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Lighter 30-Minute Ground Beef Skillet with Rice

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A quick and easy one-pan dinner featuring lean ground beef, rice, and vegetables, perfect for busy weeknights. This crowd-pleasing recipe comes together in just 30 minutes and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 pound lean ground beef (90/10 or 93/7)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 medium bell pepper, diced (any color)
  • 2 medium carrots, peeled and diced
  • 1 cup long-grain white rice, uncooked (basmati or jasmine)
  • 2 cups low-sodium beef broth (or chicken broth)
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, drained (fire-roasted preferred)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (freshly ground)
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
  • 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese (sharp, for garnish)
  • Lime wedges (for serving)

Instructions

  1. Prep your ingredients first: dice the onion, bell pepper, and carrots; mince the garlic; drain the diced tomatoes; measure out the rice and broth.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 30 seconds).
  3. Add the ground beef and break it apart with a spoon. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and no longer pink. Let it sit for a minute between stirs to develop a crust.
  4. Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and carrots. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften and the onion becomes translucent.
  5. Add the minced garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  6. Pour in the drained diced tomatoes and beef broth. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  7. Add the uncooked rice and stir until evenly distributed. Bring the mixture to a boil (about 2-3 minutes).
  8. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid, and let it simmer for 18 minutes. Do not lift the lid during this time.
  9. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it sit, still covered, for 5 minutes.
  10. Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Gently stir everything together. If there’s excess liquid, let it sit uncovered for 2-3 minutes.
  11. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt or pepper if needed.
  12. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley, shredded cheese, and a squeeze of lime if desired.

Notes

For extra flavor, toast the rice in the pan for 1-2 minutes before adding liquid. Do not lift the lid during simmering to ensure perfect rice. Leftovers taste even better the next day. For brown rice, increase liquid to 2.5 cups and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Nutrition

Keywords: ground beef skillet, one-pan dinner, 30-minute meal, weeknight dinner, ground beef and rice, easy dinner, healthy skillet

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