I don’t know about you, but some nights just feel like a “what’s the easiest thing I can make without creating a huge mess?” kind of night. Tonight is that night and this cheesy ground beef and rice is that dinner, haha.

It’s one pan, basic ingredients, and somehow it turns into something that feels way more put together than it should. The rice cooks right in the pan, so it soaks up all the flavor from the beef and broth (which is doing most of the work here, let’s be honest), and then you finish it with melty cheese, dinner done.

I’ve made some version of this more times than I can count, usually on nights when nothing sounds especially good and I just need something easy that will feed my people. It always gets scarfed up.

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Ingredient Notes

• I usually use 90/10, but anything works. Just drain a little if there’s excess grease.
• Long grain white rice or jasmine both work well. This recipe is built around uncooked rice, so don’t swap in pre-cooked here.
• Use the whole can of tomatoes, juice and all. That liquid is part of what cooks the rice.
• The chili powder brings most of the flavor. So if you like things a little bolder, don’t be shy with it (I usually do the full 2 teaspoons).
• The paprika adds a little warmth and color, but it’s not essential. If it’s not your favorite (me), you can leave it out, swap in a pinch of cumin, or just add a bit more chili powder.
• Any cheddar, Monterey Jack, Colby, or whatever melts well and is already in your fridge is the best choice for cheese.
• You can also toss in some corn, black or pinto beans, or even chili beans (my go-to).

Step-By-Step Instructions

1. In a large cast iron skillet over medium heat, cook the ground beef until browned. Break it up as it cooks and drain any excess grease if needed.
2. Add the diced onion and cook for a few minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant.
3. Add the uncooked rice, beef broth, diced tomatoes (with the juice), chili powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together.
4. Bring to a gentle boil, then cover and reduce the heat. Let it simmer for about 15–18 minutes, or until the rice is tender.
5. If it looks a little liquidy at the end, just let it sit for a few minutes off the heat, it will thicken as it rests.
6. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, cover again for a minute or two, and let it melt. I like to stir it in versus leave it on top, but it’s your dinner, do as you wish.
7. This is where I’d normally add sour cream or green onions, but I didn’t have any tonight. It was sill good, haha.

12″ Cast Iron Skillet

This cast iron skillet with dual handles heats evenly and goes from stove to oven with ease. Perfect for everyday cooking and baking.

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Recipe Tips & Notes

• If your rice isn’t quite done, add a splash of broth and give it a few more minutes, it’ll soften right up.
• Cold, straight-from-the-fridge ingredients (like leftover cooked beef) can slow things down a bit (it works great), just give it a little extra cooking time.
• This is a good place to use whatever you have in the pantry, corn, black beans, chili beans (which is what I throw in most often), or even a handful of spinach at the end all work well.
• Taste it before serving. Sometimes it just needs a pinch of salt or a little extra chili powder to bring everything together.
• It’s great topped with sour cream (or Greek yogurt), sliced green onion, or even fresh green lettuce.
• You can also roll this up in a tortilla for a “burrito-style” dinner or spoon it over chips and have loaded nachos. It has a ton of possibilities.

Storage & Reheating Recommendations

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To reheat, warm it in a skillet over low heat with a splash of broth or water to loosen it back up. The microwave works too, just make sure to cover it so it doesn’t dry out.

It also freezes great. Let it cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container or freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. The rice will soften a bit after freezing and reheating, which is normal, and the texture may be slightly thicker if there’s a lot of cheese.

Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Skillet

By: Kristine Underwood

An easy one-pan ground beef and rice skillet made with simple ingredients and minimal effort. It’s cozy, filling, and exactly the kind of dinner that works when nothing else sounds good.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 623 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Cast iron skillet (12 inch)

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground beef (lean)
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 2 cloves garlic (minced or 1 tsp jarred minced garlic)
• 1 cup white rice (jasmine or long grain, uncooked)
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 can diced tomatoes (14-15 ounce can, don't drain)
• 1 chili powder (up to 2 tsp, to taste)
• 1/2 tsp paprika (optional)
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, Monterey Jack, or whatever you have)

Optional but good

• 1/2 cup corn, black beans, or chili beans (don't drain chili beans)
• A handful of spinach at the end
• Sour cream, sliced green onion, or avocado for topping

Instructions

• In a large cast iron skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until browned. Drain excess grease if needed.
  1 lb ground beef
• Add the diced onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened.
  1 small onion
• Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds, until fragrant.
  2 cloves garlic
• Add the uncooked rice, beef broth, diced tomatoes (with juice), corn or beans if using, chili powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir it all together.
  1 cup white rice, 2 cups beef broth, 1 can diced tomatoes, 1 chili powder, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
• Bring to a gentle boil, then cover and reduce heat. Let it simmer for about 15–18 minutes, until the rice is tender.
• Sprinkle cheese over the top, cover again for a minute or two until melted (I like to mix the cheese in, but you can leave it on top if you prefer).
  1 1/2 cup shredded cheese
• Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Notes

• If your rice isn’t quite done, add a splash of broth and give it a few more minutes, it’ll soften right up.
• Cold, straight-from-the-fridge ingredients (like leftover cooked beef) can slow things down a bit, just give it a little extra cooking time.
• This is a good place to use whatever you have in the pantry, corn, black beans, chili beans, or even a handful of spinach at the end all work well.
• Taste it before serving. Sometimes it just needs a pinch of salt or a little extra chili powder to bring everything together.
• It’s great topped with sour cream (or Greek yogurt), sliced green onion, or even fresh green lettuce.
• You can also roll this up in a tortilla for a “burrito-style” dinner or spoon it over chips and have loaded nachos.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 623kcalCarbohydrates: 45gProtein: 35gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 114mgSodium: 1091mgPotassium: 706mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 555IUVitamin C: 12mgCalcium: 296mgIron: 4mg