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31 Recipes To Cook in May 2025.
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Skillet Mexican Beef and Rice: Taco-seasoned ground beef cooked with rice, red bell peppers, chunky tomato salsa, sweet yellow corn, and black beans—all in one skillet, then topped with melty cheese and baked until bubbly. Finish it off with a dollop of yogurt, avocado tossed with lime juice, and lots of fresh cilantro. It’s flavorful and so easy to make. A one-skillet dinner everyone in the family will love!
With Cinco de Mayo around the corner, I’ve been leaning into Mexican-inspired dishes more than ever. They’re always some of the most fun—and most delicious—to make.
I grew up on my dad’s tacos (and occasionally his cheesy chorizo bake), so these kinds of meals bring back all the best memories. And now that I’m doing the cooking, it’s exciting to experiment with new recipes built on those same comforting flavors.
This beef and rice skillet isn’t fancy or over-the-top—it’s simple, satisfying, and something I’ve made on repeat. It’s the kind of dish you can throw together on a busy weeknight but still feel good about serving.
Best of all, it’s truly a one-pan meal. You don’t need anything fancy—just your favorite skillet, a handful of pantry staples, and a few fresh toppings to bring it all together.
My oldest brother absolutely loves this one. It has all his favorites: protein-rich beef, just the right amount of spice, rice, veggies, sweet corn, and that irresistible cheesy top. Add avocado and yogurt, and dinner’s done.
The Quick Details for Success
Ingredients
- ground beef – or use ground chicken
- a yellow onion
- red bell peppers
- taco seasoning
- dry rice
- chunky red salsa – I love the Whole Foods 365 salsa. I usually buy the spicy
- fresh or frozen corn
- black beans
- mixed Mexican cheeses – I love a spicy cheddar, colby jack, and pepper jack blend
Ingredients – for topping
- plain Greek yogurt – sour cream is good too
- shredded lettuce
- chopped cilantro and scallions
- cubed or sliced avocado
- lime zest and lime juice
Special Tools
You’ll need a large oven-safe skillet. I recommend using a 11-inch cast iron skillet.
Step 1: Cook the beef
Start by cooking the ground beef (or chicken, if you prefer) with the onions, bell peppers, and taco seasoning. After about 10 minutes, the meat should be mostly cooked through and the seasoning will fill your kitchen with the best aroma.
I like to make my own taco seasoning using chili powder, chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. So simple and so good!
Step 2: Add the rice
Stir the uncooked rice into the beef and let it toast for a minute or two.
Then mix in the salsa, corn, and black beans. Add water, cover the skillet, and let everything simmer over low heat. You want the rice to be mostly cooked but still a bit firm.
Step 3: Add cheese and bake
Once the rice is nearly done and there’s still a little liquid in the skillet, remove it from the heat and sprinkle on a generous mix of shredded cheese. I like spicy cheddar, pepper jack, and colby jack.
Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. The rice will finish cooking, and the top will get a little crispy—so delish!
Step 4: Top it off!
Like chili or tortilla soup, this dish isn’t complete without toppings.
I add a dollop of yogurt, avocado slices, a sprinkle of lime zest and juice, chopped cilantro, scallions, and a pinch of flaked sea salt. Serve with tortilla chips on the side for scooping—it’s the perfect final touch!
Looking for other easy dinners? Here are my favorites:
One Pan Chipotle Honey Chicken and Rice
One Pan Lemon Pepper Yogurt Chicken and Rice
One Skillet Louisiana Style Chicken and Rice
Broccoli Cheddar Chicken and Rice Casserole
Cheesy Zucchini Chicken and Rice Bake
Slow Cooker Herbed Chicken and Rice Pilaf
Spicy Sesame Chicken and Ginger Rice
Lastly, if you make this Skillet Mexican Beef and Rice, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Skillet Mexican Beef and Rice
Servings: 4
Calories Per Serving: 597 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef or chicken
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1/4 cup taco seasoning
- 3/4 cup long grain rice
- 2 cups chunky red salsa
- 1 can (14 ounce) black beans, drained
- 2 cups spinach (optional)
- 2 cups fresh or frozen corn
- 1 1/2 cups Mexican cheeses (cheddar/pepperjack/colby jack)
For Serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.2. In a large oven-safe skillet, cook the beef or chicken, onion, bell pepper, and taco seasoning, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Cook 10 minutes until the beef is browned. Add the rice. Stir in the salsa, the beans, spinach, if using, and the corn. Add 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil. 3. Place the lid on the skillet and turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Allow the rice to cook for 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has cooked into the rice, but not all of it.4. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle the cheese over the beef/rice. Bake for 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted.5. Serve topped as desired with yogurt, avocado, cilantro, scallions, and lime. Enjoy!
Notes
Taco Seasoning: Mix 2 tablespoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder, 2 teaspoons smoked paprika, 2 teaspoons ground cumin, 2 teaspoons garlic powder, 2 teaspoons onion powder, and 2 teaspoons salt.
This post was originally published on May 1, 2025
So good! Such a crowd pleaser. But my liquid kept bubbling over the skillet while on the stove, and it sat for a while before I put it in the oven which may have helped with the undercooked rice comment. Feeds way more than 4, unless they’re 4 lumberjacks.
