One-Pot Cheesy Mexican Ground Beef and Rice — All your favorite burrito ingredients minus the wrap!! Made in one skillet, ready in 30 minutes, and so EASY! Hearty comfort food that’s packed with bold Mexican flavors!!
Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Recipe
I love one-pot recipes. I want to be relaxing on the couch after dinner not doing endless dinner dishes. This skillet Mexican ground beef casserole recipe is easy, hearty, and packed with flavor and texture from the taco-seasoned ground beef, sautéed onions, salsa, tomatoes, corn, rice, cilantro, and cheese. Comfort food at its finest.
This cheesy ground beef and rice casserole has all the ingredients you’d find in a burrito, minus the wrap, and made in a skillet. Anything with Mexican inspired flavors is a hit in our house.
You could incorporate black beans, top with avocado, guacamole, or sour cream. Get creative with your favorite Mexican ingredients.
This was great the day I made it but the flavors married over time and the leftovers were great. They heated up beautifully in the days to follow.
What’s in Mexican Ground Beef and Rice?
To make this cheesy hamburger and rice recipe, you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Ground beef
- Yellow onion
- Taco seasoning
- Petite diced tomatoes
- Salsa
- Water
- Long grain rice
- Corn
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Fresh cilantro
How to Make Ground Beef and Rice Casserole
Add the onion and ground beef to an oiled skillet and cook until the meat is browned. Add the taco seasoning, tomatoes, salsa, water, rice, and some black pepper.
Cover the skillet and allow the mixture to simmer until the rice is tender and cooked through. Once the rice is cooked, stir in the corn and sprinkle with cheese.
Garnish with cilantro and any additional toppings just before serving.
Can I Use Ground Turkey Instead?
I don’t see why not! This Mexican ground beef and rice recipe can easily be made with ground pork, chicken, or turkey instead.
Should I Use White or Brown Rice?
I used long grain white rice since it cooks in under 30 minutes, but you can use any rice you’d like. Just keep in mind that brown rice will take longer to become tender.
Tips for Making Mexican Ground Beef and Rice
I used no salt-added tomatoes, medium heat salsa, and medium reduced-sodium taco seasoning. Go as mild or hot as you like.
Once the rice has been added to the skillet, resist the urge to remove the lid to see if the rice is cooked through. The more you remove the lid, the longer it’ll take for everything to cook.
Note that this cheesy ground beef and rice casserole freezes incredibly well. Let frozen leftovers thaw before reheating.
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One Pot Cheesy Mexican Beef and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- one pound ground beef, I used 85% lean
- one small/medium sweet Vidalia or yellow onion, peeled and diced small
- one 1-ounce packet taco seasoning, I used medium, reduced sodium
- one 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes, I used no salt-added
- ¾ cup red salsa, I used medium Herdez
- ¾ cup water
- ¾ cup long-grain rice, uncooked (I used white)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- ¾ cup corn, I used frozen, straight from freezer
- 1 ½ to 2 cups finely shredded Mexican cheese blend, or your favorite cheese blend
- 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh cilantro, finely chopped
- avocado, guacamole, sour cream, etc. for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the olive oil, ground beef, onion, and heat over medium-high heat to cook. Break up the beef as it cooks and stir onions intermittently to ensure even cooking.
- After beef has cooked through and onions are tender, evenly sprinkle the taco seasoning, add the tomatoes, salsa, water, rice, black pepper, and stir to combine.
- Turn the heat to medium, cover, and allow mixture to simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes or until rice is tender and cooked through. Resist the temptation to lift the lid and stir often. Just let it simmer for at least 20 minutes before doing a quick lid lift to check and also do a quick stir at that point. Re-cover and allow to simmer until rice is done.
- Add the corn and stir to combine.
- Evenly sprinkle with the cheese, cover, and allow cheese to melt and corn to warm through, about 2 minutes.
- Evenly sprinkle with cilantro, any optional garnishes, and serve immediately.
Notes
- Extra will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Mexican Ground Beef Recipes:
My FAVORITE EASY MEXICAN RECIPES
Beef Taco Pasta Skillet – An EASY recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes, made in ONE skillet, and loaded with Mexican-inspired flavors!! A family favorite that’s great for busy weeknights!!
Cheesy Beef Taco Pie — Your favorite taco ingredients baked into a savory, cheesy pie! Ground beef, tomatoes, tortilla chips, and more! Great for parties, tailgating, or easy family dinners and everyone loves it!
Loaded Beef Taco Salad with Creamy Lime Cilantro Dressing – Loaded with your favorite taco fixings, minus the shells, to keep things healthier without sacrificing any flavor! The dressing is easy, creamy and irresistible!
Loaded Nachos with Beef — EASY, ready in 15 minutes, and LOADED with taco-seasoned ground beef, black beans, corn, cilantro, and lots of CHEESE!! Great for parties, game days, after school snacks, or a cheat night dinner!!
