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Beef Taco Skillet

March 31, 2023 by Gina +

No Cleanup, No Mess: One pan to create the easiest Mexican Taco Skillet Ever!

Ready for a deliciously easy way to spice up your next meal? Look no further than this Mexican beef taco skillet! Loaded with ground beef, beans, salsa, and all the Mexican flavors you could ever want, this skillet is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. Whether youโ€™re short on time or just looking for an exciting new meal to make, this recipe will help you to bring a delicious to your dinner table in no time. The best part? This meal requires only one pan, so thereโ€™s minimal cleanup afterward. What are you waiting for? Letโ€™s get cooking!

A cast iron skillet with feef taco filling and melted cheese on top.  It's served with guacamole and sour cream on top.  There are limes and chips off to the side for serving too.  A linen napkin is placed to the other side with more guacamole

This Mexican beef skillet not only tastes great but it’s also packed with nutrients. The lean ground beef provides plenty of protein and iron, while the beans offer up a healthy dose of fiber. The salsa and spices add vibrant color, flavor, and nutrients to the mix while also keeping the dish low in fat and calories. And, you can easily substitute ingredients so that the dish fits your desired dietary needs. For instance, I use cauliflower rice but you could just as easily use cooked white rice. Whether youโ€™re looking for an easy weeknight meal or an impressive dish to serve to guests, this Mexican beef skillet is sure to hit the spot.

A cast iron skillet with feef taco filling and melted cheese on top.  It's served with guacamole and sour cream on top.  There are limes and chips off to the side for serving too.  A linen napkin is placed to the other side with more guacamole
A cast iron skillet with feef taco filling and melted cheese on top.  It's served with guacamole and sour cream on top.  There are limes and chips off to the side for serving too.  A linen napkin is placed to the other side with more guacamole

This beef taco skillet is also ready in no time, making it the perfect meal for busy days. It can be on the table in just 30 minutes, giving you plenty of time to get other things done. Plus, the leftovers make great lunches and snacks throughout the week. So you can go from zero to meal in no time, without sacrificing health or taste. With a few simple ingredients and minimal prep time, you can whip up a healthy and delicious dish to satisfy everyoneโ€™s cravings.

A close up of a cast iron skillet with feef taco filling and melted cheese on top.  It's served with guacamole and sour cream on top.  There are also chips placed on top for scooping.

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BEEF TACO SKILLET


  • Ground beef – I like to go for a nice grass-fed good quality beef since this is the main ingredient, but whatever you choose is good.
  • Cauliflower rice – You can just as easily use cooked white rice, equally substituting
  • Onion – 1 small yellow or white
  • Bell pepper
  • Taco seasoning – This one is my favorite
  • 1 jar of salsa – Use a runny salsa, not chunky or pico de gallo. Something like this is good
  • Shredded cheese – I like using cheddar, Monterey jack, or a Mexican cheese mix

HOW TO MAKE GROUND BEEF TACO SKILLET


  • Start by browning the meat and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove, don’t worry about cleaning out the pan.
  • Next cook the cauliflower rice, onion, and bell pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes until everything is cooked, then add seasoning and salsa. Stir until just combined.
  • Add in the meat, stir, and top with cheese, then either cover or pop in the oven to melt the cheese.
  • Serve with your favorite taco toppings, like guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and chips for dipping.

TIPS AND COMMON QUESTIONS FOR THE BEEF TACO SKILLET


  • Do I have to use cauliflower rice? Absolutely not, white rice or brown rice would work just fine. Sometimes I even do a combo of white rice and cauliflower rice. It does need to be cooked ahead of time though.
  • How is this best served? This skillet is a great base to be served with tortilla chips for scooping or just enjoyed on its own. I also like to put it over shredded lettuce for more of a salad. Even in a tortilla for a burrito or taco is good.
  • Is there anything else you can add to this skillet to make it even more healthy? If I have other veggies, like zucchini or baby spinach, I like to chop that and add it in. There is so much flavor in this that more veggies just make it more delicious.
A cast iron skillet with feef taco filling and melted cheese on top.  It's served with guacamole and sour cream on top.  There are limes and chips off to the side for serving too.  A linen napkin is placed to the other side with more guacamole
A close up of a cast iron skillet with feef taco filling and melted cheese on top.  It's served with guacamole and sour cream on top.

