12/10/18

Taco Rice with Queso

A one-pan skillet dinner recipe made with ground beef, taco seasoning and Mexican style rice drenched in an easy queso cheese sauce.

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My baby boy’s absolute favorite type of food in the world is Mexican. When the family’s going out to eat he begs to go to our local Mexican restaurant or Moe’s. He BEGS.

When we’re there he always orders the same thing or a combination of dishes that yield three things: taco meat, Mexican rice and queso.

When we’re at our local Mexican restaurant, that comes in the form of soft tacos, queso dip and a side of rice. When we’re at Moe’s, it comes in the form of a burrito made with taco meat, queso and rice.

Taco Rice with Queso! An easy one-pan skillet dinner recipe made with ground beef, taco seasoning and Mexican style rice drenched in an easy queso cheese sauce.

However he orders the three, he inevitably mixes them all together (ditching the tortillas) and gobbles it all up with a fork. And I must say, it looks mighty tasty!

We eat a ton of ground beef during the week. Whether it’s spaghetti, hamburger steaks or even Hamburger Helper, ground beef is the cheapest and fastest way for me to get supper on the table after work.

So I decided to create a recipe that my boy will LOVE using taco seasoned beef and rice that’s also super-fast to get on the table. Plus sometimes ya just get tired of eating the same ol’ things week after week.

Taco Rice with Queso! An easy one-pan skillet dinner recipe made with ground beef, taco seasoning and Mexican style rice drenched in an easy queso cheese sauce.

I made this recipe by combining two easy staples – taco meat and Mexican rice – and prepared all of it in one skillet.

Less dishes to clean makes me a happy mama! Then I drizzled it all with quick and easy homemade queso cheese sauce and BOOM! I’ve got a one-pot wonder that’s done in 30 minutes!

And a happy boy.

Taco Rice with Queso! An easy one-pan skillet dinner recipe made with ground beef, taco seasoning and Mexican style rice drenched in an easy queso cheese sauce.

To make this we’re going to cook the ground beef and onion in a skillet (make sure you choose a skillet with a lid), seasoning both with salt and pepper.

Then we’ll add uncooked white rice, a packet of taco seasoning, garlic and chicken broth and let everything cook together until the rice is tender.

When ready to serve you can leave everything in the skillet or spoon it into a serving bowl (which is what I did for the sake of taking pretty pictures) then drench the whole lot in velvety queso sauce.

Taco Rice with Queso! An easy one-pan skillet dinner recipe made with ground beef, taco seasoning and Mexican style rice drenched in an easy queso cheese sauce.

I have a recipe below for making easy queso but feel free to use your favorite prepared queso sauce (store bought or from your favorite Mexican restaurant) if you prefer!

TIP: I make this and similar recipes so often, I stock up on the taco meal kits you find at the grocery store when they're on sale. You know, the ones that come with a packet of taco seasoning, taco sauce and taco shells or soft tacos? I use all three of those ingredients frequently enough that it's nice to have the ingredients around when I need them.

Taco Rice with Queso! An easy one-pan skillet dinner recipe made with ground beef, taco seasoning and Mexican style rice drenched in an easy queso cheese sauce.

If you enjoy quick and easy main dishes made with ground beef, try some of these recipes too!

  • Hamburger Steaks with Brown Gravy - The BEST recipe for Hamburger Steaks with easy, homemade brown gravy.
  • S.O.S. Casserole- A quick and easy casserole recipe made with S.O.S. (creamed beef) gravy topped with buttered toast cubes perfect for breakfast or dinner.
  • Salisbury Steak & Potato Skillet - Hamburger steaks, potatoes and gravy cook in one pan for an entire scratch-made meal made in just 30 minutes.
  • Egg Roll Stir-Fry - A skillet recipe with all the flavor of an egg roll without the wrapper! Like an unstuffed egg roll in a bowl!
  • Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Skillet - All the goodness of cabbage rolls without precooking the rice or parboiling the cabbage in this deconstructed cabbage roll recipe that cooks in a skillet!
  • Smothered Salisbury Steak Tips - A quick and easy recipe for Salisbury Steak "tips" smothered in gravy and onions in a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Taco Rice with Queso! An easy one-pan skillet dinner recipe made with ground beef, taco seasoning and Mexican style rice drenched in an easy queso cheese sauce.

