions, and lime. Enjoy!

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 597 kcal

Reviews

Dagmara on 2026-09-04 (5 stars):
I made it with the ingredients -I was able to source in Finland (small town up north). It came out delicious! My son Nicolas - absolutely loves that dish. From now on- it has been put on the demand list - for rotation. :-) So- a big thank you! It was a huge success.
Leanne on 2026-09-03 (5 stars):
Sooo good! This is in my regular recipes rotation
Emaline Brown on 2026-07-26 (5 stars):
Delicious! Loved it. Used La Victoria mild chunky salsa, Butcher Box taco seasoning (recommend!), forgot the spinach but I’m sure it’s great with it too. I bet it’ll be even more delicious tom..it’s a huge portion though so if you’re just two like us…get hungry :) looking forward to leftovers all week! Thanks so much! Can always trust HBH
Caroline on 2026-07-14 (5 stars):
Such a good recipe! I used orzo because it was all I had and it still turned out incredible. One of the best Mexican recipes I’ve cooked in a while.
Tanya on 2026-06-14 (5 stars):
This is SO. GOOD. But! I have made it twice and both times the rice has been uncooked in spots :( I made some adjustments this time, and I just scooped some and there is still uncooked rice. Do you have any suggestions?
Susan on 2026-04-17 (5 stars):
Great recipe! The first time I took it to a picnic along with chips, tortillas, avocados, lettuce & tomatoes. It was a hit with all ages! Having it again tonight, yummy!
Raya on 2026-04-10 (5 stars):
This was fantastic! Can I freeze this or batch cook it in some way?