Mexican Beef & Rice Skillet

Mexican Beef & Rice Skillet is the perfect easy, healthy, and delicious dinner for a busy weeknight! Made with ground beef, brown rice, bell peppers, jarred salsa, taco seasoning, and shredded cheese … this recipe is ready in well under 1 hour. Top this casserole dish with all of your favorite taco toppings for a cheesy, hearty, and nutritious meal!

This post is sponsored by Success Rice but all thoughts and opinions are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Wellness by Kay possible!

Why You’ll Love This Mexican Beef & Rice Skillet

There is SO much to love about this recipe! To me, it is the quintessential recipe to get a delicious dinner on the table for you and your family on a busy weeknight. It has all the makings of a wonderful meal:

• Easy To Make: My number one criteria for a weeknight dinner is that it is easy. It’s a non-negotiable! This skillet recipe certainly checks off that box. It requires minimal chopping or dicing, only a handful of ingredients, and comes together in well under 1 hour!
• Delicious: This ground beef, rice, and beans dish is seriously delicious. It is bursting with Mexican flavors in each and every bite. Plus when you add your favorite toppings it is truly a fiesta in your mouth.
• Nutritious: This recipe is jam packed with nutrition! You get protein from the ground beef and black beans and complex carbohydrates from the whole grain brown rice. Bell peppers add a wonderful boost of nutrients too with their plentiful vitamins and minerals. It all comes together to make a well-balanced, satisfying meal that you will feel good about enjoying!

Ingredients & Substitutions

This Mexican Ground Beef Skillet is made with only a handful of simple ingredients! A couple of shortcuts – like jarred salsa and taco seasoning mix – keep the grocery list short, but the flavor high.

It’s the perfect easy and delicious dinner for the whole family to enjoy on busy weeknights!

• Brown Rice: One of the main ingredients in this Mexican rice skillet is of course rice! I use Success Boil-in-Bag Brown Rice here for quick, easy, and no-mess preparation. It is so convenient and makes this easy dinner even easier than it already is! Any type of rice could be used too – like white rice or even wild rice.
• Ground Beef: The other key ingredient in this easy meal is ground beef. I like to use 90/10 lean ground beef!
• Black Beans & Corn: Black beans and corn are my canned good staples for any Mexican inspired dish! I find them to be such tasty additions that add extra nutrition too.
• Onion & Garlic: I add onion and garlic to almost all of my savory dishes! The aromatics just elevate any recipe. I always recommend using fresh onion and fresh garlic, but if you are in a pinch onion powder and garlic powder will do the trick.
• Bell Peppers: Bell peppers add a boost of color, flavor, and nutrition to this cheesy Mexican beef dish. I love to use a combo of red, orange, and yellow peppers!
• Taco Seasoning Mix: I absolutely LOVE seasoning mixes. They are not always the best for you due to additives, sodium, etc. … but BOY are they a lifesaver. It’s like a shortcut straight to extra deliciousness! Plus there are tons of “better for you” variations on the market if you are looking to keep your ingredients as clean as possible. Like Siete Mild Taco Seasoning which is Whole30 approved!
• Salsa: A jar of salsa adds fabulous flavor here! It also serves as a sauce of sorts. I recommend using a prepared shelf stable jar over a pico de gallo. If you love the fresh stuff, just add some pico on top of your skillet dinner after it is baked.
• Mexican Cheese: My favorite part of this Mexican skillet is the golden, melty layer of cheese on top! What can I say? I am just a cheese lover at heart. I use Mexican style shredded cheese, but any type will do. Like cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, cheddar jack cheese … whatever you have on hand and enjoy.
• Salt & Black Pepper: The aromatics, salsa, and taco seasoning add tons of flavor to this one-skillet dinner. The only extra you need is the basics! Salt and black pepper to taste.
• Olive Oil: This recipe requires a bit of olive oil or olive oil spray. Whichever one you prefer! Just enough to brown the beef and sauté the veggies.

Equipment Needed

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• Cutting Board & Chef Knife
• Can Opener
• Measuring Cups
• Large Skillet

How To Make This Recipe

Prepare: First set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Step 1: Prepare the Success Boil-in-Bag Brown Rice according to the package directions. Set aside.

Step 2: Brown the ground beef. Add olive oil to a large skillet over medium high heat. Once the skillet is hot, add in the ground beef. Brown the beef and season with salt and black pepper. Remove from the skillet and set aside.

Step 3: Add veggies. To the same skillet add the diced onion and bell peppers. Sauté for about 5 minutes.

