Tex-Mex Beef and Rice

Sometimes the best comfort food comes from tossing everyday pantry ingredients into one pot and letting the magic happen. Tex-Mex Beef and Rice combines your favorite southwestern flavors in a single skillet that goes from stovetop to dinner table in less than an hour. Tender ground beef is simmered with rice, onions, peppers, beans, corn, and zesty spices. It’s the kind of satisfying meal that makes weeknight dinners feel effortless yet delicious.

Why I love this one-pot wonder

I’ve been on a one-pot recipe kick this spring. No matter the ingredients — how many or how few — it just makes cooking feel more organized and manageable.

We’re supposed to be waving “see ya later” to winter, but (a) spring weather hasn’t been cooperating, and (b) I’ve fallen hard for dishes like Chicken Bog, Southern Fried Cabbage, and Pizza Tortellini. Each cooks up in one pot, blending flavors and textures that create a whole that’s far more than the sum of its parts.

And the same goes for Tex-Mex Beef and Rice. Humble beef and rice simmer in a pool of spices and vegetables like they’re having a celebratory spa day. Top with a cap of melty cheese, and it’s a filling meal that hits the spot when you’re craving south-of-the-border flavors.

Tex-Mex Beef and Rice is —

• Quick and easy: From stove to table in under an hour, making it perfect for busy weeknights.
• Loaded with flavor: Aromatic veggies and a blend of Tex-Mex spices give this dish a delicious kick.
• Hearty and satisfying: Lean ground beef, rice, and plenty of veggies and protein-packed beans make this a filling meal.
• Versatile: You can easily customize it with your favorite toppings, such as fresh tomatoes, avocado, or jalapeno slices.
• Kid-friendly and adults love it, too (customize the spice level depending on your heat preference).

Key Ingredients

Ground beef — I used 90/10 ground sirloin in the photos here. If you use a fattier cut of beef, you’ll want to let the beef cook a little longer in the first step, before adding the veggies, so you can decide whether you need to drain off some of the rendered fat (1 or 2 tablespoons left in the pan is good).

White rice — Use your favorite white rice; I use long-grain. I don’t recommend brown rice because it needs twice the cooking time, and ingredients resting on the bottom of the pan could start scorching. If you want to use brown rice, cook it separately and add it to the pot when rice is called for in the recipe, without the broth.

Spices — When you first look over the recipe, you might think I made a typo on the spice quantities. I didn’t! Beef and rice make a filling, satisfying meal, but they’re also one-note ingredients. And it requires a lot of oomph to break through these stodgy flavors. That’s the beauty of spices: they make just about anything taste amazing. I’ve focused on Tex-Mex spices here to build authentic flavors. You won’t regret the quantities!

Aromatics — Just like in soup-making, we begin with a solid base of aromatics, onions, bell peppers, and poblanos that simmer with the beef and create loads of flavor right at the start. Chile pepper tip: Poblanos can be mild or hot, and if unlabeled at the store, there’s really no way of knowing for certain until you taste it. If your dinner peeps are sensitive to pepper heat, substitute a green bell pepper.

Vegetables & Beans — For an extra hearty meal, I mix in black beans, corn, and tomatoes with green chiles. At Casa SoupAddict, I serve this with a side of garlic bread or corn bread, and that’s all we need for a complete dinner. You can use any beans you prefer (try pinto beans!). I always choose frozen corn over canned because it tastes fresher to me.

How to Make Tex-Mex Beef and Rice

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).

• Prepare the aromatic vegetables: Peel and dice the onions. Clean, remove the seed heads, and dice the peppers. Peel, cut off the flat, woody stem end, and mince the garlic.
• Grate the cheeses into fine or medium shreds.
• Cut cilantro leaves from the bunch, clean, pat dry, and finely chop.
• Clean the green onions, cut off and discard the root ends, and slice thinly. All parts are usable from the white end through the dark green stalks.

Brown the beef

Use a 10″ to 12″ skillet or a 3-quart pot with a wide base, all with a snug lid, for this recipe. Ten inches will be a tight fit — I used a 10.25″ braiser in the photos here — but it shows off the cap of melted cheese beautifully. Start by browning the beef in the oil until almost all of the pink is gone. Get in there and break up the big chunks!

