Mexican Beef Skillet

Whether you make this on game day or eat it as a main meal, this Mexican 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 ground beef dinner ideas.

I am all about the recipes that only require one pan. Why? I hate doing dishes. It’s as simple as that! The less there is to wash, the happier I am!

Made in just one pan, this Mexican skillet recipe is made with all the flavors, plus is packed with veggies, beans, and rice, too!

PS: this seriously might be the best ground beef recipes we’ve ever made!

How to Make a Mexican Ground Beef Skillet

INGREDIENTS

• 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!

INSTRUCTIONS

As you know, this recipe only requires one pan and one pan only! That means the Instructions are rather simple.

1. 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.
2. Add Beef: Move the veggies to one side and add ground beef. Saute until the beef is fully cooked and then mix everything together.
3. 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.

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!

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!

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.

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
• 1 15-oz. can 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

1. Heat olive oil over medium/high heat in a large nonstick skillet*.
2. When olive oil is fragrant, add garlic, onion, and bell pepper. Saute for 3-5 minutes.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Once boiling, turn down to low and cover. Let simmer for arosund 20 minutes or until the rice has softened and absorbed the majority of the liquid.
6. 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.
7. Serve beef skillet with chips!