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Looking for a quick and easy meal that’s packed with flavor and requires minimal cleanup? Look no further than this delicious one pot Cheesy Taco Skillet recipe. It’s a satisfying dinner that’s perfect for a new spin on Taco Tuesday.

One pan with beans, rice, and beef inside of it.

Table of Contents

One Pot Dinner – Cheesy Taco Skillet Recipe

Get ready to enjoy a delicious, easy-to-make, one pot meal that the whole family will love. Cheesy taco skillet is the perfect weeknight dinner recipe that combines savory ground beef, rice, black beans, and cheddar cheese, all cooked together with a blend of taco seasoning.

The best part about this recipe is that no only does it save time and effort, but also minimizes cleanup, as you’ll only need one skillet pan to create this recipe.

A serving of this dinner recipe on a white plate.

Why You’ll Love This Dinner

It checks all the boxes, combining the flavors of your favorite taco, with the convenience of a single skillet pan meal. Here are some reasons why this might become a go-to dinner for your family.

This is a versatile recipe because you can change up the dried seasonings, substitute different beans, make it spicy, or use a different protein.
Easy cleanup with only one skillet pan and the only ‘prep work’ needed is to grate some cheese!
A variety of ways to serve it like eating it as is, wrapping it up in a flour tortilla for a burrito, as a topping for nachos, make quesadillas, or make taco bowls by adding shredded lettuce and your favorite toppings.

Close up of the cooked recipe inside a skillet pan. Side view with cilantro as garnish.

Ingredients Needed

Ground Beef – I prefer using lean ground beef (96/4 or 93/7) but you will drain off the excess grease from the pan, so it use what you have.
Kosher Salt – Helps elevate the flavors of the ground beef.
Taco Seasoning – I prefer to make it as easy as possible and use a packet of taco seasoning, but you can also make your own seasoning instead. We love this Mild Taco Seasoning.
Petite Diced Tomatoes – No need to drain these, just dump and go.
Black Beans – Drain the beans in a colander and rinse them.
Long Grain White Rice – This is the specific rice that the recipe has been tested with. Brown rice requires more cook time and more liquid. I don’t recommend using it unless you want to play around with the other measurements.
Chicken Broth – I prefer using the full salted chicken broth.
Shredded Cheddar Cheese – You can sub this with any cheese you want!
Chopped Cilantro – Optional garnish but really good.

How To Make Cheesy Taco Skillet with Ground Beef

Follow these easy, step-by-step instructions to prepare this one pan taco skillet that will have your family begging for more!

In a large skillet pan, over medium-high heat, cook and crumble the ground beef and kosher salt, until the beef is no longer pink. Drain the excess grease/fat from the pan.
Add the taco seasoning, diced tomatoes, black beans, uncooked rice, and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir to combine.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and cover the skillet pan with a lid. Let it simmer for 18-20 minutes, or until the rice cooked through and all the liquid has absorbed.
Remove the skillet pan from the heat and stir in the shredded cheese until melted and combined.
Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and any other garnished you want.

Step by step process collage pictures showing how to make this recipe.

FAQ’s + Expert Tips

Skillet Pan : It’s important to use a deep and wide skillet pan, with a lid, to ensure that everything cooks evenly, especially the rice. I don’t recommend using a stock pot or soup pot for this recipe. I love this Calphalon 13-Inch Deep Skillet, or this more budget-friendly T-fal Skillet Pan is really good also.
Low Heat Setting For Simmer Time : To ensure that the rice cooks thoroughly and properly, make sure the heat is set to low. If the heat is too high then the bottom of the rice will cook and burn, while the rice above it won’t have time to cook.
Can I Make This Spicy? : Yes! Here are some ideas to make this dish spicy – add a can of diced green chilies, add a can of chopped jalapeños, add cayenne red pepper or crushed red pepper flakes, add hot sauce, shredded Pepper Jack cheese, or use a packet of hot & spicy taco seasoning.
Protein : Ground chicken or ground turkey can also be used in place of ground beef.
Shredded Cheese : For the best creamy melt, I highly recommend shredding your own cheese with a Cheese Grater. It makes a big difference. You can also use any variety of cheese that you prefer. Some other great options are Colby Jack, Monterey Jack, or Pepper Jack.
Serving Suggestions : Top this cheesy taco skillet with a dollop of sour cream, sliced avocado, black olives, or any other toppings you want. You can also serve it as ‘taco bowl’ and add some shredded lettuce on top with any other toppings you want. Another way to serve it is to use it as filling for inside flour tortillas as a burrito. Use it as a topping for oven baked nachos. Make quesadillas with it. Lots of options for fun ways to use this recipe or creative leftover ideas.
Storage Tips : Store leftovers inside an airtight container, like a Tupperware type container with a lid, for up to 3-4 days. Reheat leftovers in the microwave.