Spice up your family dinner with this mouthwatering Skillet Mexican Beef and Rice recipe! Perfect for a quick and delicious dinner

For those that don’t know, I’m on this healing journey. This journey involves two major surgeries to replace both my knees. Through no real fault of my own, I might add. This could have been averted when I was a teen. Just saying.

This journey I’m on leads me to find quick and easy recipes I can throw together that taste delicious. This skillet Mexican beef and rice will impress your loved ones with a burst of flavor that will leave them begging for more. Which is fine with you because it comes together quickly with little effort. If you can brown ground beef, then you can make this for dinner. Not to mention it’s on the table in under 30.

What is a skillet meal?

Skillet meals are a versatile and convenient option for busy weeknight dinners. These one-pan wonders, like this skillet Mexican beef and rice, typically combine protein, carbs, and veggies, all cooked together in a single skillet making them quick and easy meals. Skillet meals are great for any meal including breakfast and they can easily be altered for your family’s tastes (read for picky eaters).

And, you guessed it, everything is cooked in the same skillet. They’re a great way to create a satisfying meal with minimal clean-up. You can use any kind of meat and vegetable combinations. Both pasta and rice are great in these one-pot meals. And once you have the basic ratios down, you can make any kind of skillet meal you want.

Picking the right type of meat

When it comes to making a skillet Mexican beef and rice dish, the type of meat you choose can make a big difference in the overall flavor and texture of the dish. I used ground beef which is a popular choice for this type of recipe, It cooks quickly and has a hearty flavor that can really hold up to the taco seasoning use din this recipe.

You can also use ground turkey or chicken for a lighter alternative. Ground pork would be good, too. If you didn’t want to use ground beef, or don’t have any on hand and want to make this, then you can cube up some beef, chicken, or pork to use instead of the ground meat. It will add a little more texture while still taste delicious.

What other ingredients are in skillet Mexican beef and rice?

Besides, the beef, there’s rice. I used a long grain basmati rice because that’s what I usually have on hand. I wouldn’t suggest using arborio rice. It might be too sticky. But any other short or long grain rice would work perfectly.

Next, I added in some black beans. I selected seasoned black beans, but the store was out so they gave me some unsalted black beans. With the salsa and other ingredients you might want to keep your sodium content down in the other ingredients. And I always opt for unsalted when I can because it aggravates my high blood pressure.

The liquids are salsa and broth. I didn’t have beef broth which would have been better, but the chicken broth did the trick. And the salsa was store bought from a jar. It’s a generic medium salsa that we use all the time. A nice chipotle salsa would be great, though!

What’s the secret ingredient?

Actually, there’s sort of 2 secret ingredients in this recipe. The taco seasoning isn’t so much a secret ingredient, but it’s my own personal taco seasoning mix that is a secret ingredient. It has a few different ingredients than your standard store bought. And, it’s catered to our tastes so it might be a bit spicier than you like. Feel free to add less chili powder and cayenne for your tastes. The best part is it’s not packed with additional salt you don’t need in this recipe.

Taco Seasoning

The second secret ingredient is a smoky chipotle bouillon base. Yes, it’s Better then Bouillion that I found at my local grocery store. I bought the Italian herb base and the smoky chipotle together. I was super excited to find them. We’ve been using their regular beef, chicken, and veggie bases, but I was thrilled to find these two!

How do you make sure the rice is cooked perfectly?

There’s nothing worse than overcooked rice. It’s just mush. So, achieving perfectly cooked rice is crucial making this delicious skillet Mexican beef and rice. Usually I rinse the rice before cooking, but that’s when I’m cooking it solo. In this recipe, I wanted things to be easy, so I added it to the beef mixture without rinsing it.

I started to think there wasn’t enough liquid in the pan, but I trusted what I know of the rice to liquid ratios which is one part rice to 2 parts liquid. That includes salsa. I also trusted what I know of cooking perfect rice. And that’s to let is simmer without bothering it too much. I stirred mine once, let it cook a little bit longer before tasting to see if it was done.

Then, I let it set. I covered the pan and just walked away from it for a good 10 minutes. The rice continues to steam which makes it fluffy and delicious. After the time was up, I grabbed a fork and started to fluff it making it light and airy. You should always fluff your rice. It is a game changer.

Serving up your skillet Mexican beef and rice

For me, everything Latin should have cheese on top. This skillet meal is no exception. The melted cheddar on top brings home the taco flavors in this one pot dinner. Along with a spoonful of salsa and cream or sour cream. The creaminess of the crema or sour cream elevates this dish.

I sprinkled some crushed tortilla chips on top with some chopped green onions. Other delicious toppings would be fresh tomato, avocado, some corn, or for those that like is some chopped cilantro. Ew. I wish I had some lime because a nice sprinkling of lime juice would have really brough this dish home. It would have brought a nice acidic brightness to the rich beef and spicy taco seasoning. I will have to try that next time I make this easy skillet meal.

Skillet Mexican Beef and Rice

Name: Skillet Mexican Beef and Rice
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Ingredients: 1 1/2 pounds ground beef; 1 cup thinly sliced onions; 2 tablespoons taco seasoning; 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt; 1 tablespoon smoky chipotle Better than Bouillon base; 1/2 cup salsa; 1 1/2 cups beef broth; 1 cup long grain rice; 1 cup cheese; 1/2 cup sliced green onions; 1/4 cup crushed tortilla chips

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Looking for a new twist on traditional Mexican cuisine? Try out this Skillet Mexican Beef and Rice dish, packed with flavor and sure to please your taste buds!

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 cup thinly sliced onions
2 tablespoons taco seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon smoky chipotle Better than Bouillon base
1/2 cup salsa
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1 cup long grain rice
1 cup cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup crushed tortilla chips

Instructions

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet. Add the onions and continue to cook until they begin to soften.
Stir in the taco seasoning, garlic salt, and smoky chipotle base and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the broth base dissolves.
Add the rice to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes before stirring in the salsa and the broth. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir the rice and check to see if it’s cooked through. When the rice is still a little al dente, turn the heat off and let the rice steam for 10 minutes.
Garnish with the cheese, green onions, and crushed tortilla chips before serving.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 470Total Fat 27gSaturated Fat 11gTrans Fat 1gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 121mgSodium 834mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 2gSugar 4gProtein 38g