Step 4: Add the flavor. Next add in the minced garlic, taco seasoning mix, and salsa. Turn the heat down to medium low. Combine and simmer for another 2-3 minutes.

Step 5: Add remaining ingredients. Add the cooked Success Boil-in-Bag Brown Rice, ground beef, corn, and black beans. Combine thoroughly. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Step 6: Add cheese and bake. Flatten out the mixture in the skillet and top with the shredded Mexican style cheese. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted to your liking.

Step 7: Serve and enjoy! I like to top mine with sour cream, fresh cilantro, lime wedges, and avocado.

Optional Variations & Dietary Adaptations

I find this Mexican casserole to be incredibly tasty as is! However, there is always room for adjustments and changes so that it can be perfect for you. Here are some of my suggestions:

• Different Meat: Feel free to swap in a different meat in place of the ground beef here. Like ground chicken or ground turkey! You could even do shredded chicken if you would prefer that.
• Vegetarian: You could even skip the meat entirely. Whether it’s meatless Monday or you’re just trying to include more plant-based recipes in your diet … try adding another can of beans instead of the meat. Or extra rice!
• Low Carb: Looking to lower the carbs in taco night? Try swapping in cauliflower rice for the brown rice here.
• Spice It Up: This recipe essentially has no heat to it because that is what I prefer, but there are many ways to add some spice if you would like! First, use a medium or hot salsa. You could also use a hot taco mix. Or add a dash of cayenne pepper or chili powder. Jalapeño peppers or a different spicy pepper are another option too. Add them with the bell peppers! Lastly, mix in some hot sauce or add it on top.
• Taco Seasoning: You are welcome to use a homemade taco seasoning instead of a seasoning packet! This will typically include a variety of spices – such as chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Here is a popular recipe if you are looking for one!

Expert Tips

Use Success Boil-in-Bag Brown Rice! This helps the Mexican Beef ‘N’ Rice Skillet come together SO easily. The brown rice takes just about 10 minutes and turns out perfectly fluffy and nutty every time. I love to use this quick rice in other recipes too … like my Ground Turkey Teriyaki Bowls and Baja Shrimp Taco Bowls.

Make sure to use a taco seasoning mix and salsa you enjoy! This recipe gets most of its flavor from those two ingredients so it is important to like the taste of the ones you use. For the taco mix I recommend McCormick Original Taco Seasoning Mix or Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix, Original Flavor. My favorite salsas to use are Green Mountain Gringo Mild Salsa or On The Border Original Salsa Mild.

Mexican Beef & Rice Skillet Serving Suggestions

I love to serve this easy recipe just as is with all of my favorite taco toppings on top!

• Sour cream
• Fresh Lime
• Fresh cilantro
• Pico de gallo
• Guacamole or avocado slices
• Green onions
• Red onion

You could also kick things up a notch with my serving suggestions below:

• Tortilla Chips: Probably the best pairing to this rice casserole is tortilla chips! Either just on the side or as a vehicle to enjoy this hearty beans and meat mixture. Scoop away!!
• Stuff It In Peppers: Rather than just baking this recipe as a skillet, you could add the mixture to halved bell peppers. It would be just like my Taco Stuffed Peppers.
• Burritos or Tacos: This ground beef beans and rice would work wonderfully as the filling for burritos or tacos! Add some of your favorite toppings from the list above and enjoy.
• Nachos: I absolutely LOVE nachos and this recipe would be the perfect hearty topping. Simply spread out tortilla chips on a baking sheet, top them with the Mexican beef with rice, and add a layer of queso and shredded cheese. Bake until melty!!

Storing Suggestions

Store leftovers of this Mexican Beef N Rice Skillet in an airtight container. It will last for 3-5 days!

To reheat, simply pop in the microwave for about 60 seconds or until warmed throughout.

FAQs

Related Recipes

More Mexican Food Recipes

• Crockpot Salsa Chicken
• Baja Shrimp Tacos
• Dutch Oven Carnitas (Pulled Pork)
• Marinated Steak Taco Salad
• Ground Beef Fajitas
• Zesty Quinoa Black Bean Salad

More Easy Dinner Recipes

• Big Mac Cheeseburger Casserole
• Healthy Chicken Pomodoro Skillet
• Chinese Beef with Garlic Sauce
• Baked Pesto Butter Salmon
• Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup
• Ground Turkey Sweet Potato Bake

Connect With Me!

If you make this Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet Recipe or any of my other recipes, I would absolutely love to know! Tag me @wellnessbykay on Instagram so I can see and share your recreations.

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