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This Taco Rice Casserole is a hearty, one-pot bake made with ground beef, rice, beans, salsa, and melty cheddar. The best part? You don't even have to pre-cook the rice. The oven does the heavy lifting, delivering a budget-friendly dinner with big flavor and minimal fuss.
Looking for more one-pan dinner recipes with a Tex-Mex spin? Don't miss Mexican Spaghetti, Southwest Baked Quinoa, Taco Soup, and Turkey Taco Skillet.
Kristen's Keys for Taco Rice Casserole
This taco rice bake is easy to make, but from experience, a few key details right from the start ensure perfectly tender rice and a casserole your family will ask for again and again.
- Use a 3-quart oven-safe skillet. You need enough space for the rice to expand and absorb the broth. If you don't have a skillet that size, I have provided instructions for baking in 9x13-inch casserole.
- Bring the broth mixture to a full boil before adding the rice. Using hot liquid allows the rice to cook evenly, prevents the rice from becoming gummy, and significantly reduces total baking time.
- Rinse the rice. It helps remove surface starch which can make the casserole gummy.
- No peeking while it bakes. Removing the lid or foil during the baking process releases moisture that is key to cooking the rice.
- Use thick and chunky salsa. Thinner salsa adds too much liquid and can make the rice mushy. A thicker salsa keeps the texture just right.
Taco Rice Ingredients
This taco rice casserole is the kind of dependable dinner that is easy to adjust based on your preferences or what you have on hand.
- Ground Meat: Use lean ground beef, chicken, or turkey.
- Rice: Uncooked long-grain brown or long-grain white rice, not minute rice.
- Beans: Black beans, pinto beans, red beans, no beans -- whatever you like.
- Salsa: Opt for a jarred thick and chunky salsa. Use mild salsa if you are sensitive to spice or medium or hot salsa if you like your dinner with a kick.
- Broth: Beef broth, vegetable broth, or chicken stock work equally well. I recommend low-sodium to control the overall salt content.
- Onion + Garlic: Optional, but adds a nice savory flavor.
- Taco Seasoning: Homemade or store-bought.
- Cheese: Cheddar, Colby Jack, or a Mexican blend all work equally well. Omit the cheese to keep this dish dairy-free (and still plenty flavorful!)
How to Make Taco Rice Casserole
Brown the beef, add some seasonings, mix in rice and beans, and bake. So easy!
Step One: Brown Meat
Heat a bit of olive oil in a deep, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add the ground beef (or turkey or chicken) and minced onion to the skillet and cook until the meat is fully browned, breaking it up as it cooks.
Once the meat is cooked through, add the garlic and let cook for 30-60 seconds, just to toast and develop flavor. If needed, drain off any grease and return the pan to the stove.
Step Two: Bring Liquid to a Boil
Add salsa, broth, and taco seasoning to the skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
Step Three: Add Rice and Beans
Turn off the heat and stir in the rice and beans into the skillet. Make sure they are evenly distributed throughout the liquid for even cooking.
Step Four: Bake
Cover the skillet with foil or a heat-safe, tight-fitting lid and bake for 1 hour for brown rice or 45 minutes for white rice. Do not be tempted to peak on the casserole as it bakes.
If your rice is not tender at this point, recover and continue to bake in 5 minute intervals until fully tender.
Step Five: Fluff and Add Cheese
Remove the casserole from the oven and uncover. Fluff the rice gently with a fork, then cover with a generous layer of cheese. Return to the oven, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Step Six: Serve
Remove the taco rice from the oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes. This will help the rice to finish absorbing any residual liquid and prevent mouths from being burned. 😉 Serve as is, or top with cilantro (or any taco toppings you like).
Recipe Modifications
- Swap the Protein: Skip the ground meat and stir in diced rotisserie chicken or leftover shredded chicken taco meat with the rice and beans.
- Make it Vegetarian: Skip the meat and onions. Simply bring the salsa, broth, and seasonings to a boil and add an extra can of beans for added bulk.
- Adjust the Heat: Use mild salsa for little ones, or add diced jalapeños to the beef and onion mixture for more kick.
- Dairy-Free: Skip adding the cheese and the second bake to melt the cheese.
- Use a Baking Dish: If you don't have a 3-quart deep oven-safe skillet, brown the meat and onion as directed. Add the cooked beef to a lightly greased 9x13-inch baking dish. Bring the broth, salsa, and taco seasoning to a boil in a small saucepan or heat in the microwave in a large glass measuring cup for 3 minutes. Pour over the beef, stir in the rice and beans, and top with foil. Bake as directed.
More Easy Tex-Mex Family Favorites
Taco Rice Casserole
Video
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 yellow onion, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup prepared thick and chunky salsa
- 2 cups beef broth, or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon taco seasoning
- 1 cup brown rice, rinsed
- 1 (15-ounce) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
- minced cilantro, optional
Instructions
- Arrange oven rack in center position and preheat the oven to 400℉.
- Briefly heat the oil in a deep, oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and minced onion cook, breaking it up as it browns, until fully cooked through. Add the garlic and briefly toast for 30-60 seconds Drain off any excess grease and return the skillet to the stove.
- To the skillet, add in 1 cup prepared thick and chunky salsa, 2 cups beef broth, and 1 tablespoon taco seasoning, stirring to combine. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn off the heat and stir in the rice and beans.
- Place the lid on the skillet or tightly cover with aluminum foil. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 1 hour. NO peeking!
- Remove the skillet from the oven, uncover, and fluff the rice with a fork. lf your rice is not tender at this point, recover and continue to bake in 5 minute intervals until fully tender
- Sprinkle the cheese over the mixture and return to the oven, uncovered, for 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted.
- Remove from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro if desired and serve.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Loved the recipe. Great taste. My rice was a little dry
because I needed more liquid but flavor was awesome.
Thanks for sharing, Jerry! I am thrilled you enjoyed -- even if your rice dried out a bit. As you stated, increasing the liquid should help. If you used what the recipe called for you, you may just need to ensure the foil or lid is well sealed on the pan 🙂 Again, thanks for sharing.
This was such an easy meal to prepare! My favorite part? Leftovers for lunch were even better than the night before! Thanks, Kristen, for yet another easy and delicious recipe.
You are so welcome, Sarah! I love it when I have leftovers to look forward to eating. I appreciate you sharing a review.