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One Pan Taco Rice Skillet Meal

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One pan taco rice skillet is a quick and easy way to get dinner on the table. It has maximum flavor with minimal dirty dishes!

close up of a plate loaded with one pan taco rice skillet meal topped with melted cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and cilantro with red cast iron pan in background.

One pan dinners are among my favorite ways to get supper on the table.  This taco rice version takes very little prep and you are rewarded with a hearty Tex-Mex meal. It’s a great busy night meal and the leftovers are fabulous too.

My one pan BBQ pulled pork rice skillet supper is always popular. It’s a hit at our dinner table and a hit with people who have tried the recipe in their own homes.

Usually I have a fair amount of leftover pulled pork in the freezer, so whipping some up isn’t a problem. This year I seem to be finding myself in a pulled pork shortage.

skillet filled with ground beef, taco seasoning, jalapenos, onions and uncooked rice ready for skillet meal.

So I thought I’d create some new spins on that basic idea.  This taco inspired version is one of our new favorites.

It is a simple and economical way to turn a pound of ground beef and some rice into a great family meal. It comes together quickly and will get gobbled up.

red enameled cast iron skillet full of one pan taco rice skillet meal before the cheese is melted on top.

Tips, Tricks and Potential Variations to Change Up Your Taco Rice

I like using either an enameled cast iron braiser or a deep nonstick saute pan with lid for this kind of skillet meal. Both hold plenty of volume and clean up easily.  A 12″ cast iron skillet would work as well, but cleanup is a bit more finicky.

I used seeded and ribbed jalapenos for the peppers for flavor. It hardly had any heat, so I wish I hadn’t cleaned them so well. 

If you are worried about the heat, just use a bell pepper or a few smaller sweet peppers instead.

skillet full of one pan taco rice skillet meal topped with melted cheese, chopped tomatoes, cilantro and sour cream.

You can sub in your favorite beans if you don’t have or don’t like black beans. Or leave them out altogether if you prefer.

Feel free to stir in some corn if you’d like. It is a fabulous addition, but my husband prefers it without.

Ground turkey or venison would be great substitutions for the ground beef.  Or leftover carnitas or barbacoa would be delicious as well.

plate of one pan taco rice skillet meal topped with sour cream, tomatoes and cilantro in front of red cast iron skillet full of remaining dish.

Serving Suggestions

I ate mine as is. My husband loaded his in a tortilla with additional jalapenos, tomatoes, cheese and sour cream.

Serve with a small green salad, or on top of a salad!

Serve with avocado black bean salad or roasted salsa and tortilla chips.

Use your favorite taco toppings. We enjoyed fresh tomatoes, sour cream and cilantro.  Guacamole, taco sauce, chives, onions or additional salsa would be great as well.

More Great One Pan Recipes

If you love this recipe, you will also like one pan taco pasta. It is a fun mix of pasta flavors and mac and cheese.

One pan BBQ pulled pork and rice skillet dinner is full of flavor and texture.  It will have everyone coming back for a little more and leave you with very few dishes too.

Creamy chicken and noodles is a great weeknight dinner that is full of flavor and the whole meal is in one dish.

Creamy pasta with Italian sausage and broccoli is another great one pot dinner. It is popular with the whole family.

Did you make this great recipe? Please leave a review in the recipe card below!

close up of a plate loaded with one pan taco rice skillet meal topped with melted cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and cilantro with red cast iron pan in background.

One Pan Taco Rice Skillet Meal

Carlee
One pan taco rice skillet is a quick and easy way to get dinner on the table. It has maximum flavor with minimal dirty dishes!
5 from 15 ratings
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Dinners
Cuisine American
Servings 8 Servings
Calories 303 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 1 pound ground beef or turkey or venison
  • 1 small onion diced
  • 2 jalapenos seeded and diced (or 1 bell pepper)
  • 1 package taco seasoning
  • 1 cup long grain rice uncooked
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 2 cups water
  • 14 ounce can black beans drained
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
  • Your favorite toppings

Instructions
 

  • In a large skillet with a lid, cook ground beef, onions and peppers over medium heat until the meat is browned and the onions are translucent.
    1 pound ground beef, 1 small onion, 2 jalapenos
  • Add the taco seasoning and rice.  Stir to coat everything with the seasoning and let the rice toast for a minute or two.
    1 package taco seasoning, 1 cup long grain rice
  • Add the salsa and water, bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir it about 15 minutes in and add additional water if necessary.
    1 cup salsa, 2 cups water
  • Stir in black beans.
    14 ounce can black beans
  • Sprinkle cheese over the top, cover and let melt for a minute or two.
    1 cup cheddar cheese
  • Serve with your favorite taco toppings. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1ServingCalories: 303kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 23gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 66mgSodium: 627mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2g
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Recipe Rating




Fred

Wednesday 19th of April 2023

We didn't have any black beans, but I did add a drained can of corn. My parents had it in bowls. My nephew and I had it in soft tortillas, burrito style. I wish that I had thought of adding some sour cream to the tortillas, like I do with tacos. For those not watching sodium intake, I HIGHLY recommend seasoning the beef and then again after the rice has cooked.

Carlee

Thursday 20th of April 2023

My husband likes to eat it in a tortilla as well. I do the bowls. And yes to the sour cream next time!

Emily Renn

Wednesday 28th of April 2021

I did this tonight! Although, I didn’t have salsa, I ended up using corn and sour cream to mix in it. & and I chopped up peppers and onions to top with, and melted queso! It was DELICIOUS and even the kids loved it. My hubby crushed up tortillas and topped with. If we had some I would have even added taco sauce.

Carlee

Wednesday 28th of April 2021

YAY! I am so glad you liked it!

Debbie

Wednesday 28th of August 2019

Hi Carlee, I just wanted to let you know that followed this recipe yesterday and it went down a treat. It was so quick and easy to throw together it was the sort of dinner I was in the mood to prepare after a busy day.... I cooked it in the wok which worked lovely and I have since dug out the cast iron pot and am re-seasoning it as I type.

xx

Carlee

Monday 9th of September 2019

YAYYYYY! I am so glad you enjoyed it!!

Amy

Tuesday 27th of August 2019

I love one pan meals and this one sounds like one that my family will really like. Thanks for sharing the recipe and enjoy the rest of your Summer.

Carlee

Monday 9th of September 2019

It's a family pleaser for sure! Thank you!

Debbie

Monday 26th of August 2019

Hi Carlee, just reading this post has reminded me that I need to eat!... Life is a littel busy at the moment and this sort of meal will go down a treat. I will betrying it soon... I also keep meaning to dig out my cast iron pot too. We have a love/hate relationship. I hate it as it's big and heavy, but I love it too just because it holds so much.

xx

Carlee

Monday 9th of September 2019

Eating is something I rarely forget to do ;-) But I do hear you, life has been busy lately. Cast iron is really heavy, but so nice too!