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!
So, I figured out how to get my kids to eat Mexican food and not hate it…make them so incredibly tired and hungry, they don’t care about anything. Lol.
We went on a “little” hike…that ended up being 11 miles long with some steep terrain. Uphill. At mile nine, the kids were DONE. And I was like, “come on you guys, you can do it. Push through!” – while secretly, I also thought I might die. “Go for a hike,” they said. “It’ll be fun,” they said. HA.
Anyway! We got home around dinner time and instead of being smart and grabbing a bite on the way, we got home and everyone was famished. We snacked on apples as this cheesy Mexican rice cooked – SUPER easy and delish – even my Mexican food hating kids loved it.
Cheesy Mexican Rice Recipe
Here’s what you’ll need:
*Scroll below for the complete printable recipe card and video tutorial.
- Lean ground beef
- Sweet onion
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Canned Rotel
- Low-sodium chicken broth
- Uncooked long grain white rice
- Brown sugar
- Kosher salt, pepper, and cumin
- Worcestershire sauce
- Shredded cheddar or Mexican blend cheese
- Fresh chopped cilantro (or parsley)
How to Make Cheesy Mexican Rice
- 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, Rotel, chicken broth, rice, brown sugar, salt, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, 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!
Other Skillet Recipes To Try
Cheesy Mexican Rice Video
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 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
- 3/4 cup uncooked long grain white rice
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 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, Rotel, chicken broth, rice, brown sugar, salt, cumin, Worcestershire sauce, 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!
Video
Nutrition
Other Notes
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 ?