Taco Rice Skillet
For a Mexican-inspired meal cooked in one pan, the family will love digging into this Ground Beef Taco Skillet. Southwestern spices, flavorful meat, hearty rice and beans, and plenty of cheese come together into an easy family dinner that will turn any night into a fiesta. Just add your favorite taco toppings!
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: Mexican-inspired
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free option
- Skill Level: Easy
My kids are always asking for Mexican food for dinner. Whether it’s Instant Pot Ground Beef Tacos or Chicken Tostadas, if it has spices and salsa and is begging for a big scoop of guac, they are all over it!
But sometimes I want to change things up from the usual Tex Mex dishes. We love Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas Skillet because it allows everyone to customize the way they enjoy their meal. But when I am short on time, I just want to make one meal in one pan.
That’s where this Taco Skillet recipe comes in. You’ve got your meat and grains and, well, lots of cheese, all in one! Toss a simple salad on the side for some veggies, and you are good to go!
Taco Skillet – A Naturally Gluten Free Rice Recipe
Here’s why any family is going to love this recipe…
- Just a single skillet. As I mentioned, the entire dish cooks in one pan, which simplifies prep and cleanup. Cooking the rice together with lean ground beef and kidney beans makes it filling enough to be a full meal on its own.
- Ready to customize. Gather your family’s favorite taco toppings to let everyone personalize it just the way they like it. Or pile all the toppings right in the skillet and give everyone a big scoop.
- Perfect for mixed diet families. This is a naturally gluten free rice recipe without needing any special ingredients, so gluten free folks and gluten eaters can dig in together. There is no taco seasoning packet, which can sometimes be a source of hidden gluten. But it is still plenty flavorful with a mix of southwestern spices you’ll find in your spice cabinet.
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need to make this ground beef taco skillet. This list shows that it’s a naturally gluten free rice recipe without any swaps needed – just check your labels. Scroll to the recipe card for the full amounts and step-by-step instructions.
- Olive oil: Just enough to coat the pan
- Onion: A small one, diced.
- Ground beef: I like to use lean ground beef.
- Garlic: One clove, minced.
- Can of corn: Drain the liquid.
- Can of kidney beans: Drained and rinsed.
- Canned diced tomatoes: Do not drain this one.
- Small bell pepper: You can use any color. I like to use red ones for that hint of natural sweetness.
- Beef broth: I prefer the carton to canned beef broth, or you can use homemade if you have it. Check that your brand is gluten free, if needed.
- Spices: No taco seasoning packet here. You’ll need spices you probably have in your pantry – ground cumin, dried oregano, cayenne pepper, paprika powder, salt, and ground coriander. You can also swap in 2 Tablespoons of your favorite taco seasoning.
- Converted or parboiled rice: Available from many brands, such as Uncle Ben’s Original. It cooks quicker than regular rice. It is NOT instant rice. See below for more information to ensure you are getting the right thing.
- Shredded cheese: You can use any cheese you like that melts well. I like to use sharp cheddar, or combine it with some Monterey Jack. Skip the cheese or use a plant-based alternative to make it dairy free.
- Toppings: Sour cream, sliced green onions, tomatoes, avocado, or whatever you like.
What is parboiled rice?
You’ll see that this taco skillet recipe calls for parboiled rice. It is also known as converted rice. This is rice that has been processed by soaking, steaming, and drying it. The process of partially boiling rice has many different advantages. One is to make it quicker to cook than raw rice.
Converted or parboiled rice is available from many common brands, such as Uncle Ben’s Original or Zatarain’s Parboiled Long Grain Rice. Note that converted rice is different from instant rice or minute rice, which is even further processed and cooks in about 5 minutes. Parboiled rice will need about 20-30 minutes.
How to Make Taco Skillet
- Brown the meat: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion until translucent, then add the beef and garlic and saute until it is cooked through.
- Add remaining ingredients: Stir in the beans, corn, diced tomatoes, bell peppers, beef broth, and spices. Bring to a boil and stir in the rice.
- Cook the rice. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked and has soaked up the liquid, stirring occasionally.
- Add toppings: Stir in one cup of the grated cheese the scatter the rest over the top. Cover, reduce heat to low and let it melt for 3 or 4 minutes. Take off the lid, add your favorite taco toppings, and scoop some into a bowl to dig in!
