This Taco Rice Skillet Dinner includes everything you love about tacos including ground beef (or lighten up with ground turkey), cheese, salsa, rice and all the toppings and it is made as a one pot meal!
The only thing taco this skillet doesn't have is the shell. Although, admittedly, sometimes we scoop it up with tortilla chips and that is kind of like a shell.
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This is truly a family friendly dinner and because it is made in one pot, the clean up is quick and easy.
This skillet dinner recipe is a great alternative to serve on Taco Tuesday, as is my Instant Pot Taco Pasta, Taco Meatloaf, Taco Salad and Taco Pizza.
And if you're looking to cut meat out for whatever reason, this Lentil Taco Bowl is a great way to still get those taco flavors in.
Is it obvious yet that I love taco flavored dishes?
If you want an alternative that is ground beef and rice without all the taco flavor, perhaps give this Hamburger Rice Casserole a try.
Taco Rice ingredients
Of course you can add in whatever typical taco toppings you like but here is the base recipe ingredients.
- Meat - lean ground beef or sub in ground turkey for a lighter version
- Cheese - shredded cheese of your choice, I like a blend such as cheddar-jack
- Produce - onion, garlic
- Rice - medium or long grain rice - not instant
- Flavor makers - beef broth, salsa and taco seasoning
How to make Taco Rice
For the full instructions, see the recipe card below but here is a run down.
- Brown the meat in a non-stick skillet, add the onion cook just until starting to soften and then the garlic.
- Stir in everything else except the cheese. Bring to a boil, cover and knock it down to a simmer.
- Once it is done, add the cheese and top with any toppings you like.
What to eat with Taco Rice
I say this taco rice skillet is a meal in itself, however if you want to feel better, serve with a garden salad.
As I mentioned at the top, sometimes the kids scoop up the taco rice with tortilla chips for the crunch. You can do that too.
The other thing you can do, my husband's preference, is to jam it all inside a flour tortilla and eat it as a wrap.
I prefer to just gobble it down with a big spoon! To each their own.
Suggested toppings
The sky is the limit when it comes to toppings but here are a few of my favorites:
- Sliced jalapenos
- Guacamole
- Black beans (stirred right in at the end)
- Green onions
- Sour Cream
- Hot sauce
- Cilantro
- Olives
I replaced my big non-stick pan in March 2023 and it is wonderful. If you are in the market for a new versatile pan I suggest the Ninja Foodi NeverStick Possible Pan.
Printable Recipe Card
Taco Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- ½ Cup diced onion (sweet onion)
- 2 cloves garlic , chopped or minced
- 1 ounce taco seasoning
- 1 Cup salsa
- 1 Cup white rice (not instant)
- 2 ¼ Cup beef broth/stock
- 1 Cup shredded cheese , cheddar or Mexican blend
Optional garnishes
- Chopped green onions
- Sliced jalapeno
- Sour cream
- Guacamole
- Olives
- Cilantro
Instructions
- In a large, non-stick, skillet over medium/high heat, brown the meat. After a few minutes of the beef cooking, add in the onion. Cook until beef is cooked and onion is soft. Add in garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring. Stir in taco seasoning, rice, salsa and beef broth/stock. Bring just to a boil, then cover and reduce heat to a simmer.
- Allow to simmer, covered for about 20-25 minutes, until rice is cooked. If too much liquid remains, allow to simmer a few more minutes un-covered.
- Sprinkle cheese over the top. You may want to cover to help the cheese melt. Remove from heat and garnish with desired toppings.
The Food Hunter says
one pot meals are always a favorite at our house and this looks to yummy not to try
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Quick, easy and delicious - that's always a winning combo!
Lora @savoringitaly says
It's super hard to take great photos with everyone waiting to dig in...I think you got some good ones! I would add beans to it for my my portion. Super fun summer dish!!
Kelly @ Nosh and Nourish says
Looks delish, and I'm with your fam... I'd want to dig in IMMEDIATELY 🙂
Sarah @ The Chef Next Door says
I think your photos look great! They are making me drool, so that's saying something. 😉 But I'm right there with you, my kids are usually chomping at the bit to eat, so I feel like I have to snap photos pretty quickly!
foodyschmoody says
Yeah, Ive never been one of those "cook dinner in the morning for the great light" kind of bloggers. I'm making dinner for my family first and if the photos happen, it makes it to the blog.
Kim Beaulieu says
This looks seriously scrumptious. I'd eat the heck out of it. Who cares about beautiful photos if the food taste freaking incredible. I think sometimes we put way too much pressure on ourselves as bloggers. It's okay to rush photos when the family wants to eat. I mean look at this, I can just imagine how great the smell was and how hard it would be to wait. Ha.
I love taco-ish recipes. I do a taco rice, taco salad, taco pie, taco sloppy joes, and even taco shepherd's pie. Same with fajitas. I try to make everything fajita-ish. Ha.
foodyschmoody says
Oh Taco Sloppy Joes might be the next thing I can get the picky kids on board for. Thanks!
Rhonda says
That looks delish!
I make a Mexican rice dish that is really good, and can even be stuffed into baked potatoes.
1 1/2 lbs ground beef browned and fat drained.
1/2 small sweet onion minced.
1 green bell pepper , chopped fine.
1 8oz. Can tomato sauce.
1 can Rotel
3 cups shredded cheese.
1 cup of cooked minute rice.
* brown beef with onion, pepper. Drain fat.
Add tomato sauce and Rotel. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to simmer 10 minutes.
Stirring often.
Then add 1 cup of cheese to mixture combine well, then add your cooked rice and again combine well.
Pour into a 9x13 casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese and bake 350 degrees for 20/25 mins, or till bubbly.
Serve with chips, or stuffed into a potato.
Can be topped with any topping you like ...tomato, sour cream, taco sauce, green onion, avocado, guacamole, list is endless.
Hope you give it a try and like it.
Lori says
I made this for dinner tonight in the instant pot, mainly so I could get a shower while it was cooking. It is delicious. Thank you for sharing.
foodyschmoody says
Love my instant pot. Glad it was easily adaptable! I'd love to hear how you adapted it.
Lori says
The rice I had on hand was bismati, so I followed your instructions with my IP on saute, then added the rice and broth, set it to manual high pressure for 3 minutes. When that was done I let it do a natural pressure release, took about 20 minutes, added the cheese and let that melt and dinner was done.
foodyschmoody says
Oh, I love that you changed it up into an IP recipe. I actually just experimented doing the same this week but w/ brown rice and ground turkey. I'm hoping to get the recipe up soon! Enjoy!