Whether you make this on game day or eat it as a main meal, this Mexican Ground Beef Skillet requires one pan only and only 40 minutes of your time!
We love ground beef recipes here at Fit Foodie Finds because beef adds so much flavor to whatever you are cooking. Keep scrolling for more healthy ground beef recipes.
This Mexican Beef Skillet is a Fit Foodie reader favorite. It’s one of our best healthy ground beef recipes because it’s veggie-packed, high-protein, and made with just one pan!
Featured Comment
“This was absolutely delicious. My kids made burritos with it and we also used tortilla chips.“ – Sharon
Seriously one of the BEST Healthy Ground Beef Recipes!
This seriously might be one of the best healthy ground beef recipes we’ve ever made! It has hundreds of 5-star reviews and so many of you have made it multiple times.
It’s all about versatility. Want to eat it as a healthy dinner idea? Need a game day app? Want a meal-prep lunch recipe? Girl, this works for all of that!
Made in just one pan, this Mexican skillet recipe is made with all the flavors, plus is packed with veggies, beans, and rice, too!
In this post, we’ll teach you how to make one of the best ground beef recipes on the internet, how to serve it, and how to freeze it.
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 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!
Kitchen Accessories
Here are all of the essentials you need to make one of the most amazing Mexican ground beef recipes. PS: these are great kitchen items to have on hand for making all ground beef recipes!
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.
- Cook Veggies: Start off by partially sauteeing the bell pepper, garlic, and onion in olive oil. The goal here is to get them partially cooked, but not all the way.
- Add Beef: Move the veggies to one side and add ground beef. Saute until the beef is fully cooked and then mix everything together.
- Add Rest of Ingredients: Add the rest of the ingredients to the pan and bring to a boil. Then, turn the burner down to low and cover it. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the rice has softened.
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3! And, clean-up is a breeze because you only dirtied one pan.
Try it!
Homemade Taco Seasoning
Make your own u003cstrongu003eHomemade Taco Seasoningu003c/strongu003e with just 9 ingredients you likely already have in your spice cupboard, and you’ll be on your way to the most flavorful meat or veggie tacos in no time.
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.
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.
FAQ
Can I use normal white rice or brown rice?
Unfortunately, we only recommend using minute rice as both the cooking time and amount of liquid would change.
Can I use pinto beans instead of black beans?
Yes! Any kind of beans will work for this recipe.
How do I make this less spicy?
The best way to make this less spicy is to reduce the spice from the taco seasoning you use. Omit the paprika and cayenne pepper.
Can I make this vegetarian?
We have tested this with a plant-based ground and it came out great. Feel free to use your favorite kind.
Can I sub quinoa instead?
While we haven’t personally tried this, many of you have and said that quinoa works just great.
Can I use a different kind of ground beef?
Yes! Many of you have made this recipe with ground turkey, ground chicken, and ground venison.
Serving Suggestions:
Nachos: Our personal favorite way to serve this skillet is with tortilla chips. That means you can either eat it as nachos for a main meal or an appetizer! Cough cough, game day! Try our 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!
Email Me this Recipe
Share your email, and we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus, enjoy weekly doses of recipe inspiration as a bonus!
"*" indicates required fields
Mexican Ground Beef Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 medium yellow onion minced
- 2 large bell peppers diced
- 1 lb. 85% ground beef
- 3 tablespoons homemade taco seasoning
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons green chiles
- 15 oz. canned black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup quick-cooking brown rice quick-cooking white rice works too!
- 1.5 cups beef broth any kind
- 1/2 cup Mexican shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Heat olive oil over medium/high heat in a large nonstick skillet*.
- When olive oil is fragrant, add garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Saute for 3-5 minutes.
- Then, move veggies to the side and add in ground beef. Saute ground beef for 7-9 minutes, or until fully cooked. Mix everything together in the pan.
- Once the beef is fully cooked, add taco seasoning, tomato sauce, green chiles, and black beans and cook for a few minutes. Then, add in quick-cooking rice and broth. Bring to a boil over medium/high heat.
- Once boiling, turn down to low and cover. Let simmer for around 20 minutes or until the rice has softened and absorbed the majority of the liquid.
- Sprinkle cheese on top of skillet and either let melt naturally or pop it in the oven at 400ºF for a few minutes to fully melt cheese.
- Serve beef skillet with chips!
Tips & Notes
- Skillet size: we used a 16-inch skillet, but if you use something smaller, just make sure it is deep enough. A dutch oven would work perfectly!
- Nutrition information includes our homemade taco seasoning recipe.