Toppings for Taco Skillet
While you can just spoon some of this Mexican ground beef and rice right on your plate, the best part about tacos and anything taco-related might just be the toppings. Here are some ideas:
- Sour cream, plain Greek yogurt, or even Creamy Southwestern Dressing
- Guacamole or avocado crema
- Salsa, pico de gallo, or even something like mango salsa
- Sliced green onions
- Chopped tomatoes
- Sliced avocado
- Crushed tortilla chips
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Leftovers can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 days.
- Freeze – If you want to freeze this taco skillet, I recommend prepping it ahead and freezing the entire dish, omitting the cheese and adding it only when you cook it. Let it thaw completely and heat up in a pan or your microwave. Then stir in and top with shredded cheese as directed.
- Reheat – You can reheat individual servings in the microwave until steaming hot. This is very important when reheating rice.
Can I make it ahead?
If you want to prepare it in advance, reduce the cooking time by about 5 minutes so that you don’t overcook and end up with mushy rice when you reheat it. And do not add the cheese if you prepare it ahead of time. Cover and store it in the refrigerator.
When you are ready to serve it, reheat it over low heat, adding a bit of water if needed to finish cooking the rice. Then add the cheese according to the directions in the recipe.
Variations
- Make it with chicken: Use about 1-2 cups shredded or chopped leftover or rotisserie chicken, or substitute the ground beef with ground chicken or turkey and use chicken broth.
- Swap or double the beans: Try it with black beans, or even skip the beef and double up the beans for a meatless meal. Just try using vegetable broth.
- Spice it up: Add chili powder or swap some or all of the bell peppers for jalapenos.
- Add other vegetables: If you add other vegetables besides bell pepper and you still have too much liquid after the rice is cooked, just cook it without the lid for a couple of minutes on high heat to reduce the sauce, or add one tablespoon of tomato paste to thicken it up.
- Stuff it in burritos: Add a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste to thicken it up, and then stuff it in large tortillas (just make my gluten free tortillas a little larger).
- Make a taco bowl: With the rice, it’s definitely not low carb like these Keto Taco Bowls, but you can use the same idea to make it into more of a grain bowl meal.
Make it a Meal
This is definitely a satisfying dinner to make in just one pan, and doesn’t necessarily need anything else. But maybe you want to add something on the side to fill the plate a little more. Here are some serving suggestions to pair with your taco skillet:
- Serve a salad. Drizzle greens with Jalapeno Ranch Dressing or whip up Taco Slaw.
- Roast veggies. Basic Roasted Cauliflower is simple, while Chili Lime Roasted Sweet Potatoes pack big flavors.
- Add something heartier. You can make this meal more filling with a traditional side of Instant Pot Pinto Beans or some creamy Mexican Street Corn.
More Skillet Recipes
If you love a good one-pan meal, you’ve got to try these:
Mexican Ground Beef Taco Skillet
Equipment
- Large skillet
Ingredients
- 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 small diced onion diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 minced garlic clove minced
- 1 can (15.25 ounces) corn , drained
- 1 can (15.5 ounces) kidney beans , drained and rinsed
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes
- 1 small diced bell pepper (red, green, or any color)
- 2 1/2 cups beef broth
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 cups converted or parboiled rice , such as Uncle Ben's Original, NOT instant rice
- 2 cups shredded cheese , divided (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or your favorite cheese that melts well)
- toppings such as sour cream, sliced green onions, chopped tomatoes, sliced avocado, etc.
Instructions
- Heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 small diced onion and cook for 1-2 minutes until they are translucent.
- Add 1 pound ground beef and 1 minced garlic clove and cook while breaking up until the beef is cooked through and no longer pink.
- Once the ground beef is cooked, add 1 can (15.25 ounces) corn, 1 can (15.5 ounces) kidney beans, 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, 1 small diced bell pepper, 2 1/2 cups beef broth, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon ground coriander. Stir and bring to a boil.
- Stir in 2 cups converted or parboiled rice, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until the rice is cooked and has absorbed the liquid. Stir occasionally and check for doneness.
- Stir in 1 cups Shredded cheese and scatter the additional 1 cups Shredded cheese over the top. Reduce the heat to low and cover for 3-4 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
- Serve immediately with your favorite toppings such as sour cream, sliced green onions, chopped tomatoes, sliced avocado, etc.
Notes
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