Soften the aromatic vegetables

Add the onions and peppers and cook until the onions have started to soften and lose their opacity. Cooking with the lid on to trap heat will speed things up. Spoon in the tomato paste, garlic, and all of those amazing spices, stirring to mix with the beef and veggies.

Step 3: Cook the dish

Add the beans, tomatoes, and corn, followed by the rice and chicken broth. Stir well and level everything out, making sure the rice is submerged in the broth (add a little more broth or water if you need to). Cover with a lid and cook until the rice is finished (don’t peek!).

Step 4: Melt the cheese

At the end of the rice’s cooking time, lift the lid and enjoy the aromas! Sprinkle the cheeses evenly around the pan and top with some cilantro. Replace the lid, and let the cheeses melt for a few minutes. Serve with your favorite toppings.

You gotta love a hearty, one-pot meal on those busy weeknights. I hope you’ll try this Tex-Mex Beef and Rice soon, and if you do make it, snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@soupaddict). I love seeing your kitchen wins!

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Tex Mex Beef and Rice

One-pot Tex-Mex beef and rice recipe features ground beef, white rice, bell peppers, poblano peppers, black beans, corn, and tomatoes for a hearty meal full of zesty flavors.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time35 minutes mins

Total Time45 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: tex-mex beef and rice, tex-mex beef and rice casserole

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Karen Gibson

Ingredients

For the spice mix:

• 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground chipotle powder (for medium heat) or smoked paprika (no heat)
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt

Start the recipe:

• 1 tablespoon olive or avocado oil
• 1 pound lean ground beef*
• 1 small red onion , diced (about 1 cup)
• 1 small red bell pepper , diced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1 small green bell pepper or poblano pepper (about 1/2 cup)
• 3 cloves garlic , minced
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 cup canned black beans , rinsed and drained
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn (no need to thaw)
• 15 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
• 3/4 cup white rice
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combo of cheddar, Monterey Jack, and cotija)
• 1/4 cup chopped green onions

Suggested toppings:

• Chopped fresh cilantro
• Sliced green onions
• Cubed avocado
• Diced fresh tomatoes
• Sliced jalapeno peppers

Instructions

• In a large skillet or 3+ quart, wide-bottomed pot (with a lid), brown the beef in the oil over medium heat.
• When the beef is just about done, add the onions, bell pepper, and poblano and sautee until the onions start to soften.
• Add the garlic, tomato paste, and all of the spice mix and stir well.
• Raise the heat to high and add the beans, corn, and tomatoes and mix into the beef and veggies.
• Add the rice and chicken broth and stir well, leveling everything out so that the rice is completely submerged beneath the liquids. (Add another 1/4 cup if you need to.)
• Let the liquids come up to a simmer, adjust the heat to maintain that simmer (not a roiling boil), and cover with a tight-fitting lid.
• Cook the rice per the package directions (e.g., white rice** usually takes between 15 and 20 minutes). Resist the urge to lift the lid during cooking, which releases the steam.
• At the end of cooking time, turn off the heat. Remove the lid and stir in the cilantro, smoothing out the surface.
• Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the entire top. Replace the lid and let the heat of the dish melt the cheese for 3 to 5 minutes.
• Serve immediately with your favorite toppings.

Notes

* I used 90/10 ground sirloin in the photos here. If you use a fattier cut of beef, you’ll want to let the beef cook a little longer in step1, before adding the veggies, so you can decide whether you need to drain off some of the rendered fat (1 or 2 tablespoons left in the pan is good).

** Rices other than white varieties (basmati, jasmine, or long-grain), such as brown, red, or wild, take too long to cook for this dish: you risk scorching the ingredients on the bottom of the skillet. However, if you want to use something brown rice, etc., cook it separately in its own pot. Then simply add the cooked rice at the same time you add the beans and corn, skipping the broth, and continuing with the cheese step.

Nutritional information, if shown, is provided as a courtesy only, and is not to be taken as medical information or advice. The nutritional values of your preparation of this recipe are impacted by several factors, including, but not limited to, the ingredient brands you use, any substitutions or measurement changes you make, and measuring accuracy.