This Mexican Rice Skillet is a delicious and easy weeknight meal all in one pan, featuring baked rice, ground beef, cheese, and Mexican flavors.
We love this dish so much that I used the filling to make Stuffed Peppers!
Easy Cheesy Mexican Rice Recipe
This cheesy Mexican rice skillet is on constant rotation at my house and never disappoints. The ground beef and rice soak up all the tasty liquid from broth, canned diced tomatoes, and Rotel, and the melty cheese on top is the perfect finishing touch.
Flavor-packed, made all in one pan, it’s a great weeknight meal that’s so delicious and hearty. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers, it reheats nicely for the next day, too.
Ingredients Needed
Here’s what you’ll need to make this cheesy rice dish.
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for details and measurements.)
- Ground beef – Use lean beef to avoid lots of excess grease.
- Sweet onion – For aromatics and flavor.
- Canned diced tomatoes – The tomatoes and their liquid are both added, creating even more flavor.
- Canned Rotel – Rotel and its liquid adds great flavor to the rice mix. Choose from mild, medium, or hot depending on your taste.
- Rice – Dry uncooked long grained white rice is used. Short grained white rice is also fine. (Avoid brown rice since it takes double the amount of time to cook and a lot more liquid.)
- Chicken broth – The uncooked rice absorbs the chicken broth as it cooks, adding an extra layer of flavor. Use low-sodium so the dish isn’t overly salty. (Beef broth is also great, if preferred.)
- Brown sugar – For a rich, deep flavor and just a bit of sweetness to balance out the other ingredients.
- Worcestershire sauce – Adds depth of flavor.
- Seasonings – Salt, pepper, and cumin season the dish.
- Shredded cheese – Either cheddar or Mexican blend work great. Or use Pepper jack for more heat.
- Fresh chopped cilantro (or parsley) – For garnish.
Recipe Variations
Here are a few ways to change up the flavor.
- Add some beans. Canned black beans or pinto beans make an easy addition. A 1/3 cup is a good amount without overpowering the dish.
- Use Italian diced tomatoes – Swap out the diced tomatoes for Italian diced tomatoes, which is an easy way to add more seasoning.
- Try it with turkey instead of beef. Easily swap the ground beef with ground turkey, if preferred.
How to Make Cheesy Mexican Rice
This skillet rice comes together easily with just a few hands-on steps.
(Scroll to the bottom for our easy printable recipe with the complete directions, and don’t miss the video below.)
- Cook the beef. In a large ovenproof saute pan (with a lid), cook beef and onion over medium-high, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until browned and no pink remains.
- Add the other ingredients. Stir in the undrained diced tomatoes, undrained Rotel, chicken (or beef) broth, uncooked rice, brown sugar, Worcestershire, and all the seasonings.
- Simmer. Bring mixture to a boil; stir once, then cover tightly. Reduce heat to low and let cook for 30 minutes undisturbed. In the meantime, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake. Uncover the pan and give the mixture a stir; sprinkle with the cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted.
- Serve. Sprinkle cilantro (or parsley) over the top, serve, and enjoy!
Video: Cheesy Mexican Rice
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this dish as is or add some toppings like sour cream, sliced ripe avocado or homemade guacamole.
Including protein, grains, and tomatoes, this one pan skillet is a pretty hearty meal, but it does pair nicely with a side salad or cucumber salad.
To wash it all down, you can’t beat refreshing (and kid-friendly!) horchata or agua fresca, or some margaritas for the grown ups. And don’t forget Tres Leches Cake, Carlota de Limon, or Churros for dessert!
Storing Leftovers
- Store leftovers. Allow to cool completely, then store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To freeze. Cool completely, then store in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
More Skillet Recipes To Try:
- Ground Turkey and Rice Skillet
- Cornbread Sloppy Joe Skillet
- Rice and Beans
- Kielbasa and Cabbage Skillet
- Unstuffed Cabbage Rolls
- Chicken Pot Pie Noodles
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Cheesy Mexican Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 small sweet onion , diced
- 15 ounce can diced tomatoes , undrained
- 10 ounce can Rotel , undrained
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth (or beef broth)
- 3/4 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- fresh chopped cilantro (or parsley)
Instructions
- In a large ovenproof saute pan (with a lid), cook beef and onion over medium-high, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon, until browned and no pink remains, about 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes (with their juice), Rotel (with their juice), chicken broth, rice, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil; stir once, then cover tightly. Reduce heat to low and let cook for 30 minutes undisturbed.
- In the meantime, preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Uncover pan and give the mixture a stir; sprinkle with the cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is bubbly and melted.
- Sprinkle cilantro over the top and serve!
I made it with fresh tomatoes,tomato sauce and then brown rice and baked it all in my cast iron everyone loved it will definitely make again
Anything Mexican is favorite here. We love this dish and it’s so easy to make!
This was delicious. I omitted the brown sugar, not necessary. A definite repeater!
Our entire family loved this recipe, my eight year old son loved it so much he went back for second helpings at dinner last night and then asked for leftovers for breakfast this morning. :)
This is a super easy recipe and great comfort food. We use sweet potato tortilla chips to eat with it.
My family LOVED this! Another recipe to add to my regulars. So easy, thank you!
Can brown rice be used instead?
This is a fantastic dish…easy to make and a nice dinner treat for everyone. Even my fussy husband liked it. It makes a quite a bit. We had it for dinner, I shared some with the couple next door, and I still had leftovers for another meal.
Soo good and easy to make
I am making this for lunch today and cannot wait. I can tell just by reading the recipe that it is going to be winner! My father used to sauté the rice with the onions and meat. It added another level of flavor to his version of Spanish rice.
I made this dish a few weeks ago. Was very delicious and satisfying. It’s a keeper for sure. Thanks.
I made this and we love it! i had to substitute the Rotel with a jar of salsa because I couldn’t get it where I live. Worked out amazing, will be making again!!
What was the white cream that you put on top at the end?
sour cream
Can i substitute the rotel with something else cause I can not get it where i live. Would a jar of salsa work?
Hi Brenna – I think that would be ok as long as it’s the same amount (10 ounces) and it’s a loose salsa, because you’ll want the liquid.
I’ve made this for years, but I call it Taco Rice. We all love it!
My entire family loved this! My two teenage boys said they could live solely on this for the rest of their lives, and my picky four year old daughter said it’s the best thing I’ve ever made!
You had me at Mexican! My family happens to love anything Mexican! Can’t wait to try!
Looks good, but unfortunately, not even this dish will get past my better half, who doesn’t like Mexican food any more than your kids. Famished and tired just won’t help a bit!
That’s hilarious. Hunger is the best spice, as they say!
This is perfect for busy weeknights! My family will love it!
Now that you got the Mexican food passef them try adding a can of black beans next time. Now you have gotten Mexican and really good for you veggies passed them ?