This easy one-pot Spanish Rice with Ground Beef is an excellent side dish choice or add your favorite toppings for an economical, family-friendly meal.
This recipe exceeded all of my expectations. The ingredient list is simple, the one-pot method is fast and easy, and the result is seriously delicious.
Uncooked rice cooks in a skillet with all of the other ingredients, absorbing great flavor from a seasoned tomato sauce. Lean ground beef adds substance and frozen corn adds a touch of sweet flavor and texture. Friends, it’s wonderful!
I had a small bowl for lunch with a little shredded cheese and sour cream and scooped it up with tortilla chips. I originally thought it would just be a side dish but quickly realized that it is plenty hearty enough to be a really economical main dish as well. Win, win!
Ingredients
All of the ingredients for this one-pot Spanish Rice with Ground Beef are kitchen staples that you can easily stock.
- I highly recommend mixing up a batch of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix for the best flavor. The packaged mixes you find at the store don’t hold a candle to a freshly made spice blend.
- Rotel Tomatoes work really well in this recipe. They are seasoned and include green chiles which helps to add more great flavor. I usually go with the Original variety but you will also find Mild and Hot. Go with the heat level you like.
- There is no need to thaw the frozen corn used in this recipe. In fact, it’s better if you don’t. The heat from the nearly finished recipe is all it needs to thaw and cook to the perfect texture.
Instructions
- Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion and bell pepper have softened slightly.
- Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat, stirring to break it up, until browned and crumbly. Drain or blot excess grease if necessary.
- Add the uncooked rice.
- Add the Rotel tomatoes, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning and stir to combine well.
- Stir in the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove the cover and stir the mixture well. Stir in the frozen corn, cover the skillet and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Garnish with cilantro, if desired, and you are ready to serve!
How to Serve Spanish Rice with Ground Beef
This is an awesome side dish to go along with any Mexican entrée like my Green Chile Chicken Smothered Burritos, Shredded Mexican Beef, or Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas.
To make it a meal, roll it into tortillas or serve it in bowls with a variety of toppings like chopped tomatoes, sliced green onions, chopped avocado, shredded cheese, sour cream, and salsa.
More Easy Side Dish Options:
Spanish Rice with Ground Beef
Ingredients
- ½ pound lean ground beef
- ¾ cup diced green bell pepper, from one bell pepper
- ¾ cup diced white or yellow onion
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 10 ounces Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, Original or Hot
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- ½ cup frozen corn, don’t thaw
- chopped cilantro , optional
Optional Toppings
- shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, chopped avocados, sliced green onions, sour cream, salsa
Instructions
- Place a deep 12-inch skillet over MEDIUM-HIGH heat. Add ground beef and cook, stirring to break it up, until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Drain or blot excess grease if necessary. Add the bell pepper, onion, and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3 to 4 minutes, until the onion and bell pepper have softened slightly. Add the uncooked rice, Rotel tomatoes, tomato sauce, and taco seasoning mix and stir to combine well. Stir in the broth and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Remove the cover and stir the mixture well. Stir in the frozen corn, cover the skillet and continue to cook for another 5 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Stir well and garnish with cilantro, if desired. Serve with any Mexican entrée, rolled in tortillas, or just add toppings and make it a meal!
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend mixing up a batch of Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix for the best flavor. The packaged mixes you find at the store don’t hold a candle to a freshly made spice blend.
- Rotel Tomatoes work really well in this recipe. They are seasoned and include green chiles which helps to add more great flavor. I usually go with the Original variety but you will also find Mild and Hot. Go with the heat level you like.
- There is no need to thaw the frozen corn used in this recipe. In fact, it’s better if you don’t. The heat from the nearly finished recipe is all it needs to thaw and cook to the perfect texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home.
This is a great recipe, I made some changes per my taste. I fried up 2 slices of bacon and took out bacon and continued process. Added them back in at the end. I used 8 oz of Chi Chi Med Salsa instead of the green bell pepper. Ran out of onion and celery so I had to use powder. Ugh.. Used different tomatoes in tomato sauce. Used a taco mix from a different chef. Skipped the corn because we just don’t eat it often unless it is sweet off the cob. And skipped the Cilantro.
It tastes good so far. Can’t wait to eat it!
Easy and delicious! I eat for my quick lunch throughout the week. I top with shredded cheese, sour cream and scoop up with tortilla chips.
I made this last week and this is exactly how we were eating it! We also rolled it up in tortillas with a little cheese and toasted the little burritos in a skillet. So good!
I’ve been looking for a Spanish rice recipe that would compete with my mother-in-law’s. Per my husband, this one blew his mom’s out of contention. No need to search any further. I have marked this one as a ‘winner’ and will be placed in my ‘Favorite Recipes’ binder.
I’m not a great cook but made this for a meal and taking leftovers with us when we leave for Virginia beach. Will be a great meal in microwave in motorhome after a day at the beach. Even my wife loved it.
The leftovers are delish! I’m happy the recipe worked out well for you. Thanks, Jim. 🙂
I loved this simple recipe that I had two bowls lol I will share the recipe with my sister in law that she can make it at home herself. I live alone this is something good for one person and still have leftovers. I ate it as meal instead of a side dish lol
My family and I really enjoyed this. I beefed it up by using 1 lb of burger and 1 cup of corn and 1 1/4 cups of rice. I also added a can of black beans and a small can of tomato soup. It was great!
My mother-in-law had a similar recipe that I’ve lost. Her’s used hot BBQ sauce and Velveeta cheese on top and baked in the oven after meat, onion, peppers and garlic cooked and drained. Just wondering if anyone has heard of the recipe? Your recipe sounds very good and well worth trying.
My husband is hard to please and he LOVED it!