Published 8/8/2024 • Updated 11/10/2024 This ground beef recipe is a Fit Foodie reader favorite and also one we make in our own kitchens on repeat. We love how veggie-packed it is and it’s also high in protein (27g/serving) thanks to ground beef and beans. I personally love serving this nacho-style with tortilla chips, but it’s quite tasty eaten out of a bowl, too!
Looking for healthy ground beef recipes? We got you!
This one-pot Mexican ground beef skillet has hundreds of 5-star reviews and so many of you have made it time and time again, making it IMO, the internet’s most popular ground beef dinner recipe. The rundown: Cook garlic, onion, and bell pepper in olive oil. Then, move that to the side and brown your ground beef in the same skillet. Add the seasonings, tomato sauce, beans, quick-cooking rice, and broth and bring to a boil. Cover and let simmer on low for around 20 minutes.
What does this Mexican Ground Beef Skillet Taste Like?
Similar to our Mexican casserole, this skillet is made with ground beef, taco seasoning, rice, beans, and tons of veggies. It tastes similar to a burrito bowl, but it’s made in one pan on the stovetop.
What You Need for this Mexican Ground Beef Recipe
garlic: every good Mexican dish starts with garlic and that’s just a fact. Feel free to add more if your heart desires. yellow onion bell pepper: we love sneaking veg into our dishes when we can and bell peppers fit quite nicely in this skillet. Choose any color you’d like and even double it if you feel like it. ground beef: the star of this dish really is the ground beef. Now, we like a little fat in our ground beef, which is why we used 85%, but feel free to use a less fatty beef OR even swap it out for ground turkey. taco seasoning: we always have an all-purpose taco seasoning on hand at our house. It’s meant exactly for recipes like this! Basic spices, but a whole lot of flavor. tomato sauce: a little tomato sauce goes a long way. All you need is 1/2 cup and you’re good to go! green chiles: green chiles are mild for a pepper, yet they add really great flavor. If you like it spicy, be my guest and use jalapeños instead! black beans: black beans are another one of those Mexican essential ingredients. I keep a stock-pile of cans in my cupboard because they’re cheap and high protein. Feel free to use pinto instead! Instant rice: instant rice is pure magic. Let me stress the instant because in order for this to coo properly, you need to use instant rice, not regular rice. We tested this with both brown and white and they work swimmingly! shredded cheese: all skillets deserve to be topped with shredded cheese. Add as much or as little as you’d like!
How to Make a Mexican Ground Beef Skillet
As you know, this recipe only requires one pan and one pan only! That means the Instructions are rather simple. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! And, clean-up is a breeze because you only dirtied one pan.
Do I have to strain the beef before moving on?
It is not required to strain the fat from the beef before moving on, but you are more than welcome to if you want!
Can I use regular white rice instead?
While we haven’t tested this method, we are confident that jasmine rice would work. We recommend adding 1/2 cup more broth and letting it simmer until the rice is fully cooked. I read in the comments that other people have cooked their regular white rice separately and mixed it all together at the end and that works, too! If that is the case, we recommend reducing the broth by at least 1/2 cup so it’s not soupy.
Storage Directions
Fridge: Let ground beef skillet cool completely. Then, transfer into a glass container. Will last in the fridge for up to 3-5 days.
Mexican Ground Beef Recipes
Make-Ahead Freezer Beef Burritos Ground Beef Tacos Ground Beef Taco Bowls Taco Casserole Fajita Nachos
Freeze for Later
This is a great recipe to freeze for later! Hold off on adding the cheese and then let the skillet cool completely. Transfer into a freezer-safe, gallon-size bag and then remove as much air as possible. Seal and freeze for up to 3 months.
Healthy Ground Beef Recipes
Looking for more ground beef recipes? Here are some of our favorites!
Italian Meatball Recipe Beef Chili Recipe Crockpot Lasagna Ground Beef Stroganoff Ground Beef Nachos
Tacos: Grab a few street taco shells and plop some of this in there as the filling. You get it all –> meat, veggies, and rice! Top it with a scoop of guac and you’re good to go! Here’s our fav ground beef tacos recipe. Bowls: Eat this skillet as-is with #allthetoppings. Think avocado, hummus, fresh cilantro, and lime juice! Here’s a recipe for our fav Beef Taco Bowls. Burritos: Got leftover skillet? Use it as filling for freezer burritos. Simply follow the directions in our Freezer Beef Burrito post on how to freeze for later!
