Name: Easy Spanish Rice with Hamburger
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/2 to 1 lb. ground beef; 1 large onion, diced; 1/2 c. diced bell pepper (optional); 1 tsp. salt; 1 c. Jasmine or long grain rice, uncooked; 1/4 tsp. black pepper; 2 c. tomato juice; 2 c. water; 1 c. shredded cheese ((cheddar, Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack))

Pin4.2K

Share83

Yum8

4.3K Shares

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This simple, easy Spanish Rice with Ground Beef skillet recipe makes a great 30-minute dinner, perfect for those nights when you need to get food on the table fast. It’s inexpensive but tasty and is a meal the whole family will love!

spanish rice with ground beef topped with cheese in a skillet with large silver spoon

There are affiliate links in this post – please read my full disclosure policy. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

I discovered this easy Spanish rice and ground beef recipe in the early days of our marriage.

Back when I was still figuring out how to cook and struggling to make our very small grocery budget work, yet determined to do it because I desperately wanted to meet our goal of paying off our mortgage in 5 years.

I grew up in a meat and potatoes kind of family that rarely ate rice, so not only was eating it somewhat new to me, I also wasn’t familiar with good recipes that used it.

But I knew that it was a frugal pantry staple and was super versatile, so I started looking for easy rice recipes that I could add to our menu and hopefully stretch our grocery budget as a result!

Why This Spanish Rice with Ground Beef Recipe Works

Simple Ingredients – Nothing fancy required! Made with staples that you probably already have in your kitchen.

Budget-Friendly – This is a super frugal recipe and you can make it even cheaper if you buy your beef and rice in bulk!

Quick & Easy – A one-pan recipe that is ready in just 30 minutes.

Kid-Friendly – Because it’s made with minimal ingredients, kids tend to love it. A great recipe for picky eaters!

Watch Video: Learn How to Make This Recipe

ingredients needed to make easy ground beef spanish rice

Spanish Rice with Beef Ingredients

Ground Beef. You could also swap it out for ground turkey or ground chicken.
Onion.
Bell Pepper. This is optional but if your family likes peppers, it’s adds a nice touch of flavor.
Salt.
Jasmine or Long Grain Rice. Remember to always rinse your rice before cooking it!
Black Pepper.
Tomato Juice.
Water.
Shredded Cheese. We prefer sharp cheddar but regular cheddar, Mexican blend, monterey jack or colby jack all are delicious too.

How To Make This Recipe

ground beef, onions, and peppers browned in a large skillet with wooden spoon next to green dish towel, tomato juice, and uncooked rice

STEP 1: Brown the ground beef, diced onion, and bell pepper in a large skillet.

seasonings, rice, water, and tomato juice added into the skillet with a wooden spoon

STEP 2: Add salt, pepper, uncooked rice, water, and tomato juice. Stir to combine, then cover for 20 minutes to simmer. Cook just until the rice is soft and add more water if needed.

speedy spanish rice with ground beef topped with cheese in a skillet with a scoop on a spoon

STEP 3: Sprinkle the cheese on top and allow it to sit until it’s melted. Stir it in if you prefer.

spanish rice with ground beef on a blue plate with a silver fork

Helpful Tips and FAQs

How to Store: Spanish beef and rice will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container. To reheat you can warm it on the stovetop or microwave it. You my need to add a little water to separate the rice.
Using White Rice: If you chose to use regular white rice you will probably need to decrease the amount of water to 1.5 cups. I don’t recommend using brown rice.
Want more flavor? Add a little chili powder, cumin or garlic.

More Easy Main Dish Recipes You’ll Love

Print Recipe

4.83 from 23 votes

Easy Spanish Rice with Hamburger

This easy Spanish Rice and Ground Beef recipe makes a great one-pan, 30-minute dinner. It’s inexpensive but tasty and is a meal the whole family will love!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Lydia @ ThriftyFrugalMom.com

Ingredients

1/2 to 1 lb. ground beef
1 large onion, diced
1/2 c. diced bell pepper optional
1 tsp. salt
1 c. Jasmine or long grain rice, uncooked
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 c. tomato juice
2 c. water
1 c. shredded cheese (cheddar, Mexican blend, Monterey Jack, Colby Jack)

Instructions

In a large skillet, brown meat, onion and bell pepper.
Add remaining ingredients, except cheese. Cover and simmer 20 minutes or until rice is soft. Add more water if needed.
Top with cheese and let sit until melted. (You can also stir the cheese into the rice if you prefer.)

Notes

More Flavor: If you prefer more flavor, you can add a little chili powder as well.

Rice: Brown rice does not really work in this recipe. If you use plain white rice, you will probably need to cut back the water to just 1 ½ cups.