Taco Rice
This easy, one pan Taco Rice recipe is a whole meal in one. Ground beef, taco seasonings, salsa, rice and cheese. A family favorite meal!
AN ENTIRE MEAL IN ONE PAN
If there is one item I always tell new cooks to keep in their pantry – is rice. Especially quick-cooking rice like Minute Rice. It can be pulled out and added or mixed with so many other meals and it’s easy to get creative with. It beefs up meal time to make it more filling and you can add just about any flavor to it. What I love about this recipe is you don’t even need to cook the rice first – it all gets cooked up together so you can make this all in one pan without dirtying up a bunch of dishes!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ’S)
It is a simple recipe made with ground beef that has been seasoned with taco seasoning. Rice, salsa and shredded cheese are then added.
This taco rice is very filling on its own but you can serve it as a side to Layered Taco Bake or Mexican Lasagna! I think it would also go well with either White Chicken Enchiladas or Ground Beef Enchiladas.
Leftover Taco Rice should be stored in a covered container for up to 3 days. To reheat, sprinkle just a little bit of water on to the rice then microwave until warm (the extra water keeps the rice from drying out as it reheats.)
You can but this recipe was made specifically created for quick cooking rice. I have not tested it with long grain rice. You may need a bit more water if using long grain rice and there would be a longer cooking time.
We like to top it with some sour cream, shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes (and a little extra shredded cheese! I think this would even be absolutely delicious if it is wrapped up in a burrito with the toppings added.
Yes. Rice should be put in a freezer safe container where it will keep up to 3 months. Put into the refrigerator to defrost then warm up using directions above.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE)
- ground beef – you can use pork, chicken or ground turkey.
- taco seasoning – you can use a packet seasoning or make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning.
- Minute Rice quick cooking rice – see my FAQs above on this one.
- salsa – my favorite salsa is Herdez mild salsa. It’s important you use a salsa you enjoy eating. You can even use a spicy salsa if you want to kick this up a notch.
- shredded cheddar cheese – if you want to make it spicier, try using a pepper jack cheese.
HOW TO MAKE TACO RICE
In a large skillet, brown and crumble ground beef. Drain excess grease. Add in taco seasoning and water.
Stir well and allow mixture to come to a boil. Turn down heat, then add in uncooked Minute Rice and stir.
Cover and cook for about 5 minutes (until rice is tender.) Then remove lid and stir in salsa and cheese. Turn off heat and it’s ready to serve.
If I am making this a whole meal, I will usually serve it topped with some sour cream, lettuce and diced tomatoes. You could even serve it wrapped in a tortilla.
CRAVING MORE RECIPES?
Originally published: November 2015
Updated photos & republished: March 2024
The Best Taco Rice (+Video)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet taco seasoning
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups Minute Rice, uncooked
- 1 cup salsa
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- In a large skillet, brown and crumble ground beef. Drain excess grease.
- Add in taco seasoning and water. Stir well and allow mixture to come to a boil.
- Turn down heat, then add in uncooked Minute Rice and stir.
- Cover and cook for about 5 minutes (until rice is tender.) Then remove lid and stir in salsa and cheese.
- Turn off the heat and it’s ready to serve!
Video
Notes
- Please refer to my FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions) and ingredient list above for other substitutions or for the answers to the most common questions.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
“The Country Cook” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and other nutritional values are important to you, we recommend running the ingredients through whichever online nutritional calculator you prefer. Calories and other nutritional values can vary quite a bit depending on which brands were used.
Subbed the salsa for a blended can of rotel(we don’t like chunks of tomato!) Very good thank you!
Hello,
If I freeze this after it’s cooked, to I put it in a aluminum pan, cover with foil? Do I reheat it in the oven and if so what temp, how long and keep it covered?
Thanks,
Sheila
Hi Sheila, I am not sure I would reheat in the oven. Rice can easily dry out. I just freeze in a microwave save container and reheat in the microwave =. You may want to add a bit of liquid first.
Delicious my partner was very happy thanks for sharing
I added some black beans, bell pepper and onion to the mix but it was fantastic!
We had a taco bar type dinner at church so I took this and just popped it into a slow cooker to keep warm. I think it was one of the first things to be totally eaten first. I had to give your website out to everyone so they could get the recipe. Thanks so much!
I make this often but use cauliflower rice. Great recipe !
This was delicious! I doubled it. I served two adults and children alike. I added a can or tomatoes which I puréed along with the salsa, so the kids wouldn’t pick at the tomato bits and refuse to eat. They all loved it! I offered corn tortillas with it, or scoop type chips. It was a big hit! I did not have minute rice, so I use jasmine rice that I parcooked the day before. Yum!!
I made this for a dinner party and topped it with the works and it was a hit! Thanks for this amazing idea!
Thanks so very much Steve!
Beautiful quick meal.
Delicious!!
Yay!! So happy it turned out good for you! Thanks Linda!
During the quarantine, the rice shelf was pretty cleaned out. I have regular rice. I’m going to use 1 cup with 2 cups of water and cook it for the required time on the package. I’ll let you know how it turned out.
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My husband really enjoyed it. Next time I think I will use cut-up boneless chicken instead of gd. beef.
Love it, I Make and use it as a filling for soft tacos or burritos also.
Easy, fast and delicious. I add onion, garlic, green pepper, a can of fire-roasted tomatoes and half a bag of frozen corn. My husband loves it.
Love it Kathy!! Thanks so much!
Can I substitute the minute rice for precooked rice? I have some leftover white rice to use up, if so should I reduce or omit the water all together?
I just made this recipe. I’m a big fan of easy-to-make recipes. I added one chopped to ground beef. I added water before adding taco seasoning so it would mix together easier. I love this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing.
I love rice and this recipe looks so easy and delicious! I have ground beef in the fridge and Minute Rice in the pantry … think I’ll try this tonight!
Yay!! Love when a meal can be made with what you already have on hand in the pantry! Hope you love it!
I DID make this dish tonight and it was delicious and so easy! Because I live alone, I split the recipe … only used half of each ingredient. Served it with shredded lettuce and tortilla chips. I will certainly make this again when I have company .. everyone will love it!
Thanks so much Peggy!! I love hearing that!!
This is soooo good & easy to make! I’ve also put it in a tortilla.
Love hearing that Ellen – thanks so much!
Would this work to substitute Quinoa for the rice? I can’t eat much rice, but love quinoa.I wonder how the liquid amount would need to be changed.
Hi Darlene – I enjoy quinoa but I’ve actually never cooked it for myself. So I am honestly not sure. Perhaps someone on here who is more familiar with cooking with quinoa can help us out! 🙂
This was so good!
Just made this tonight. My whole family loved it: I added mushrooms, onions and corn. Will be having leftovers with tortilla chips tomorrow!
Made this a few times. My whole family loved it! Can this recipie be frozen?
Made this the other night and I’m wondering why I never made it before?! So simple and quick yet so good! For sure my new go to when I need a quick meal! Thank you!
The pictures don’t do it justice – ha! It really is one of my favorites. So happy you loved it too!! 🙂