Taco Rice
Cheesy Taco Rice is a versatile weeknight staple that doubles as fantastic leftovers for lunch the next day. Customize this flexible dish with your favorite toppings like fresh avocado, cool sour cream, or spicy jalapeños. The fluffy seasoned grains and juicy meat creates a comforting texture that reheats beautifully.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups long-grain white rice rinsed and drained
- 1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons taco seasoning or 1 packet
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup salsa mild, medium, or hot
- 2 ¾ cups chicken broth or beef broth
- 1 can 15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed (optional)
- 1 cup corn canned, drained, or frozen (optional)
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese cheddar, Monterey Jack, or mix
- 1 tablespoon lime juice optional
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro or green onions optional
- Toppings optional: sour cream or Greek yogurt, diced avocado, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, jalapeños, hot sauce, crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear; drain.
- Brown the ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain excess grease if needed.
- Add onion and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in taco seasoning and tomato paste; cook 1 minute.
- Stir in rice, then add salsa and broth. Bring to a gentle boil.
- Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 18–20 minutes until rice is tender.
- Stir in black beans and corn (optional). Cover 2–3 minutes to warm through.
- Sprinkle cheese on top and cover 2 minutes until melted. Finish with lime and cilantro/green onions if using.
Notes
For brown rice: use 3 ¼ cups broth and simmer 35–40 minutes.
Add a splash of broth when reheating leftovers to keep the rice tender.
For extra heat: add diced jalapeño with the onion and use hot salsa.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!