Cheesy Taco Rice Skillet
This cheesy taco rice skillet is made with ground beef, rice, taco seasoning, and cheddar cheese for a delicious, budget-friendly family dinner idea that can be ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 1 cup long grain white rice uncooked
- 10 ounce can Rotel diced tomatoes & green chilies undrained
- 14 ounce can beef broth
- ¼ cup salsa
- 1½ cups cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- In a large skillet, cook your ground beef until no longer pink and cooked through. Drain any excess grease.
- Add in your packet of taco seasoning and water. Cook according to package instructions.
- Stir in the rice, Rotel (with the juices), beef broth, and salsa. Bring to a boil, then turn down to low, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.
- Remove from the heat, and stir in the cheese until melted.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes before serving to thicken up, and then add your favorite toppings.
Notes
Variations:
- To make this extra spicy, you can use the spicier version of Rotel. You can also switch out the cheddar cheese for pepper jack cheese.
- Add some black beans for some extra protein.
- Mix in some corn, bell peppers, onions, or jalapenos.
- If you want it healthier, swap out the ground beef for ground turkey and use low-fat cheese.
Helpful Tips:
- After adding the liquids and rice to the ground beef, only stir once to combine, then after it comes to a boil, cover and let it cook.
- Keep the heat low while simmering so that the rice will cook more evenly.
- If after 20 minutes, the rice still isn't cooked through, you can add a splash of beef broth or water and continue cooking.
- Use a brick of cheddar cheese and shred it yourself, as it melts better than the packaged shredded cheese.
- You can add salt at the end if you feel it needs a little bit more flavor, but usually, since the beef broth can be salty, it's not needed.
Storage:
- Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.