Watch It
Nutrition facts
Top 5 Healthy Ground Beef Recipes
Here are our top 5 meals with ground beef that we just know you will LOVE. These recipes are packed with flavor, protein, and are easy to put together.
Beef Chili Recipe
The best chili recipe you’ll ever eat is right here! Our classic beef chili is made with ground beef, beans, diced tomatoes, and a homemade chili seasoning.
Ground Beef Tacos
Taco night has never been easier or more delicious than with these Easy Ground Beef Tacos that are seasoned with a simple (and clean ingredient!) homemade taco seasoning, and paired with your favorite toppings.
Best Meatball Recipe
Italian meatballs and pasta is a crowd-pleasing, kid-friendly dinner idea. This truly is the best meatball recipe and it’s simply made with ground beef, breadcrumbs, parmesan, and your favorite marinara!
Yummy Wild Rice Meatloaf
This Wild Rice Meatloaf packs all the savory flavors (+ 19g protein per serving!) you love during the colder months of the year. Cozy up and make this easy and delicious meatloaf recipe for dinner tonight!
Crockpot Lasagna
Make tonight Italian night with this amazing crockpot lasagna! This lasagna is made with a flavorful meat sauce, a delicious cheese mixture, and is super easy to make. Make it for the family tonight or meal prep it for the week!
This was so good! Hearty and flavorful. We served it as a burrito filling, but it seems super versatile.
The store was out of minute rice, so I made it with quinoa.
We have a ton leftover so will be freezing leftovers for burritos and nachos.
Love your leftovers plan!!
brilliant communal one-pot, perfect for a relaxed birthday meal around the fire!!! served with tortillas for dipping and natural yogurt for garnish.
i made this for my friends and family, i would highly recommend this to anyone who loves Mexican food https://bit.ly/2FaKlwt
Big Hit with the entire fam! I used cauliflower rice instead of instant rice (and just left out the broth). The kids aren’t normally big fans of beans but they were perfectly “hidden” and they didn’t bat an eye! Definitely adding this into our rotation!
can’t read the recipe because of all the pop up ads
Hi! Try this: https://fitfoodiefinds.com/mexican-ground-beef-skillet-recipe/print/81394/
Thanks for sharing this great recipe, it a hit
Such a yummy and quick recipe! We had a lot of leftovers so I will use the rest of the skillet to make freezer burritos. I also didn’t have minute rice, so we made normal rice and added it to the skillet once done. Thanks 🙂
Lee, I made a deconstructed version because I forgot to time the beans correctly (I used dry and had to soak and then cook forever). Either way though, it was so good! Perfect seasoning with the beef and sauteed veggies. I also used quinoa because that’s what I had. Turned out well. Ate it three days in a row! Just told my husband I might have to make it at least twice a month.
I warmed up frozen cauliflower rice and it worked fine. No need for broth or 20 minute simmering since our assumption was it wouldnt absorb anything. It turned out fine and there was a sweet smokey smell i wasnt expecting.
I’m curious as to whether or not I could substitute cauliflower (fresh, not frozen) for the rice. I don’t have any on hand typically.
Hi! You can, but I can’t give you exact baking instructions because I haven’t tested it!
So easy and so good!!
This recipe is super easy and delicious! My whole family LOVED it and I think it’s a new found favorite. They all thanked me for making!
Glad you loved it!
It’s a challenge to not make this every week at our house. So so good and love how flexible it can be with whatever veggies/canned goods we have around!
It’s seriously one of my favorites!
I made a vegan version of this recipe today and it was also delicious. I used black and pinto beans (1 can of each). I left out the beef and cheese and I substituted vegetable broth. We topped our portions with green onion, shredded lettuce, olives, jalapeño slices, avocado, and crushed up corn tortillas.
We just posted a vegan skillet recipe today that you will LOVE! Check it –> https://fitfoodiefinds.com/one-pot-vegetarian-thai-curry/
so tasty and super easy to make. This will definitely go in our regular rotation. Loved it!!
Just wondering , in Australia we don’t seem to have instant rice (rice that is cooked then dehydrated in a packet?)
Would you use pre cooked rice instead and add later or add normal white rice and cook for longer?
Hmmmmmm. That’s a tough one because it’s all about the liquid ratio here. You could try regular white rice and cook it longer!
I just made this and had the same issue, no instant rice. I cooked the rice separately and eliminated the beef stock and then mixed it all together and it turned out great!
It’s a challenge to not make this every week at our house. So so good and love how flexible it can be with whatever veggies/canned goods we have around!
I added raw rice and just cooked it for longer. it turned out great.