Perfect for busy weeknights, this Taco Rice Skillet comes together in around 30 minutes. Made with ground beef, and taco flavors kids love. The simplicity of a one-pan meal, makes this recipe a win for the entire family.
Why We Love This Recipe
- One-Pan Meal - Fewer prep dishes mean less cleanup and more time to enjoy with family.
- Full of Flavor - Taco seasoning, Tomato, and garlic pack this dish with bold, delicious flavors that kids love.
- Quick & Easy - A homemade meal that's ready in about 30 minutes.
- Easy to Make Hearty - Stir in a can of drained and rinsed black beans along with the rice
More taco flavored inspired recipes your family might enjoy are this simple taco pasta made in the instant pot, taco casserole made with Fritos corn chips, and this delicious taco lasagna recipe.
Taco Rice Skillet Ingredients
- Ground Beef - We like lean beef for this one. Since everything cooks together in one pan, there's no straining step later, so less grease up front means a better texture in the end. Ground turkey or chicken are great swaps too. Just add a splash of olive oil to make up for the lower fat.
- Onion - Dice it small so it has time to soften and sweeten while the beef browns, instead of staying crunchy once the rice goes in.
- Garlic - We always add this after the onion, not with it. Garlic cooks fast and turns bitter if it sits in the pan too long.
- Taco Seasoning - We usually reach for a packet for convenience and consistent flavor, but a homemade blend works just as well if you want more control over the salt.
- Tomato Sauce - This is what gives the dish its rich, tangy base and helps keep everything moist as the rice cooks.
- Rotel - Undrained, those juices are part of the rice's cooking liquid.
- Beef Broth - This is what the rice actually simmers in, so it's worth using broth instead of water for a deeper, savory flavor.
- Long Grain White Rice - A quick rinse before it goes in washes away extra starch, which is the difference between fluffy rice and a sticky, clumpy pot.
- Shredded Cheese - Freshly shredded melts smoother and creamier since it skips the anti-caking coating on the bagged kind, but pre-shredded works just fine in a pinch (and is what we used here).
- Optional Toppings - A little sour cream, avocado, or cilantro on top cools things down and balances the taco spice.
How to Make Taco Rice Skillet
Start by heating your skillet over medium heat and crumbling in the ground meat. If you're using turkey or chicken, add a little olive oil first, they need the extra fat to brown well. Toss in the diced onion and let everything cook together until the meat browns and the onion softens, then drain off the excess grease so it doesn't weigh down the rice later.
Stir in the garlic and taco seasoning and let it cook for about a minute. This little step matters more than it seems. Letting the seasoning toast in the pan for a minute brings out flavor that just doesn't happen if you dump it in with the liquid.
Pour in the tomato sauce, Rotel (juices and all), beef broth, and rinsed rice, then stir well. We like to make sure the rice gets spread out evenly here so it cooks at the same rate instead of some grains staying hard.
Cover the skillet and let it simmer on medium-low for about 20 minutes. Leave the lid on the whole time, it's tempting to check, but every time you lift it, steam escapes that the rice needs to cook properly. It's done when the liquid is gone and the rice is tender.
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Sprinkle the cheese on top, put the lid back on, and give it a couple of minutes off direct heat to melt. This keeps it soft and creamy instead of greasy.
Serve it hot with your favorite toppings piled on!
What to serve with Taco Rice Skillet
Taco Rice Skillet is filling enough to be a meal on its own, but we love pairing it with something simple on the side. A crisp side salad tossed with our homemade ranch dressing is one of our favorites. It cools things down against all that taco spice. On busier nights, we'll just cut up some fresh fruit instead. Either way, it rounds out the meal without adding more to the stove.
Taco Rice Skillet FAQ's
Brown rice takes longer to cook, so you'll need to add extra broth and increase the simmering time by about 10-15 minutes.
You can substitute with a can of diced tomatoes with green chiles.
Yes, store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stove with a splash of broth or in the microwave.
Yes, this one freezes really well! Just make sure it's cooled completely first. Once cooled, pack it into a freezer-safe container and it'll keep for up to 3 months. When you're ready to eat it, thaw it overnight in the fridge, or pop it in the microwave on defrost if you need it faster. To reheat, a splash of water or a damp paper towel over the top in the microwave keeps the rice nice and moist instead of drying out.
Tips for Cooking Rice
Rice came out mushy or gummy? We've had this happen when there's too much liquid in the pan, or when we skipped rinsing the rice first. That quick rinse matters more than it seems, it washes off the starch that makes rice gummy, so don't skip it.
Rice still hard and all the liquid's gone? This one's usually the burner running too hot, which cooks off the liquid before the rice has had a chance to soften. Don't worry, it's an easy fix, just add a few more tablespoons of water, turn the heat down to low, and let it keep cooking until the rice is tender.
Rice sticking or scorching on the bottom? Same cause as the hard rice above, too much heat burns off the liquid too fast, and once there's nothing left to simmer in, the rice starts to stick and scorch. Keep the heat at medium-low once you've covered the pan, and you'll avoid this altogether.
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Complete Recipe
Taco Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound Ground Beef lean - ground turkey or chicken may be used
- 1 Onion medium, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 packet Taco Seasoning
- 8 ounce Tomato Sauce
- 10- ounce Rotel not drained
- 1 ½ cups Beef Broth
- 1 cup Long Grain White Rice uncooked and rinsed
- 2 cups Cheese taco or Mexican blend, shredded
Optional Toppings
- Sour Cream
- Green Onion
- Avocado
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and crumble in the ground meat. Add a drizzle of olive oil if using ground turkey or chicken.
- Add the diced onion and cook until the beef is browned and the onion is soft.
- Drain any excess fat.
- Stir in the minced garlic and taco seasoning. Cook and stir for about 1 minute to bring out the flavors.
- Pour in the tomato sauce, Rotel (including the juices), beef broth, and rinsed rice. Stir well to combine.
- Cover the skillet with a lid and let it simmer on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed all the liquid.
- Sprinkle shredded cheese over the top, cover again, and let it melt for a couple of minutes.
- Dish up with your favorite toppings like sour cream, diced avocado, or fresh cilantro.
Keri says
This recipe is super easy and delicious. We love it for those nights we don't really feel like cooking.