NOTES ON MAKING TACO RICE & QUESO

  • We need the pan drippings from the ground beef for flavor and richness but if your beef produces an excessive amount of fat, drain some of it if you prefer.
  • Feel free to use whichever queso sauce you like best. I’ve been known to order an extra cup from Moe’s just to use with this recipe.
  • If you can’t find the Queso Blanco variety of Velveeta, use white American cheese (it’s actually better than using Velveeta but I never feel like standing in line at the deli to get the white American cheese).
  • Keep temperature at the lowest temperature possible while still maintaining a simmer.
  • Do not open the lid to the pot/pan or stir more often than necessary.
  • Only stir with a fork and be sure to scrape the bottom of the pot/pan when stirring.
  • Don’t stir or open the lid of the pot/pan the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Recipe for Taco Rice with Queso

Taco Rice with Queso! An easy one-pan skillet dinner recipe made with ground beef, taco seasoning and Mexican style rice drenched in an easy queso cheese sauce.

Taco Rice with Queso

Taco Rice with Queso
Yield: 6 Servings
Author: Mandy Rivers | South Your Mouth
Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 25 MinTotal time: 35 Min
A one-pan skillet dinner recipe made with ground beef, taco seasoning and Mexican style rice drenched in an easy queso cheese sauce.

Ingredients

Taco Rice:
  • 1 pound lean ground beef
  • 1 onion, diced
  • Salt & pepper
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup taco sauce or tomato sauce
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon oregano
  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
Queso Sauce:
  • 8 ounces Velveeta Queso Blanco cheese
  • 3-5 tablespoons half & half

Instructions

Taco Rice:
  1. Add ground beef and onion to a large skillet then season liberally with salt and pepper. Cook over high heat until meat is cooked through. Do not drain. Reduce heat to medium.
  2. Add chicken broth, taco sauce, taco seasoning, garlic powder and oregano to cooked beef, mix well then bring to a boil over high heat.
  3. Stir in rice then return to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low. Cover skillet then cook for 25 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring the bottom of the skillet with a fork occasionally during the first 15 minutes of cooking. Do not open the lid or stir the last 10 minutes of cooking.
  4. When ready to serve, drizzle mixture with queso sauce. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro if desired.
Queso Sauce:
  1. Combine Velveeta and 3 tablespoons of half & half in a microwave-safe bowl then microwave for 2-3 minutes or until melted through, stirring every 30-45 seconds.
  2. Add additional half & half until sauce reaches desired consistency.

Notes

  • We need the pan drippings from the ground beef for flavor and richness but if your beef produces an excessive amount of fat, drain some of it if you prefer.
  • I save the taco sauce packets from taco meal kits to use in this recipe but you can also buy it by the bottle. Canned tomato sauce works as well.
  • Feel free to use whichever queso sauce you like best. I’ve been known to order an extra cup from Moe’s just to use with this recipe.
  • If you can’t find the Queso Blanco variety of Velveeta, use white American cheese (it’s actually better than using Velveeta but I never feel like standing in line at the deli to get the white American cheese).


TIPS FOR COOKING RICE:

  • Keep temperature at the lowest temperature possible while still maintaining a simmer.
  • Do not open the lid to the pot/pan or stir more often than necessary.
  • Only stir with a fork and scrape the bottom of the pot/pan when stirring.
  • Don’t stir or open the lid of the pot/pan the last 10 minutes of cooking.
mexican, rice, taco, ground beef, taco meat, queso, cheese sauce, velveeta, skillet, one-pan, dinner, easy, stove top, recipe, how to
dinner
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40 comments:

  1. I love Mexican too and I love that this is quick and easy!

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  2. Yow! I just found what I'm gonna fix my kids (and me!) for lunch when they're on Christmas break!

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  3. How do you think this would freeze? Trying to build up my freezer stash! Thanks!

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    1. Hmmm... I've never tried to freeze rice so I'm not sure. I know it gets a little brittle when refrigerated so I think the same might happen in the freezer. If you try it, let us know!

