Marry Me Beef and Rice Skillet

If you’ve fallen in love with the famous Marry Me Chicken, then you’ll swoon over this Marry Me Beef and Rice Skillet. This hearty, one-pot preparation takes all those incredible Tuscan flavors you adore and transforms them into a complete meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights. With tender beef, fluffy rice, and that signature creamy sun-dried tomato sauce, this easy skillet dinner gets to the table without fuss or a big price tag.

Another Marry Me Recipe to Love

I have to admit that I’m really infatuated with the Tuscan-leaning, creamy sun-dried tomato sauce that is the star of the Marry Me viral trend. It flavors everything so well, including this beef and rice skillet. It’s hard to believe, but the original chicken recipe is now over 10 years old and has beautifully stood the test of time.

As with all of my Marry Me recipes, I’ve made one tweak that suits my tastes: I add roasted red peppers along with the sun-dried tomatoes. I think their sweet smokiness complements the tomatoes nicely and adds more veggie goodness to this beefy dish.

I really love this skillet meal because it comes together quickly and without a lot of hassle. I think we can all use more of those kinds of meals in our lives, right? Now let’s get to it!

Marry Me Beef and Rice Skillet is —

• Ready in under 40 minutes for busy weeknight dinners.
• A one-pot meal that’s less hassle on the stove with minimal cleanup.
• Budget-friendly with ingredients that don’t compromise on flavor.
• Flavored with the popular Marry Me sauce that everyone’s obsessed with.
• A complete meal with protein, starch, and vegetables all in one dish.

If you’re a fan of easy skillet meals like we are here at Casa SoupAddict, you might also enjoy my Tex-Mex Beef and Rice skillet or my Smoked Sausage & Gnocchi Skillet.

Key Ingredients

Beef — I used lean ground sirloin for this recipe, as it’s less greasy but still well-flavored. If you use a fattier cut of beef, you might need to drain off some of the fat after browning the meat.

Sun-dried tomatoes — The primary flavor-driver for the famous Marry Me sauce! Always buy them packed in oil, so that they’re soft. Budget-wise, prices can vary wildly, depending on the brand and the size of the jar (get the smallest jar you can find, usually 7 oz) and how “chopped” they are. Halves will be cheaper than a julienne cut. If your store has an olive bar, sometimes you can find them there and buy just what you need.

White rice — I use long-grain white rice for this recipe. You can use any kind of rice you prefer; however, if you choose a long-cooking rice, such as brown rice, you’ll want to cook it separately and then add to the beef skillet (if going this route, use the broth in the rice pot rather than with the beef).

Dairy — The recipe is finished off with some cream and Parmesan cheese. I used just a 1/2 cup of heavy cream to add richness to the dish without making the skillet heavy and saucy. You can absolutely go the saucy route with up to a 1 cup of heavy cream. Be sure to taste the results and add more salt as needed (cream tamps down savory flavors). Salty parm cranks up the flavor, complementing the rice and beef perfectly.

How to Make Marry Me Beef and Rice Skillet

Ready to make the recipe? Skip to the recipe card now to see the full ingredient list, quantities, prep/cooking times, and printable, detailed instructions. Or, keep scrolling for a visual walk-through of making the dish.

Prep notes

Here’s a quick guide for prepping the ingredients, if you need it (not including anything that simply needs to be measured out of a container, such as dried herbs and liquids).

• Slice the onion in half through the stem and root ends. Peel one of the halves and chop into small dice, discarding the ends.
• Chop the sun-dried tomatoes and the roasted red peppers into small dice.
• Pluck leaves from the bunch of parsley, rinse well under water, pat dry, and then mince.
• If you purchased a block of parmesan, grate the cheese on a fine-holed grater.

Brown the beef

In a large skillet, brown the beef with a little bit of olive oil, breaking up the clumps as you go. You don’t have to brown every last morsel, as it will finish cooking with the rice, but make sure most of it is browned because you want to release the fat within.

Saute the vegetables and add the seasonings

Add the onions, tomatoes, and peppers to the skillet and stir well with the beef. Cook until the onions have softened (about 5 minutes). Spoon the tomato paste, herbs, and spices over the meat mixture and stir well.

Cook the rice and finish the dish

Pour in the rinsed rice, followed by the broth. Simmer with the lid on for the time indicated on the rice’s packaging (usually 20 minutes for long-grain white rice). Check the rice periodically to ensure that there’s sufficient liquid in the skillet. Towards the end of cooking, you’ll want to lower the heat so that the rice doesn’t scorch on the bottom. Minimize the time spent with the lid off as best you can.

When the rice is done, add the heavy cream, parsley, and parmesan cheese, mixing well. It’s ready to serve!

Storing

Leftovers store well in the fridge for several days. When reheating, add small amounts of water or broth at a time to loosen the rice. You can also add a little more cream to make it saucier, if you like.

This Marry Me Beef and Rice Skillet proves that comfort food doesn’t need to be complicated or expensive. If you give it a try, let me know in the comments how it turned out for you and your loved ones.

Marry Me Beef & Rice Skillet

by Karen Gibson

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One-pot Marry Me Beef and Rice Skillet featuring lean ground beef, white rice, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, and creamy parmesan sauce for a lovely Tuscan-inspired meal. Easy to make and ready in 40 minutes.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon olive oil or oil from sun-dried tomato jar
• 1 pound ground sirloin (or other lean beef)
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup diced onions (about 1/2 medium onion)
• 1/3 cup diced roasted red pepper (about one pepper from the jar)
• 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil)
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons dried Italian herb blend
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3/4 cup uncooked long-grain white rice , rinsed well
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley

Instructions

 

• Heat the oil in a large skillet or wide-bottomed Dutch oven over medium until the surface shimmers.
• Add the ground beef and season with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Brown the beef, breaking up the clumps.
• Add the onions, peppers, and tomatoes and saute until the onions have softened (about 5 minutes).
• Stir in the tomato paste, smoked paprika, herbs, and garlic powder.
• Add the rice and chicken broth. Increase the heat to bring the liquids to a gentle simmer, and then adjust to maintain (don’t let it aggressively boil). Cover with a fitted lid. Cook the rice for the time indicated on its packaging (usually 20 minutes for long-grain white rice). Keep an eye on the rice during the last 5 minutes. If the liquid has been completely absorbed, reduce heat to low for the remaining time.
• Reduce the heat to low (if you didn’t need to above), and stir in the heavy cream, parsley, and parmesan cheese. Note that the rice will not be overly saucy (intentionally). If that’s your preference, stir in another 1/2 cup of heavy cream, and let warm through before serving.

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