Hey Natalie,
Happy Sunday!! I appreciate you giving this recipe a try and your feedback, so glad to hear it was enjoyed:)
Do you have any thoughts about how to finish the recipe (after browning the beef) in a crockpot?
Hi Pam,
So sorry, I have never made this recipe in the crockpot. For best results, I would keep the dish as written:) Here are some other crockpot recipes you might enjoy:
https://fett-weg.today/chuck-roast-tinga-tacos/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/crispy-carnitas-tacos/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> https://fett-weg.today/spicy-queso-beef-chili/%3C/a%3E%3Cbr /> I hope this helps! xx
If cooking in a Dutch oven, cook beef for 6-8 minutes and use less water (2 cups vs 2.5 cups). If using basmati rice (all i had) needs to cook for longer on the stove before putting in the oven.
Thanks so much for sharing this suggestion, Sheena!!
This was awesome! The whole family of 5 loved it and we even have a portion leftover. I used ground turkey.
Hey Kristen,
Amazing! So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, I appreciate you making it! Have a great day!
So good! I used ground chicken but also threw in some leftover taco meat from another meal. I love that it’s a one pan dinner! It came together super easily. Definitely gonna make this again! Thank you!
Hi Tammy,
Wonderful!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe:) Love to hear it turned out nicely for you!🌺
I made this tonight with ground turkey and it’s delicious!! Enough to feed 5 and have leftovers for tomorrow.
Thanks so much, Blair:) Love to hear this recipe was enjoyed by your family, I appreciate you making it! xT
Definitely making this again when the kids come to visit. Delicious and so easy to make ahead. Thanks for the yummy and satisfying meal. Love all the recipes!
Donna
Hi Donna,
Happy Sunday! So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you! I appreciate you making it and your feedback! xx
Omgggg easy one pot/skillet dinner! It was easy and delicious. Will be keeping this in my dinner rotation. Also I used ground turkey just cause I enjoy that better and it was still amazing!
Thanks so much, Yevette! So glad you enjoyed this dish, I appreciate you making it and your feedback! Have a wonderful weekend! xx
Made this tonight and was excited to try a new Tex-mex casserole. However, the proportions of this are off. You can barely tell there is rice in there. Think I’ll go back to my original Tex-mex casserole
Hi Monica,
Sorry to hear you did not enjoy this recipe, thanks for giving it a try. Have a nice weekend!
Flavor and everything is great but the rice doesn’t get fully cooked following these directions (I even cooked a little longer cause I could tell it wasn’t cooking completely). Bummer, cause it’s amazing besides that!
Hi Shannon,
Thanks so much for trying this dish and sharing your feedback! Sorry to hear you had issues with the rice cooking. What kind of rice did you use? If could just be a change in brands is all that’s needed. I hope this helps! xx
Loved this dish! It was delicious and came together really easily. I would say you definitely need to allow the rice to cook longer than 15min. I probably cooked mine on the stove for 30min before I moved it to the oven. It came out perfect!
Hi Katie,
Happy Friday!! Thanks so much for making this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it was a hit!
Really easy and very flavorful. I would compare this to a thick taco chili in flavor and texture. I added chopped lettuce and tomato on top for some extra crunch and a drizzle of a jalapeño ranch dressing I make. It was a hit for the adults and kids!
Hi Krystal,
Happy Monday! I appreciate you trying this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it turned out well! xx
This was really delicious! I did cook the rice longer than 15 minutes, and after 20 minutes or so, it was done and had absorbed a reasonable amount of liquid. We topped it with sour cream and look forward to having it again!
Hi Helen,
Amazing! So glad this recipe turned out well for you, thanks a bunch for making it! Have a wonderful weekend!💐
This was good. A bit too watery so maybe my salsa wasn’t chunky enough and I will reduce next time. Also made a guac to go with. I had a lot left over (served 5 and had leftovers) . I froze the rest and I’ll use it as filling for quesadillas 🙂
Hi Elaine,
Happy Thursday! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe and your feedback, love to hear it was a winner! x
So so yummy!! Easy and delicious! I used a siete taco seasoning packet and served it with avocado, tortilla chips and a drizzle of white queso! Our whole family loved it!
Thanks so much, Elizabeth! So glad to hear this recipe turned out nicely for you, thanks for making it! xT
Amazing – and easy! This will become a weeknight regular at our house. We used ground pork which provided a lot of flavor. I started out using my 12” Le Crueset skillet and, when it came time to add the water, it was overflowing. I dumped everything into a casserole dish, added the water, and baked it until the rice was cooked, then added the cheese. Next time I will use a larger skillet – I will have to buy a new one but this will make it worth it!
This easily feeds 6 or 8 and the presentation is impressive.
Yay! Love to hear this, Sandy! Thanks a lot for trying the dish and sharing your feedback! Happy Tuesday! xT
Such good flavor! I followed your instructions and they were perfect. The only change was adding a tablespoon or two of diced jalapenos. We will be having the leftovers for dinner tomorrow, by request.
Love to hear this, Kathy! Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try. Have a great Saturday! xx
Hi Tieghan
Would this review work for a large crowd (25) if I baked it in the oven…… 😃
Hi Geri,
Sure, I bet that would work nicely for you! Let me know if you give this a try! xT
Give months after first trying this dish and it’s still one of our favorites. We wrap it in a tortilla shell. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Kathy!