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Texas Rice

Texas rice is a one-pot Tex-Mex rice skillet made with bold, smoky ground beef and fluffy long-grain rice simmered with Rotel, green chiles, and beef broth. Cheddar melts on top for a cheesy finish with visible tomato-and-corn specks throughout.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Texas rice
  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 onion small onion, diced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1.5 cup long-grain white rice uncooked
  • 1 can (10 oz) Rotel tomatoes
  • 1 can (4 oz) diced green chiles
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1.5 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 green onions for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Brown the beef and build flavor
  1. Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and brown the ground beef with the diced onion until browned. Drain excess fat, then stir in the minced garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Simmer the rice
  1. Stir in the uncooked long-grain white rice, Rotel tomatoes, diced green chiles, beef broth, tomato sauce, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and salt and pepper until evenly combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and cover the skillet.
Cook until tender
  1. Simmer covered on low for 20 minutes, until the rice is tender. Keep the lid on to maintain steam and even cooking.
Finish with cheese and serve
  1. Fluff the rice with a fork and top with shredded cheddar cheese. Cover for 2 minutes on low until the cheese is melted.
Garnish
  1. Spoon the Texas rice into bowls and garnish with green onions for serving. Serve hot straight from the skillet.

Notes

Pro tip: After browning the beef, draining excess fat helps the rice stay fluffy instead of greasy. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 4 days; reheat in a skillet with a splash of broth or water. Freezing is not recommended because the rice texture can soften on thawing. For a lower-fat swap, use 90% lean ground beef (or substitute turkey) and consider reduced-fat cheddar.