If you love cozy, easy dinners that don’t leave you with a sink full of dishes, you’ll want to try this One-Pot Cheesy Mexican Rice with Ground Beef! Packed with seasoned ground beef, tender rice, and loads of gooey cheese, this dish brings bold Mexican-inspired flavors to your table in about an hour.
It's perfect for busy weeknights or when you want a comfort food that's full of flavor.
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Ingredients - Here's What You'll Need
Easy Steps for Making this Casserole
- I started by browning and crumbling ground beef over medium heat in my medium Le Creuset Braiser (3.5 quarts). You could also use an oven-proof 12-inch skillet. Once the ground beef was fully cooked, I transferred it to a colander and drained it well.
- I rinsed and dried the braiser. Then I heated olive oil over medium heat, and added the onions and bell pepper. I cooked the veggies until they began to soften, about five minutes.
- Once the veggies started to soften, I added the garlic, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and pepper. I stirred everything together and cooked the mixture until it was fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- After that, I added the cooked ground beef, rinsed rice, salt, and light brown sugar, and stirred everything togther.
- Finally, I added the chicken broth, Rotel Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilies, and Tomato sauce. I stirred the mixture together and heated it to a boil. Then I covered the braiser with a paper towel and the lid, lowered the heat to medium-low, and cooked the mixture for about 20 minutes, until most of the liquid had evaporated and the rice was done.
- Once the rice was done, I sprinkled Mozzarella cheese on top, followed by Monterey Jack cheese. I put the casserole in a preheated 375°F oven for around 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, the cheeses were melted and bubbly. I removed the casserole from the oven and sprinkled it with minced fresh parsley before serving.
This One-Pot Cheesy Mexican Rice with Ground Beef was hearty, satisfying, and full of flavor with minimal cleanup.
Whether you’re meal prepping for the week or need a quick weeknight win, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite. Yum!
Frequently Asked Questions
This casserole can be made in advance up to the point of adding the cheese. If the casserole has cooled significantly or you’re prepping earlier than 45 minutes ahead, reheat gently on the stove top over low heat, adding a splash of broth if needed to loosen, before adding cheese and baking. For a longer time, cover and refrigerate for up to a day. When ready to serve, remove the casserole from the refrigerator, top with the cheeses, and bake uncovered at 375°F until hot and bubbly.
This casserole is quite versatile. Sometimes, I'll substitute chicken for the ground beef. I've also substituted black beans and corn for the ground beef for a vegetarian option.
In addition to substituting beans or corn for the ground beef in this casserole, I sometimes add a can of beans or corn, drained and rinsed thoroughly. Both make delicious additions.
This casserole makes a lot, and I often have leftovers. In this case, rewarm the leftovers in the microwave (my preference), or in a 350°F oven.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- I love the cheese pull when serving this casserole. To maximize the effect of the cheese pull, be sure to sprinkle on the Mozzarella cheese first before the Monterey Jack cheese. Mozzarella cheese produces the more dramatic cheese pull.
- My 3.5-quart braiser is a perfect size for this recipe. If you don't have a braiser, you can use a 12-inch oven-proof skillet with a lid.
- The flavors of oil-soluble spices are enhanced if you "bloom" them. Oregano, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper are all oil-soluble. Therefore, I add the oregano, chili powder, cumin, and pepper to the oil with the garlic for 30 seconds to bring out extra flavor.
- Freshly shredded cheese melts more evenly than pre-shredded cheese, resulting in the ultimate gooey texture.
- Years ago, I learned the trick of placing a paper towel on the pan before putting the lid on. As the casserole cooks, it produces condensation. The paper towel traps the condensation, preventing it from falling back in the pan. This helps to minimize mushy rice.
Other One-Pot Wonders
One-pot recipes are perfect for easy prep and easy cleanup. Here are some of my favorites:
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One-Pot Cheesy Mexican Rice with Ground Beef
Equipment
- Medium 3.5 quart braiser with lid or 12-inch oven-safe skillet with lid
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef, browned, crumbled, and well drained
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup diced onion (1 medium onion)
- ½ cup diced orange or red bell pepper (1 medium bell pepper)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1½ teaspoons dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1½ teaspoons ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
- 1½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons light brown sugar
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
- 10 ounce can Rotel Original Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, undrained
- ¾ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- ¾ cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- Parsley for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Add ground beef. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until no longer pink, then drain excess fat. (See Tips 1 and 2)
- Rinse and dry the pan. Heat olive oil in a medium braiser or large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 5 minutes until softened. Add garlic, oregano, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper. Cook 30 seconds or until fragrant. (See Tip 3)
- Add cooked beef, rice, salt, light brown sugar, chicken broth, undrained Rotel tomatoes, and tomato sauce. Stir well.
- Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. (See Tips 4 and 5)
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sprinkle mozzarella and Monterey Jack cheese on top. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbly. (See Tip 6)
- Rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Garnish as desired and serve.
- Yield: 6 to 8 servings. (See Tip 7)
Video
Tips/Notes
- I know that some would disagree with this, but after I transfer the cooked ground beef to a colander, I rinse it well with hot water to remove as much grease as possible. While this does remove some flavor, the real flavor of the casserole comes from the other added ingredients.
- After the cooked beef cools a bit, I like to crumble it between the palms of my hands. This improves the overall consistency of the casserole.
- Because oregano, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper are oil-soluble, their flavor is enhanced if allowed to "bloom." Therefore, I add the oregano, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper when I add the garlic, and cook the mixture until fragrant. It only takes 30 seconds to a minute for the spices to "bloom."
- I like to place a paper towel on the pan before putting the lid on. The reason is that as the casserole cooks, it produces condensation. The paper towel traps the condensation, preventing it from falling back into the pan. This helps to minimize mushy rice.
- The casserole can be made in advance up to this point.
- For the maximum cheese pull effect, sprinkle the Mozzarella cheese first, followed by the Monterey Jack cheese. Mozzarella cheese produces a more dramatic cheese pull effect.
- Leftovers are excellent. Cover and refrigerate for up to three days. Reheat in the microwave or in a 350°F oven until heated through.
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