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    2. I have frozen spanish rice( my moms recipe ) I used the food saver bags .Once I thawed it out it was still just as good if not a bit better. the texture was like the chicken fried rice you get from the frozen food section in the stores

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  4. Tried it tonight. It was delicious!

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  5. Sounds delish! I'm thinking of adding a can of Rotel to this could be an excellent addition... What do you think?

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  6. yummy! i love the sound of this, pinned and looking forward to trying it!

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  7. would this work with Minute Rice?

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    1. Yes. Just reduce cook time. Might be stickier.

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    2. Yes! I just made it tonight with minute rice and it was great

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  8. Mandy, may I just say that it was refreshing to read this blog post! OMG...do you mean that someone writes a blog that doesn't want to portray that they have a "perfect" house or a "perfect" kitchen or how their dish was inspired by their 3 week trip to Italy. It is clear, not only by your blog, but by the recipe, that you live in the trenches. Anyone who writes that yes, there is hamburger helper served every now and again, is obviously someone who is down to Earth and cooks to not only to feed people, but to make sure that their family has a hot meal every night ~ even if it does come from a box from time to time. This recipe looks delicious, and I will definitely be trying it. And yes, when I have the time, I will make the queso from scratch, but I can also tell you that between football games, dance practice, and gymnastics ~ Velveeta may be used every now and again! Thanks for keeping it real. :)

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    1. Oh my goodness, thank you!! Getting comments like this is what makes dealing with all the internet trolls worth it! You made my day!

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    2. I just had to circle back and tell you that this recipe has become a staple in my house! I have made this a few times and now if I don't put it on the table in a regular rotation, my kids get upset with me! It is a winner for sure ~ especially on a busy weekday evening.

      Now, regarding those internet trolls...ugh! I need more than the fingers and toes that I have to count how many times I have rolled my eyes at some comments or reviews of different things. How you deal with it: I have no clue. That said, I read an article somewhere once when my kids were very small (they are much older now ~ 4 of the 5 teenagers! [where does the time go?]) that one woman said...No one will be standing over my casket when I die saying how clean my house was, or how neatly my laundry was folded, or how perfectly everyone was dressed, but my family will remember me by all of the dinners we had and how I sat there and colored with them or watched a movie instead of folding laundry or dusting the coffee table to remove those precious fingerprints. At that moment, I swore that is how I would be remembered...so yeah, if you show up on a random Tuesday afternoon unannounced, you may be encountered by an unvacuumed carpet, or dishes that I haven't got to yet, but you will see a happy family who is laughing and smiling and you will probably see this taco rice recipe on the table!! And that is good enough for me!! So again...thank you for keeping it real!

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    3. Can a can of diced tomatoes br added?

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  9. Your blog is my go to for recipes and I've never been disappointed. What type of rice should be used in this recipe?

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    1. Why, THANK YOU!! I always use extra long grain rice but basmati will work as well!

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  10. Made last night was fabulous added home canned tomatoes and spinach. Family loved it

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  11. Can this be made with brown rice? If so what adjustments would need to be made?

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  12. Ever try chicken instead of beef? Add a little green pepper and sounds like a good Arroz con Pollo.

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  13. This calls for 3 to 5 tbls. half and half how do you store the rest of the half and half? It's not something I'm used to using.

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    Replies
    1. Just in the fridge in the carton in came in, I guess. I use it in my coffee and for many recipes that call for milk.

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    2. Half and half has a long shelf life. Try it when making oatmeal, rich and delicious!

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    3. You can pour 1/2 and 1/2 into an ice cube tray and freeze it. Just pop them out after frozen into a freezer ziplock bag and keep them for the next time. Thaw out in the fridge.

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  14. I’ve put a pack of Taco Seasoning in my rice cooker and once finished I added some butter. My husband loves that Rice. I’m thinking of doing this dish. Once Items are Inc. that’s when the 25 mins simmer starts and the food needs to stay sealed like cooking rice on the stove? I wonder if putting this in a Oven at 350 for 25 minutes would have a perfect outcome. I have a few Cajun rice dishes we do down her in the south they start on the stove and finish in the oven.
    It was Smart to have the dish on the same page as your Slow Cooker Taco Chicken .

