Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet

This Mexican beef and rice skillet is an easy one pan dinner that is packed with protein, flavor and is so easy to make. With lots of fresh veggies, ground beef, spices and topped with Mexican cheese! This is a gluten free favorite you’ll keep coming back to.

It’s that time of year where things get busy and you need easy, filling and flavorful dinners that everyone in your family will eat and love. In comes this Mexican beef and rice skillet! This recipe is made with simple, pantry staple ingredients and is made entirely in one skillet.

It has tons of protein from the beef, fiber from the beans, veggies like red and green bell pepper and topped with a gooey layer of Mexican cheese. If you love this recipe, try my gluten free quesadillas next!

Tips before we get started!

If you would prefer using brown rice instead of rice, you will need to increase the amount of chicken broth because brown rice takes longer to cook and requires more liquid. I would up to at least 3 cups and adjust as needed.
If you aren’t a big fan of beans, you can just leave them out! No other subs are needed. If you are using them, be sure to drain and rinse before adding to the dish.
If you’re in a pinch, instead of the spices and seasonings listed, you can just use one packet of your favorite taco seasonings.

How to make Mexican beef & rice skillet

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add in the oil and ground beef. Saute for just a couple of minutes until the beef starts to brown, then add in the diced onion.

Saute until the beef is no longer pink, then add in the garlic and diced bell peppers and saute for 3-4 more minutes.

Add in all remaining ingredients aside from the cilantro and cheese. Bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring 2-3 times throughout.

Once the rice is fully cooked and the liquid is absorbed, stir in about 1/2 cup of cheese plus the cilantro.

Add the remaining cheese on top, cover and let melt. Remove from heat and serve with extra cilantro, avocado or red pepper flakes. Enjoy!

two images showing how to make the recipe

Prep ahead of time!

This Mexican beef and rice skillet keeps really well so I love it for meal prep. My tip for heating leftovers is to add a splash of water to keep things moist. I also love adding some more fresh cilantro or melt some extra cheese on top so it feels fresh.

To store in the fridge: Once the cooled, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. I usually just reheat right in the microwave, but you can reheat on the stove with some water or even in the oven in an oven safe dish.
To freeze: Again, let cool fully, then I like to transfer to smaller containers so I only have to thaw what I need at a time instead of the whole recipe – makes things easy if you live alone or are cooking for yourself! You can store it in the freezer for up to 1 month, then let thaw and reheat either in the microwave or oven.

plate with the mexican beef and rice skillet with cilantro on top

Tips for success!

Don’t pre cook the rice! You need the rice to go in uncooked because it will absorb the liquid from the tomatoes and chicken broth and also all the flavors from the spices.

Change the level of spice! The recipe as written is not very spicy and the spice is really just coming from the red pepper flakes. You can make it spicier by topping it off with hot sauce when you serve or just adding more red pepper flakes (or even cayenne pepper) right into the mixture.

How to serve: Because we have protein, veggies, carbs and healthy fats all right in there, I usually just serve this all on it’s own! I love some chips and pico de gallo on the side if you want some more crunch. If you want more veggies, a simple kale salad with my cilantro lime crema as the dressing is delicious!

mexican beef and rice skillet with cheese on top

More easy dinner recipes!

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