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If your family loves taco night but you don’t love washing a sink full of dishes afterward, this Easy Taco Skillet is about to become your new favorite weeknight dinner. Everything cooks together in one pan—including the rice—so dinner is ready in about 25 minutes with minimal prep and even less cleanup.

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This cheesy ground beef taco skillet is loaded with seasoned beef, black beans, Rotel tomatoes, fluffy rice, and plenty of melted cheddar cheese. It’s hearty enough to feed the whole family and easy to customize with everyone’s favorite taco toppings like avocado, sour cream, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cilantro, and crunchy tortilla chips.

Whether you’re looking for a quick 30-minute dinner, an easy one-pan meal, or a simple recipe for Taco Tuesday, this taco skillet checks every box. It also reheats beautifully for lunches and is freezer-friendly, making it perfect for meal prep.

We love a taco Tuesday! If you do, too, try this Sheet Pan Quesadilla, Chicken Fajita Casserole with rice or a Chicken Fajita Casserole with Pasta, and this quick 20 minute Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas recipe.

My favorite type of meal to cook:

• One pan for super easy clean up and the least amount of dishes to wash
• Little to no prep- that means no chopping, no slicing, no searing; basically no work ahead of time
• Quick! Something that’s ready to eat in less than 30 minutes
• Delicious! A meal that is satisfying, will fill up the family, and is reasonably healthy

This Taco Skillet checks all of those boxes! This dish will be your new weeknight hero.

It’s a one-pan meal loaded with taco seasoned ground beef, rice, black beans, and salsa, all simmered together and topped with melty cheese. Serve it straight from the skillet with tortilla chips, wrapped in warm tortillas, or spooned into a bowl. It’s everything you love about tacos—just faster and easier, with way less cleanup! 🙌

As with traditional taco- the toppings are the best part! Pile your taco skillet with avocado, sour cream, jalapeños, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, all of your favorites.

Ingredients for Easy Taco Skillet

• A Large Skillet- I love this one
• 1 pound lean ground beef-I use a 90/10 mix so I don’t have to drain the meat
• 1/2 red onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced (any color)
• 1 packet taco seasoning
• 1 can Rotel (undrained) or substitute 1 cup of salsa
• 1 cup instant rice-this gets it on the table so quickly! I love the instant jasmine rice
• 1/2 cup chicken stock (or water)- you don’t need too much stock because there will be liquid from the beef, vegetables and Rotel
• 15 ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed- Pinto beans would be great, too
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• Your favorite toppings

How To Make Taco Rice Skillet

Cook the beef:

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the ground beef with the diced onion and bell pepper until the meat is no longer pink and veggies are softened. Drain excess grease, if needed.

Add seasoning and rice:

Stir in taco seasoning and the rice and let it cook for 1 minute to bloom the spices.

Build the skillet:

Add Rotel (with juices), chicken stock, and black beans. Stir well to combine.

Simmer:

Cover the skillet and simmer over low heat for 7 minutes, or until rice is tender and most liquid is absorbed.

Add cheese:

Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top. Cover again for 2–3 minutes until melted.

Serve it up:

Top with sour cream, cilantro, or crushed tortilla chips if you’d like.

✅Tips

• Use lean ground beef (like 90/10) to avoid excess grease, or drain off any fat after browning.
• Don’t skip the seasoning! A packet of taco seasoning or a homemade blend makes all the difference.
• Add extra veggies – bell peppers, zucchini, or diced tomatoes add nutrition and flavor.
• Spice it up with a pinch of cayenne or a few dashes of hot sauce if you like heat.
• Make it creamy by stirring in a few tablespoons of cream cheese or sour cream at the end.
• Top it off with shredded cheese, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, or a squeeze of lime.

❄️Freezer-Friendly Instructions

This Taco Skillet is perfect for prepping ahead! Here’s how to freeze it:

• Cool completely. Let the skillet mixture cool to room temperature before storing.
• Portion into containers. Use freezer-safe containers, like these Souper Cubes Containers for easy reheating or Ziploc bags (lay flat for easier storage).
• Label and freeze. Store for up to 3 months in the freezer.
• Reheat and serve. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in a skillet over medium heat or microwave until hot. Add a splash of water or broth if it needs loosening.

Great for taco night, meal prep lunches, or a quick dinner straight from the freezer!

Variations

• Make it creamy (stir in 4 oz cream cheese)
• Add corn
• Use ground turkey
• Add diced zucchini
• Make it extra cheesy
• Turn it into burritos
• Use cauliflower rice for a lower-carb version

What to Serve With Taco Skillet

• Mexican Street Corn
• Homemade Guacamole
• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Chips & Salsa
• Cornbread
• Simple Green Salad
• Fresh Fruit

More One Pan Meals

• Stuffed Shells
• Marry Me Chicken with Orzo
• Old Fashioned American Goulash
• Chicken a la King
• Sausage and Peppers Pasta
• Chicken Tot Pie

Video How To Make Taco Skillet