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  15. Has anyone ever used chicken

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  16. Can you use beef or vegetable broth instead of chicken broth?

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  17. How do you usually serve this? I made it tonight and served it dip style with Doritos chips. I had trouble getting the rice to not be crunchy. I used long grain white rice. Any ideas why? I added extra broth and cooked almost double, before it softened enough to eat.

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    Replies
    1. I just serve it with a simple salad of lettuce and tomato with sour cream or ranch (like they do here in the Mexican restaurants).

      The only things that come to mind are the lid wasn't tight enough (allowing too much steam to escape) or that you stirred it too much?

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  18. I have a tomato allergy - what would you recommend as a substitute for taco seasoning/tomato sauce? Thanks!

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  19. This was delicious as is your tip for the Mexican Rice but you do not ever open the lid and stir on rice. General rule is 20 mins and do not touch!

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    1. EXACTLY! That’s when people start having issues with their rice NOT GETTING DONE & ending up CRUNCHY… Never have I ever heard to stir your rice after it comes to a boil and you place the (VERY TIGHT FITTING) lid on.
      Another note, people have asked about freezing this recipe, I second the person who mentioned that they freeze their Spanish Rice, YES! YES! YES! Absolutely you CAN FREEZE IT & SHOULD! Make an extra large portion, or just make sure your leftovers aren’t getting tossed because they sat in the fridge too long. I freeze Spanish, Fried and plain White Rice and they all taste wonderful when serving them after they’ve been frozen. I microwave the Spanish & White Rice, if it has meat in it (Fried Rice or THIS FABULOUS DISH) then I typically put it in a casserole dish, it may need a little liquid, depending on how much you need you “could” use just water, or Chicken Broth/Stock/Better Than Bouillon, you really just want to SPRINKLE THE VERY SMALL AMOUNT OF LIQUID, unless you’re planning to leave it in the oven for an extended period of time or if it seems super dry…
      I promise you this, you will be SOOO HAPPY when you have a ready made meal FROM SCRATCH, that you just popped in the Casserole dish/pan, etc. and let it go! It’s such a nice way to get a home cooked meal in very little time, and almost NO EFFORT on a busy weeknight! You will be sooo happy that you saved and/or made extra ahead of time! It takes no extra time or effort (typically ~ Most Recipes) to double your recipe and it’s the best time saver ever when you pull it back out of the freezer and pop it into the pan, oven, microwave, etc. You won’t regret it!!

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  20. I’ve been using the family sized boil in bag rice since I started using this recipe and it works just fine.

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  21. This is definitely a keeper recipe for my family. Thank you for sharing! It's so versatile and one can add what they have at home. I made this spare of moment and it turned out great. I didn't have meat thawed so I added black beans into the rice and seasoning too cook and sautéed some corn pieces. I added all of this into tortilla and drizzled it with the homemade queso . I only had white cheddar but it still turned out to yummy. This made so much rice filling that I made some burritos for the freezer. I don't know how well they freeze but I hope ok.

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  22. Do I need to cook it longer if i double the recipe? My family crushed this.

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    Replies
    1. It should cook the same. Glad y'all enjoyed it!!

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  23. Huge hit with my husband and I. The only changes I made were I threw in a can of corn, fire roasted diced tomatoes, and black beans and I made my own taco seasoning. I used about 1/3 cup of oat milk for the cheese sauce because I wanted it runnier, personal preference of course. Really quick and easy and delicious!

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  24. My version made tonight. I browned a package of chicken tenders (8 I believe) with the onions. Followed the rest of the recipe but took a short cut using COSTCO’s white queso. Winner winner!

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  25. I made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious! I added a can of drained corn and used 1/4 cup of salsa instead of the tomato sauce. I also melted a layer of cheddar on the top and still drizzled the whole thing with the queso. I topped it with green onions, sour cream and more salsa. It was so good and even easier to throw together! Who doesn’t love a good one pan meal!

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Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.

I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).

And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y’all! - Mandy