MORE RECIPES LIKE THIS


  • Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet
  • Shrimp Tacos
  • Lasagna Skillet
A close up of a cast iron skillet with feef taco filling and melted cheese on top.  It's served with guacamole and sour cream on top.  There's a hand in the foreground with a chip and filling scooped on it.

Beef Taco Skillet

A taco skillet filled with ground beef, veggies, and topped with lots of melted cheese
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 bag frozen cauliflower rice
  • 1 16oz ground beef
  • 1 onion, yellow or white, diced
  • 1 bell pepper, diced
  • 2 tbsp taco seasoning
  • 1 16oz jar salsa, runny not pico de gallo
  • 1 cup shredded cheese More or less depending on preference

Method
 

  1. Start by browning the meat and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove, don't worry about cleaning out the pan.
  2. Next cook the cauliflower rice, onion, and bell pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes until everything is softer and cooked.
  3. Add the taco seasoning, a little salt and pepper, and the jar of salsa. Stir until just combined. Add in the meat, stir, and top with cheese, then either cover or pop in the oven at 350 to melt the cheeseg.
  4. Serve with your favorite taco toppings, like guacamole, sour cream, shredded lettuce, and chips for dipping.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
A cast iron skillet with feef taco filling and melted cheese on top.  It's served with guacamole and sour cream on top.  There are limes and chips off to the side for serving too.  A linen napkin is placed to the other side with more guacamole.  There are also chips on top for scooping.

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Filed Under: Dinners, Recipes

Comments

  1. JesseLandy says

    May 24, 2023 at 11:06 pm

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Trackbacks

  1. Taco Bowls - High Protein, Low Carb - Gina Gibson says:
    August 30, 2023 at 3:10 pm

    […] Beef Taco Skillet […]

gina_gibson_

Creamy shrimp and vegetables, topped with golden, Creamy shrimp and vegetables, topped with golden, flaky puff pastry โ€œcroutons,โ€ all made in one skillet. This Skillet Shrimp Pot Pie is cozy, packed with flavor, and comes together in under 45 minutes โ€” totally doable on a weeknight.

This recipe is from @TestKitchen, and itโ€™s part of why I trust their recipes so much โ€” thoroughly tested, reliable, and made for real life. Comment โ€œRECIPEโ€ and Iโ€™ll send you the link to try Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen and get this one. You can also find it in my bio.

Save this for your next cozy weeknight dinner. #ad #AmericasTestKitchen #EasyDinner #WeeknightDinner
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Cut the mini croissants in half. Cook the egg and bacon. Stuff each croissant with a slice of bacon, egg, and cheese. Place on a hot pan and press down to crisp up the outside.
Some fall favorite goodies here with @babbleboxxof Some fall favorite goodies here with @babbleboxxofficial 

Loved adding @diamondcrystalsalt to a rim with a sparkling Paloma. 

We had the yummiest Cajun dinner made so easy thanks to @lafishfry. Only needed to add rice, sausage and beans. 

Loved the espresso martinis from @zingzangmix 
Low sugar and just added the vodka!

We had a delicious veggie Dion combining Greek yogurt, mayo, some seasoning and @sempio.u gochujang and @yondu.usa 

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Ingredients: 1 cup pumpkin puree, ยฝ cup cottage cheese (blended smooth with the pumpkin), 2 large eggs, โ…“ cup maple syrup, ยผ cup melted butter or oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1ยฝ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ยฝ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, ยผ tsp kosher salt, ยฝ cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350ยฐF and grease or line a mini muffin tin. Whisk together the pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, folding just until no streaks of flour remain, then fold in the chocolate chips if using. Fill each mini muffin cup about ยพ full and bake for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. 

Makes 24 mini muffins
This Taco Skillet is cheesy, hearty, and made with This Taco Skillet is cheesy, hearty, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have. It bakes in the oven for an easy, hands-off dinner and comes together in under 40 minutes. Make sure youโ€™re following @gina_gibson_cooks  for easy recipes like this. 

