Easy Ground Beef and Rice Skillet

Get ready to dive into a delicious dinner tonight! Whip this tasty ground beef and rice skillet; the ultimate comfort meal. It's the go-to recipe for busy weeknights; even pickey eaters will ask for seconds.

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This quick and hearty one-pan wonder combines seasoned ground beef, fluffy rice, colorful peppers, and juicy tomatoes. The gooey cheese on top pulls it all together! Ready in just half an hour, this comforting skillet meal will satisfy your hungry family. That's why I love this recipe, and I think you will, too!

This hamburger rice skillet is a favorite recipe for crazy-busy weeknights when the last thing I want to do is deal with cooking and dish duty. Since it's a one-pan meal, you won't have a lot of dishes to do at the end of the night.

Can you really beat a meal made in just 30 minutes? The kids have even learned how to make it themselves; it's so easy to put together.

Add this meatball casserole to the quick dinner list, let your slow cooker do all the work, and make this crockpot pork chops for busy weeknights.

Jump to:

• Why I Love This Recipe
• Ground Beef and Rice Skillet Ingredients
• How To Make Cheesy Beef and Rice Skillet
• Tips for Cooking Hamburger and Rice
• Get Creative With These Variations
• Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Skillet FAQs
• Equipment Needed for This Skillet Beef and Rice
• More Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas
• Storage
• More To Make And Eat
• Recipe
• Hello there, I'm Jere'

Why I Love This Recipe

This might be the best hamburger rice recipe I've tried so far! Here's why you're going to love it too:

• Quick to make: This easy dinner is simple to whip up on busy weeknights. With just 15 minutes of prep time, you'll have it on the table ready for the whole family to enjoy in no time.
• Cheap meal: This meal uses simple, inexpensive ingredients. The ingredients also go a long way to make a lot of food!
• Picky eaters approved: With the rich flavors and delicious cheese, even picky eaters will be a big fan of this dish. I know, I have a picky eater and she loves this dish.
• Easy cleanup: You only need a large skillet, which is easy to clean up after cooking. This recipe is perfect for busy evenings when you don't want to think about dishes and just want to relax after a long day.
• Reheats well - Double the recipe and reheat for lunches during the rest of the week!

Ground Beef and Rice Skillet Ingredients

• Ground beef - A pound of hamburger is all you'll need for this complete meal. You can also use other ground meat options, such as ground turkey or ground chicken.
• Onion - Yellow onion adds the perfect flavor to this rice recipe. You can also use white onion.
• Bell pepper - I used red bell pepper to add a hint of sweetness. You can use your preferred choice of bell peppers. 
• Seasonings - I used salt, pepper, and minced garlic.
• Rotel - Choose your preferred spice profile or use diced tomatoes and green chilies.
• Rice - I used regular long grain rice for this recipe to really absorb all the flavors. You can also use brown rice as a healthier alternative. You'll need to add additional beef broth and cook time, however.
• Beef broth - This adds some extra flavor to the meat mixture rather than just using water.
• Worcestershire sauce - Just enough to add flavor to the ground beef.
• Cheese - I loved the cheddar cheese in this dish, but you can opt for your favorite.
• Parsley - Used as a garnish when serving this dish. It adds a nice touch to any of my ground beef recipes.

How To Make Cheesy Beef and Rice Skillet

Step 1. Brown the ground beef with garlic, salt, and pepper over medium heat in a large skillet. Drain any excess grease and return to the stove.

Step 2. Stir in the onion and red bell pepper once the beef cooks. Cook for 3-4 minutes to soften the onion and bell peppers.

Step 3. Add the white rice, undrained Rotel, beef broth, and Worcestershire sauce to the rice skillet and stir until well combined.

Step 4. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Simmer for 20 minutes until the rice is tender.

Step 5. Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Cover the skillet and let the mixture rest for 5 minutes until the cheese melts nicely. It should be nice and gooey when it's done.

Step 6. Garnish with chopped parsley and top with sour cream, if desired. Serve and enjoy this delicious, easy recipe!

Tips for Cooking Hamburger and Rice

If you haven't made a one-pot meal like this one before, here are few tips to consider as you cook:

• Rinse the rice until the water runs clear to remove excess starch. This helps achieve fluffier rice that doesn't clump together.
• You want to soften the tomato and onion just enough so there's still a bit of crunch left. This will add a nice texture.
• Make sure to add ingredients in the correct order, or some ingredients might burn. You want to add the things that take the longest first and the ingredients that have the least amount of cooking time last. (This is true for any one-pot meal!)

Get Creative With These Variations

Want to mix it up for something different? Here are a few things to try:

• Add some spice to the dish by adding taco seasoning, chili powder, or even chopped jalapenos!
• Add corn and black beans for some extra flavor and texture.
• Use brown rice, jasmine rice, or basmati rice instead! Any type of rice will work as long as you adjust the liquid and cooking time.
• Use a green pepper instead, or mix it with the red peppers.
• Swap out the parsley for cilantro.
• Use ground chicken and chicken broth instead of beef.
• Swap out the cheese with your favorite, such as pepper jack cheese.
• Add your favorite veggies, such as broccoli and zucchini.
• Add this recipe to some flour tortillas for a burrito variation of the meal.

Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Skillet FAQs

Equipment Needed for This Skillet Beef and Rice

You don't need anything fancy! This is a super basic dish; a large skillet will do the job.

More Easy Weeknight Dinner Ideas

• Easy One Pan Meatball Casserole
• Crock Pot Pork Chops and Gravy
• Easy To Make Cast Iron Skillet Burgers
• Ranch Pasta Salad with Bacon
• Hashbrown Hamburger Casserole

Storage

• Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container for about 2-3 days.
• This dish can be reheated in the microwave. Heat in 30-second increments to avoid overheating.
• Freeze any leftovers for 1-2 months and thaw overnight before reheating.

More To Make And Eat

Recipe

First published: Jan 18, 2024. Last updated: June 25, 2024, for better readability.

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