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Best Cheesy Ground Beef and Rice Skillet: Easy One-Pan Dinner

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This cheesy ground beef and rice skillet is a one-pan wonder that’s perfect for busy weeknights. It’s hearty, satisfying, and made with simple, budget-friendly ingredients.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 (15-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
  • 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  • Fresh parsley or cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

  1. Brown the beef and aromatics. Place your large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once it shimmers, add the diced onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it becomes translucent and soft. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant. Then, add the ground beef. Break it up with your wooden spoon and cook until it’s nicely browned, about 6-8 minutes. If there’s a lot of excess fat, spoon most of it out, leaving about a tablespoon in the pa…
  2. Season the meat. Sprinkle the salt, black pepper, smoked paprika, dried oregano, and red pepper flakes (if using) over the browned beef. Stir everything together and cook for another minute.
  3. Add the liquids and rice. Pour in the undrained fire-roasted diced tomatoes, the tomato sauce, and the beef broth. Stir together, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the uncooked long-grain white rice and stir until evenly distributed. Bring the mixture to a strong boil.
  4. Simmer and cook the rice. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Cover the skillet tightly with the lid. Let it simmer gently for 18-20 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.
  5. Check the rice. After 18 minutes, carefully remove the lid. The rice should be tender and the liquid mostly absorbed. If the rice is still firm or there’s too much liquid, cover and cook for another 2-3 minutes. If dry but rice is hard, add a splash more broth or water, cover, and cook for a few more minutes.
  6. Add the cheese. Once the rice is perfectly cooked, remove the skillet from the heat. Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese evenly over the top. Do not stir it in. Cover the skillet again and let it sit for 3-5 minutes until the cheese is melted.
  7. Serve immediately. Uncover, garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro if desired, and serve straight from the skillet or on individual plates.

Notes

Use long-grain white rice (Jasmine or Basmati). Do not use instant or brown rice without adjusting liquid and time. Do not lift the lid while rice is simmering. For make-ahead, cook up to adding cheese, cool, refrigerate, then reheat with a splash of broth before adding cheese.

Nutrition

Keywords: cheesy ground beef and rice skillet, one-pan dinner, easy weeknight meal, ground beef recipe, cheesy rice skillet

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