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1 cup blended cottage cheese
1 (15 oz) jar salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar or taco cheese blend
1 package taco seasoning
*chips, sour cream, avocado for topping and scooping

Preheat oven to 375ยฐF. In an oven-safe skillet, cook ground beef and onion on medium heat until beef is browned.

Stir in taco seasoning. Add salsa, cottage cheese, the rice, then 1/2 cup water. Mix well.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes

Remove from oven, top with cheese. Serve with sour cream, avocado, and plenty of chips for scooping
This Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Loaf is everything This Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Loaf is everything you want from a fall bake โ€” a soft, spiced crumb, juicy apples, a cinnamon swirl running through the center, and a buttery crumb topping on top.

Comment โ€œAPPLEโ€ and Iโ€™ll send you the full recipe!

gina_gibson_

Creamy shrimp and vegetables, topped with golden, Creamy shrimp and vegetables, topped with golden, flaky puff pastry โ€œcroutons,โ€ all made in one skillet. This Skillet Shrimp Pot Pie is cozy, packed with flavor, and comes together in under 45 minutes โ€” totally doable on a weeknight.

This recipe is from @TestKitchen, and itโ€™s part of why I trust their recipes so much โ€” thoroughly tested, reliable, and made for real life. Comment โ€œRECIPEโ€ and Iโ€™ll send you the link to try Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen and get this one. You can also find it in my bio.

Save this for your next cozy weeknight dinner. #ad #AmericasTestKitchen #EasyDinner #WeeknightDinner
Weekend breakfast sorted. Mini croissants stuffed Weekend breakfast sorted. Mini croissants stuffed with bacon, egg, and cheese, then pressed on a hot pan until the outside gets crispy and golden.

Ingredients
Mini croissants, bacon, eggs, shredded cheese

Cut the mini croissants in half. Cook the egg and bacon. Stuff each croissant with a slice of bacon, egg, and cheese. Place on a hot pan and press down to crisp up the outside.
Some fall favorite goodies here with @babbleboxxof Some fall favorite goodies here with @babbleboxxofficial 

Loved adding @diamondcrystalsalt to a rim with a sparkling Paloma. 

We had the yummiest Cajun dinner made so easy thanks to @lafishfry. Only needed to add rice, sausage and beans. 

Loved the espresso martinis from @zingzangmix 
Low sugar and just added the vodka!

We had a delicious veggie Dion combining Greek yogurt, mayo, some seasoning and @sempio.u gochujang and @yondu.usa 

Some sweet treats with the fall flavors from @werthersoriginalus

Everything was simple to cleanup thanks to @solocup
Soft, lightly spiced pumpkin muffins made mini for Soft, lightly spiced pumpkin muffins made mini for little hands โ€” perfect for lunchboxes or school snacks, with a protein boost youโ€™d never taste.

Ingredients: 1 cup pumpkin puree, ยฝ cup cottage cheese (blended smooth with the pumpkin), 2 large eggs, โ…“ cup maple syrup, ยผ cup melted butter or oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1ยฝ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ยฝ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, ยผ tsp kosher salt, ยฝ cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350ยฐF and grease or line a mini muffin tin. Whisk together the pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, folding just until no streaks of flour remain, then fold in the chocolate chips if using. Fill each mini muffin cup about ยพ full and bake for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. 

Makes 24 mini muffins
This Taco Skillet is cheesy, hearty, and made with This Taco Skillet is cheesy, hearty, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have. It bakes in the oven for an easy, hands-off dinner and comes together in under 40 minutes. Make sure youโ€™re following @gina_gibson_cooks  for easy recipes like this. 

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1 cup blended cottage cheese
1 (15 oz) jar salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar or taco cheese blend
1 package taco seasoning
*chips, sour cream, avocado for topping and scooping

Preheat oven to 375ยฐF. In an oven-safe skillet, cook ground beef and onion on medium heat until beef is browned.

Stir in taco seasoning. Add salsa, cottage cheese, the rice, then 1/2 cup water. Mix well.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes

Remove from oven, top with cheese. Serve with sour cream, avocado, and plenty of chips for scooping
This Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Loaf is everything This Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Loaf is everything you want from a fall bake โ€” a soft, spiced crumb, juicy apples, a cinnamon swirl running through the center, and a buttery crumb topping on top.

