Hearty ground beef skillet (Printable)

One-pan dish featuring ground beef, bright vegetables, and spices for a quick satisfying meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Meat

01 - 1 lb ground beef (85% lean)

→ Vegetables

02 - 1 medium onion, diced
03 - 1 red bell pepper, diced
04 - 1 zucchini, diced
05 - 1 cup frozen corn kernels
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Pantry

07 - 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
08 - 1/2 cup beef broth
09 - 1 cup cooked rice (white or brown)

→ Spices & Seasonings

10 - 1 tsp paprika
11 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1/2 tsp dried oregano
13 - 1/4 tsp black pepper
14 - 3/4 tsp salt, or to taste

→ Finishing

15 - 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
16 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley or cilantro, chopped (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 6 minutes. Drain excess fat as needed.
02 - Add diced onion, red bell pepper, and zucchini to the skillet. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until vegetables begin to soften.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add frozen corn, diced tomatoes with juice, beef broth, cooked rice, paprika, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and salt. Stir thoroughly to combine.
05 - Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender and flavors have melded.
06 - Remove the lid and evenly sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese over the skillet. Cover again and let the cheese melt for 2 to 3 minutes.
07 - Remove from heat, sprinkle with chopped parsley or cilantro if desired, and serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in one pan, so cleanup is just a quick scrub and you're done.
  • It's forgiving—swap the zucchini for whatever vegetable is about to go bad and it still works.
  • The cheese melts into all the crevices and makes every bite ridiculously satisfying.
  • Leftovers taste even better the next day after the flavors have had time to settle in together.
02 -
  • Don't skip draining the beef if there's a lot of fat, or the whole skillet will taste greasy and heavy.
  • Use already cooked rice (leftover rice is perfect here), because raw rice won't cook properly in the short simmer time.
  • Let the cheese melt with the lid on so it gets smooth and even instead of clumpy and half-melted.
03 -
  • Use a wide skillet (at least 12 inches) so everything cooks evenly and you have room to stir without making a mess.
  • Season in layers (taste after browning the beef, then again after adding the tomatoes) so the final dish is perfectly balanced.
  • Let the skillet rest off the heat for a couple minutes before serving so the cheese sets slightly and doesn't slide off every spoonful.

Go Back