Cheesy Beef and Rice Skillet is a quick and easy dinner that the whole family will love! Minimal ingredients and prep work make this a clear winner for a busy night.

This recipe is made with simple ingredients and pantry staples like jasmine rice, ground beef, tomato sauce, beef broth, seasonings, and white queso!

This one is a kid favorite at my house when I need something quick for dinner. It’s also easy to customize with the seasonings and protein you have on hand to fit the needs of your family!

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If you like simple one pan recipes like this one and want to swap out the proteins my Steak Cheese and Rice or Chicken Cheese and Rice recipes are sure to be big hits!

This also pairs perfectly with my homemade Pico de Gallo recipe that brings a ton of freshness and flavor to any taco night.

Ingredients

Ground beef
Salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin, dried cilantro, and chili powder
Minced garlic
Tomato sauce
Beef broth
Jasmine Rice
Olive oil
White Queso Cheese Dip
Flour tortillas
Pico de gallo
Fresh cilantro

Make Cheesy Beef and Rice Skillet

To start making this one pan dinner, prep just a couple of your ingredients. Start by chopping a small onion and measuring out your seasoning blend.

Next, brown 1 lb of ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Cast iron skillet ground beef, seasonings, onions

Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, cumin, dried cilantro, black pepper, and chili powder. I like using this blend of seasonings for Taco seasoning.

Allow that to continue cooking until the beef is cooked through and drain any extra grease.

A paper towel pinched between tongs works well for easy grease removal.

Cast Iron skillet rice and seasoned beef

Move the ground beef to the edges of the skillet and pour about 1 tbsp of olive oil into the center of the pan.

Next, add uncooked, rinsed rice to the center of the pan and stir it around in the oil to toast for a couple of minutes until golden.

Once the rice is toasted add the can of tomato sauce, minced garlic, and beef broth.

Stir well, cover with a lid, and be sure to bring the whole skillet to a quick boil. Once the skillet is bubbling, turn the heat down.

Cook on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until the rice is cooked. I have found that Jasmine Rice cooks a little bit faster than regular white rice.

Once the rice is cooked use a fork to fluff it up, turn off the heat, and let it sit covered for about 5 minutes.

Microwave some store-bought white queso and pour some over the beef and rice.

I really like Pancho’s white queso that I buy from Sam’s club. I’ve also been loving a brand from a local grocery store called Queso Melt!

Any store-bought microwaveable white queso your family likes will work for this recipe.

Top the whole skillet some with fresh cilantro.

Serve Cheesy Beef and Rice Skillet

Once the skillet is topped with some fresh cilantro, it’s time to eat!

This Cheesy Beef and Rice is delicious on its own, but I like to serve it with warm flour tortillas, sour cream and a generous portion of fresh Pico de Gallo.

Fresh cilantro adds a nice fresh flavor when sprinkled over the top as well, but if you’re one of the people who thinks cilantro tastes like soap feel free to skip that part!

You will love this recipe because it’s easy to make and any leftovers reheat well for lunch the next day. This filling also makes really good burritos!

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

I use uncooked Jasmine rice for this recipe for the best consistency and cook time, but any long grain white rice will work. Cooking time may take longer if you use a different type of rice.
I use a homemade taco seasoning blend for the ground beef with the seasonings above, but you can swap that out with a taco seasoning packet to save time if you’d like.
Homemade Queso is great, but for quick recipes like this one I like to use store bought queso. The Queso-Melt brand is the closest I’ve found to our local Mexican restaurants.
Fresh Pico de Gallo is option for this recipe, but it adds a ton of flavor and is a staple at my house for all of our taco night recipes.
If you don’t feel like making the Pico de Gallo, you can top it with some taco sauce or salsa instead.
Leftovers for this recipe store and reheat really well for easy lunches or dinner the next day.
If you want to swap out the protein this recipe is also great with chicken, steak, or chorizo.

Similar Recipes

Plated Beef and Rice with Pico, tortilla chips, and tortillas

If you make this recipe I hope you love it! Leave me a comment below or pin this recipe to your Pinterest account to save it for later!