Comment โ€œAPPLEโ€ and Iโ€™ll send you the full recipe!

gina_gibson_

Creamy shrimp and vegetables, topped with golden, Creamy shrimp and vegetables, topped with golden, flaky puff pastry โ€œcroutons,โ€ all made in one skillet. This Skillet Shrimp Pot Pie is cozy, packed with flavor, and comes together in under 45 minutes โ€” totally doable on a weeknight.

This recipe is from @TestKitchen, and itโ€™s part of why I trust their recipes so much โ€” thoroughly tested, reliable, and made for real life. Comment โ€œRECIPEโ€ and Iโ€™ll send you the link to try Americaโ€™s Test Kitchen and get this one. You can also find it in my bio.

Save this for your next cozy weeknight dinner. #ad #AmericasTestKitchen #EasyDinner #WeeknightDinner
Weekend breakfast sorted. Mini croissants stuffed Weekend breakfast sorted. Mini croissants stuffed with bacon, egg, and cheese, then pressed on a hot pan until the outside gets crispy and golden.

Ingredients
Mini croissants, bacon, eggs, shredded cheese

Cut the mini croissants in half. Cook the egg and bacon. Stuff each croissant with a slice of bacon, egg, and cheese. Place on a hot pan and press down to crisp up the outside.
Some fall favorite goodies here with @babbleboxxof Some fall favorite goodies here with @babbleboxxofficial 

Loved adding @diamondcrystalsalt to a rim with a sparkling Paloma. 

We had the yummiest Cajun dinner made so easy thanks to @lafishfry. Only needed to add rice, sausage and beans. 

Loved the espresso martinis from @zingzangmix 
Low sugar and just added the vodka!

We had a delicious veggie Dion combining Greek yogurt, mayo, some seasoning and @sempio.u gochujang and @yondu.usa 

Some sweet treats with the fall flavors from @werthersoriginalus

Everything was simple to cleanup thanks to @solocup
Soft, lightly spiced pumpkin muffins made mini for Soft, lightly spiced pumpkin muffins made mini for little hands โ€” perfect for lunchboxes or school snacks, with a protein boost youโ€™d never taste.

Ingredients: 1 cup pumpkin puree, ยฝ cup cottage cheese (blended smooth with the pumpkin), 2 large eggs, โ…“ cup maple syrup, ยผ cup melted butter or oil, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1ยฝ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ยฝ tsp baking soda, 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice, ยผ tsp kosher salt, ยฝ cup mini chocolate chips

Instructions: Preheat oven to 350ยฐF and grease or line a mini muffin tin. Whisk together the pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, melted butter, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt, folding just until no streaks of flour remain, then fold in the chocolate chips if using. Fill each mini muffin cup about ยพ full and bake for 10-12 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. 

Makes 24 mini muffins
This Taco Skillet is cheesy, hearty, and made with This Taco Skillet is cheesy, hearty, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have. It bakes in the oven for an easy, hands-off dinner and comes together in under 40 minutes. Make sure youโ€™re following @gina_gibson_cooks  for easy recipes like this. 

Ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup uncooked white rice
1 cup blended cottage cheese
1 (15 oz) jar salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar or taco cheese blend
1 package taco seasoning
*chips, sour cream, avocado for topping and scooping

Preheat oven to 375ยฐF. In an oven-safe skillet, cook ground beef and onion on medium heat until beef is browned.

Stir in taco seasoning. Add salsa, cottage cheese, the rice, then 1/2 cup water. Mix well.

Cover tightly with foil and bake for 25-30 minutes

Remove from oven, top with cheese. Serve with sour cream, avocado, and plenty of chips for scooping
This Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Loaf is everything This Apple Cinnamon Coffee Cake Loaf is everything you want from a fall bake โ€” a soft, spiced crumb, juicy apples, a cinnamon swirl running through the center, and a buttery crumb topping on top.

Comment โ€œAPPLEโ€ and Iโ€™ll send you the full recipe!

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