One-Skillet Tex Mex Beef Mac & Cheese – An EASY recipe that’s made in ONE skillet so you don’t have to cook the pasta separately!! Loaded with ground beef, peppers, tomatoes, cheese, and cilantro!
Loaded Smothered Beef Burritos Recipe – Mexican comfort food that’s loaded with seasoned ground beef, refried beans, rice, and smothered with sauce and CHEESE!!
Layered Beef Taco Salad – A classic taco salad that everyone LOVES, it’s EASY, and it’s ready in 20 minutes!! There’s ground beef, refried beans, red peppers, tortilla chips, cheese, lettuce, and tomatoes!!
Mexican Meatballs with Tomato Avocado Salad — These FAST and EASY ground beef meatballs are coated are loaded with Mexican-inspired flavors the whole family will LOVE!! Great for busy weeknight dinners or easy-breezy entertaining!!
So glad I checked out your index of recipes first before deciding what to cook. I had ground beef, and surprisingly everything else with this recipe. It turned out so good, my son asked if we could have it again the next night. So we are!
Thanks Averie!
I’m glad you loved it so much (or your son did) that you’re having it again and that you had all the ingredients on hand to make it!
I really enjoyed the Spanish rice dish and my man did as well. I used jasmine rice that was leftover which makes me happy when I can use up leftovers in a new dish. I plan on putting the leftover Spanish rice in soft flour shells for my honeys lunch tomorrow.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Had this pinned and finally had the chance to make it. It was easy and delicious – perfect for this chilly SoCal weather! ;) I subbed black beans since my kids don’t really like corn and they both ate it up – one wrapped inside a tortilla and one scooping it up with tortilla chips. My husband and I ate ours like a burrito bowl with salad. Thanks for the quick and yummy recipe!
I live in San Diego and I swear it’s chili and soup season here right now….damp, dark, cloudy, misting…not good! This dish is perfect for this kind of weather! Black beans sound excellent as do the tortilla options and the salad/burrito bowl option!
I just made this for dinner tonight and it was SO good! My whole family loved and my husband and six year old even had seconds! We wrapped it all up in a tortilla, to make it easier for my two little ones to eat. Thanks for another fabulous and easy recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! I’m so glad you made this because I don’t feel the photos do this recipe justice as to how good it tastes and it’s nice you came back and told me in the comments…maybe it will encourage someone else to try it :)
Of course! It’s incredibly delicious! Just texted my mom, Aunt and bestie this link so they could make it too. ?
Oh you’re awesome to share the link! Thanks :)
Another delicious, easy recipe Averie! I waited til Jon came home to make and it hit the spot tonight ( along with a convenient bag of southwestern salad mix). Lots of cheesy goodness and loads of cilantro for our taste!
Thanks for trying this one and glad it hit the spot! I know you and I both love our cilantro so glad this was perfect for you guys!
Averie, thanks for sharing your One Pot Cheesy Mexican Dish with Beef and Rice recipe. Quick and tasty recipe for those busy times. Good basic recipe! Sylvieann
You’re welcome, enjoy!
The recipe, although I changed it a bit, worked extremely well. I left out the rice and water, added a can of drained black beans, and added an extra 1/2 – 3/4 cup of salsa. I also used a whole package of taco mix (low salt kind). My version was perfect and it made such a lot too. Enough for leftovers today. Thanks again Averie for another winner.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you given the changes you made. And yes mine made a hefty amount too and we had leftovers for a few days!
This was delicious! I didn’t have ground beef so I subbed some carnitas I had in the freezer. I also used long grain brown rice with an extra 1/4 cup of water and threw in a can of black beans. It took a little longer to cook with the brown rice (almost an hour) but now I know for next time! Also, I didn’t know they sold taco seasoning in .25 oz packets so I just threw in the full 1 oz package that I had on hand – it wasn’t too salty and just the right amount of flavor. Thanks for the quick and easy recipe!
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Using up your freezer stash, and black beans, with brown rice…sounds amazing!
I hate cleaning pots and pans. I love Mexican food (especially cozy stuff with lots of cheese!). I mean, there’s nothing about this dish that doesn’t please me. Thanks for the cozy inspiration! Those vibrant photos, too!! Wow.
I couldn’t agree more. One pot meals are the best, especially on busy weeknights! LOVE this tex mex version too!
After cooking all day for the blog, one pot meals are totally my speed for dinner :)
One pot is definitely the best. Plus, CHEESE!!! OMG.
Yes cheese…makes everything better!
hey girl- this is right up my alley! So yummy!
I love everything about this! Easy and cheesy – count me in!
Mexican food is always a hit in my home. Yum!
Yum!! Jon is gone this week but I’d still like to try a couple of new recipes this weekend and leave him some leftovers. An easy mexican dish sounds perfect!
You’re so nice to think ahead for him with leaving him some leftovers!