Are you looking for an easy and delicious meal for dinner tonight? If so, this ground beef and rice skillet is the perfect dish! It’s a healthy one-pot meal made with lean ground beef, rice, cheese, and fresh veggies cooked in one pan for easy cleanup.
Ground beef dishes make for a quick and satisfying meal. Ground beef is a versatile ingredient that can be used to make recipes from around the world. This particular recipe uses two budget-friendly ingredients – ground beef and rice – to create an economical meal the whole family will enjoy.
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Read on to find out how to make this comforting one-pot dish that is sure to become part of your weekly meal rotation!
🍅 Ingredient Tips
- Ground beef – A lean 90% (90/10) is ideal but if you need to use ground beef with a higher fat content, it will be ok. You’ll just wind up having to drain more fat and end up with a little less meat volume.
- Onion – I prefer yellow in this recipe but white will do.
- Bell Pepper – For this recipe I used a red bell pepper for its flavor and sweetness. Yellow and green bell peppers pair well with ground beef too though which gives you a little flexibility.
- Garlic – Using the jarred garlic found in the produce section of your local grocer is a time-saver here.
- Tomatoes – Use Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (or store-brand equivalent). Do not drain.
📝 Step-by-Step Directions
1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef, garlic, salt, and pepper over medium heat. Drain and return to the stove at medium heat.
2. Stir in the onion and peppers. Continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes to soften the onions and peppers.
3. Add the beef broth, rice, undrained Rotel, and Worcestershire Sauce to the skillet and stir until well combined.
4. Bring everything to a boil, reduce heat, and cover. Simmer in the skillet for another 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
5. Remove from heat and sprinkle generously with cheese. Cover the skillet and let the mixture rest for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
6. Garnish with chopped parsley if desired. Serve warm.
Ground beef and rice is one of those dishes that has countless variations; no two people make it exactly the same way. Some like to add onions and garlic while others spice it up with chili powder or jalapeños! That’s why ground beef and rice is great—you can customize it endlessly according to your tastes or dietary requirements.
❓ FAQ
This one-skillet meal has meat, grain, and vegetables in it already which makes it pretty well-rounded. You might like to serve it with a garden salad and garlic bread for a larger meal.
Yes, you can freeze this ground beef and rice dish. If you’re planning to freeze part or all of this meal, leave out the cheese before freezing and add it when you reheat it to serve. Add the recipe (minus the cheese) to a gallon freezer bag and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
🥘 How to Serve Ground Beef and Rice
Ground beef and rice is a classic combination for an inexpensive, crowd-pleasing meal that is complete on its own. If you’d like a larger meal, try making oven-roasted beets and brussels sprouts or a creamy cucumber salad to go with it.
Got leftovers?
- Try filling hard taco shells or flour tortillas to make tacos with the leftovers.
- Stuff the leftovers into green bell peppers and top with tomato sauce before baking to make stuffed peppers as a meal.
- You could also transform this ground beef and rice dish into a casserole with a little creativity.
📖 Recipe
Ground Beef and Rice Skillet Meal
Ingredients
- 1 lb lean ground beef 90/10
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 10 oz can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chiles
- 1 ½ cups beef broth
- 1 cup long grain rice
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
- parsley optional garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown ground beef, garlic, salt and pepper over medium heat. Drain and return to the stove at medium heat.
- Stir in the onion, and peppers. Continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes to soften the onions and peppers.
- Add the beef broth, rice, undrained Rotel, and Worcestershire Sauce to the skillet and stir until well combined.
- Bring everything to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for another 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Remove from the heat and sprinkle generously with the cheese. Cover the skillet and let the mixture rest for 5 minutes or until the cheese melts.
- Garnish with chopped parsley if desired.
Notes
- Ground beef – A lean 90% (90/10) is ideal but if you need to use ground beef with a higher fat content, it will be ok. You’ll just wind up having to drain more fat and end up with a little less meat volume.
- Onion – I prefer yellow in this recipe but white will do.
- Bell Pepper – For this recipe I used a red bell pepper for its flavor and sweetness. Yellow and green bell peppers pair well with ground beef too though which gives you a little flexibility.
- Garlic – Using the jarred garlic found in the produce section of your local grocer is a time-saver here.
- Tomatoes – Use Rotel Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies (or store-brand equivalent). Do not drain.
Amy Kouse says
This looks amazing! I can’t wait to try this out on my family.
Jenn says
It’s a real time saver during the week! Hope you all love it.