This quick and easy taco inspired Mexican Beef Skillet is made with ground beef and ready in about 30 minutes. It’s delicious and the whole family will be begging for seconds! Hearty, healthy and super versatile!
If you’ve been following me for awhile now you know how much I love skillet meals! I mean, who doesn’t? They’re one-pan wonders my friends and if you haven’t jumped on the skillet meals band wagon yet, you really need to.
Skillet meals are endlessly adaptable to whatever your tastes might, whatever you’ve got on hand, or whatever kind of mood you might be in.
This Mexican Beef Skillet is so fantastic! It’s loaded with so many good things and comes together in about 30 minutes.
This simple dish starts by partially browning your ground beef and then adding:
- garlic
- onion powder
- bell pepper
- taco seasoning
- tomato sauce
- green chiles
- black beans
- minute rice
- beef broth
Once it cooks and simmers a bit then you top if off with some cheese. Pop it in the oven for the cheese to melt and in minutes you have a scrumptious, hearty dinner ready to be enjoyed.
Ways to serve this Mexican Beef Skillet:
- As is: This skillet meal is fantastic eaten on its own. Serve it with a green salad, fresh fruit or corn on the cob. It’s filling and so delicious!
- Tacos: Fill your favorite taco shells with a scoop of this and then pile your favorite taco toppings on top.
- Salad/Bowls: Make yummy salads/bowls by piling on the lettuce, guacamole, café rio dressing, salsa, more cheese, cilantro, etc., or whatever you’d like.
- Burritos: Use this for burritos by filling tortillas with this mixture, toss some cheese on top and fold in the sides and roll them up.
- Nachos: Grab some tortilla chips and dig in or spread some chips onto a baking sheet and pile the meat mixture on top. Throw some more cheese on top and pop it in the oven to melt the cheese.
A few helpful hints:
- Be sure to use instant rice for this dish and not regular rice. It will not cook properly if you use regular rice. Either brown or white minute rice will work.
- You can swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken.
- Use your favorite brand taco seasoning or homemade if you make your own.
- I love this with colby jack cheese, but any kind will work. . . pepper jack, mozzarella, Mexican blend, cheddar, etc.
- You can use any color of bell pepper that you love or have on hand. . . red, orange, yellow, green. Feel free to use more than one kind.
- Any way you serve this it is delicious and if you want to make it even better, drizzle some cafe rio dressing over it (no matter what way you decide to serve it). Sour cream is also another delicious idea.
Completely freezable!
This is a great recipe to make and freeze for later! Don’t put the cheese on top and let it cool completely. Once it’s cooled, put it on a gallon-size Ziploc bag, removing as much air as possible. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months. You could also put it in a container, but I prefer using a Ziploc bag because thaws much quicker.
If you love easy dinners that don’t require much in the way of babysitting, then I got your back today. This one is a keeper!
Print
Mexican Beef Skillet
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 clove garlic, minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 2/3 cup chopped bell pepper
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning (store bought or homemade)
- 1 can ( 8 oz) tomato sauce
- 1 can (4 oz) green chiles
- 1 15–oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup minute rice (brown or white)
- 1 1/4 cups beef broth
- 1 cup shredded colby jack cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet add ground beef, minced garlic and onion powder cook over medium high heat, breaking up the ground beef. When meat is partially cooked, add bell pepper and continue cooking until meat is fully cooked.
- Add the taco seasoning, tomato sauce, green chiles, and black beans and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Then, add in the minute rice and beef broth. Bring to a boil over medium/high heat.
- Once meat mixture begins to boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until the rice has softened and absorbed the majority of the liquid.
- Sprinkle cheese on top of skillet and either cover with the lid to melt the cheese or put it in the over at 350ºF for a few minutes until the cheese is melted.
- Serve with chips or any of the ways suggested!
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 20 mins
Recipe Source: Adapted slightly from Fit Foodie Finds
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