Taco Skillet
If you are in need of an easy home cooked dinner, look no further than this one pot wonder of a Taco Skillet. This is packed with freshness and real food ingredients, including a homemade taco seasoning blend. If you’re looking for a fresh alternative, you’ve found it!
Who would have thought there was a way to take something as simple as this one pot taco beef and rice and elevate it with fresh ingredients without reinventing the wheel? That’s what I do here at The Copper Table. I love helping people create meals with the freshest of ingredients. If you’re reading this, I’m glad you found this recipe!
This beef taco skillet meal is great for the busiest of weeknights (trust me, I wouldn’t make it through youth hockey season without a recipe like this), and it even provides a use for those garden or Farmers Market veggies sitting in your fridge. Who knew? We are even going to make our own seasoning blend (no pre-made seasoning packets here) just like we do in my Jambalaya recipe.
This meal is great with some homemade salsa verde, and topped with pickled red onions, avocado crema, and guacamole. This dish is great on its own, but it also works well with a simple salad or corn salad as a side dish. If you have any leftovers, they make great burritos or stuffing for a baked potato!
Fresh Ingredients For A Taco Skillet
This recipe is different from others like it you have seen. Why? Because we are not using a bunch of canned ingredients to make it. Taco Skillets typically use a number of canned items, but we are going in another direction with this recipe: lots of fresh veggies and a homemade seasoning blend.
Ground Beef- I like using lean ground beef so it doesn’t add lots of extra grease. See the recipe card notes if you want to use ground chicken or turkey.
Fresh Veggies- We’re using lots of fresh peppers and tomatoes to add color, texture, and flavor to this one pan meal. Some of you may even grow these right in your garden, and this recipe is a perfect way to use them.
Seasonings- You’ll love this combo of fresh garlic and herbs. Way better than store bought taco seasoning.
Amy’s Tips For The Best Taco Rice Skillet
I’ve been making this recipe for years, and tried different techniques along the way because I wanted this to feel a little special while still being incredibly easy.
- Using fresh veggies and getting a little browning on them adds more flavor than just using canned items. The peppers and onions are great here because they can withstand the simmering to cook the rice while still having some texture.
- The fresh tomato helps flavor the rice, and it really does taste better than canned. Another thing we’ll be doing is toasting the seasoning blend as well. It makes those flavors pop.
- Be sure to brown your meat well, and don’t be afraid to get some good caramelization. Browned food does taste better!
- If you’re super busy, you can even chop the veggies in advance, saving you a little time when you’re ready to cook.
I hope you enjoy this Taco Skillet, and that it makes your busy weeknights feel a little less hectic. If you’d like more tips and ingredient household recipes sent to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter. Happy Cooking!
Easy Taco Skillet
This taco skillet recipe is a quick, family-friendly dinner with vibrant flavors, fresh produce, and easy cleanup in just one pan! Perfect for busy weeknights.
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 Servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Beef and Rice Skillet
- 1 pound of Ground Beef (I use lean)
- 1 cup of chopped Yellow Onion (about 1/2 medium onion)
- 1 cup of diced Red Bell Pepper (about 1 medium pepper)
- 1 cup of diced Poblano Pepper (about 1 medium sized chili)
- Spice Blend
- 1 medium sized Tomato
- 1 cup of uncooked Long Grain Rice
- 2 cups of Beef Stock
- 1 cup of shredded Cheddar or Queso Quesadilla cheese
For the Spice Blend
- 2 teaspoons of Salt
- 1/8 teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon of Black Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon of Dried Oregano (or one teaspoon of fresh chopped oregano)
- 3/4 teaspoon of Ancho Chili Powder
- 3/4 teaspoon of Cumin
- 4 cloves Fresh Garlic
Instructions
- Place a large skillet that has a lid on medium high heat. While the skillet heats up, dice the onion, red bell pepper, tomato, and poblano.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook until mostly brown with a little pink left, then add the onion, red pepper, and poblano to the skillet and cook until onion is translucent and meat is no longer pink, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- While the meat and veggies cook, chop the garlic cloves and assemble all the spice blend ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Once the meat and veggies are cooked, add the uncooked rice, the chopped tomato, and the spice blend and stir for a minute or so until combined.
- Add the beef stock to the skillet and stir. Raise the heat slightly to bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once it’s boiling, cover the skillet and turn the heat down to medium and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked. Check at the 15 minute mark.
- After 15 minutes of cooking the beef and rice, lift the lid to check for doneness. If the rice is not cooked through replace the lid and check again in two minutes. If you let it overcook, you will have a hard sticky layer in the bottom of the skillet. To check the rice, you will need to take a tiny spoonful and taste a few grains to see if they are cooked.
- At the very end when the rice has finished cooking, add the shredded cheddar or queso quesadilla cheese to the skillet and stir it into the beef and rice mixture. Serve with the guacamole and other toppings.
Notes
Store bought taco seasoning can be used in place of the homemade spice blend if you prefer.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Easy Weeknight Dinners
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 1/2 cup
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 4.7 g
- Sodium: 748.1 mg
- Fat: 13.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 46.7 g
- Protein: 36.6 g
- Cholesterol: 97.8 mg
