Taco Skillet Easy Healthy One Pan Meal Wellplated Com

Mexican food? Always. Wholesome ingredients? Necessary. One pan to wash at the end? GRAND SLAM. Lately, I’ve been growing a bit weary of my own cooking, and it’s been harder to find the energy to make dinner at the end of the day. Do you find the same? Whenever I’m not in the mood for anything, Mexican food turns out to be the answer to everything. When I sat down with a plate of this healthy taco skillet with rice, I realized it was exactly what I’d been craving. This easy, healthy beef and rice recipe is a spinoff of some of my other favorite Mexican one-pan wonders, like this Mexican Chicken and Rice, Fiesta Chicken, and Mexican Shrimp. Healthy, simple ground beef recipes like these Korean Beef Bowls have been adding variety to our routine lately, so I decided to try doing a version of my Tex-Mex faves with ground beef. Delicious. The ground beef gives this recipe old-school taco flavor, and it hit the spot. Of course if you prefer, you can swap the ground beef and make a turkey taco skillet or use ground chicken if that is what you have around. I have ideas for a vegetarian version below too. Pile this taco skillet with veggies into your bowl as is, or use it in one of the tasty taco and burrito-ish spin-offs suggested below. Highly encouraged: all of your favorite Mexican toppings and a Skinny Margarita to match. Suddenly, I’m feeling inspired! I hope that you are too.

How to Make a Healthy Taco Skillet

The prep work here is minimal—just follow the recipe, and it practically cooks itself. The Mexican-inspired ingredients and flavor profile are familiar and comforting, and the more wholesome ingredient line up means you’ll feel good about your choices at the end of the meal. It’s certainly going to be one of your favorite healthy ground beef casseroles, made easy in the skillet. If you are looking for a more traditional ground beef casserole that’s baked in the oven, try this Mexican Casserole.

The Ingredients

Lean Ground Beef. I love light ground beef recipes, so I used 93% lean ground beef, which is lower in fat than regular ground beef. You could swap in ground turkey or chicken instead if you prefer to make this taco skillet without beef. Bell Peppers. You can use red or green peppers here. I love adding bell peppers to Mexican-style recipes both for their flavor and nutritional value. They’re a great source of vitamin c and fiber.Spices. I used a combination of chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper for the perfect balance of heat and craveable taco flavor.Salsa. Use a 15-or 16-ounce jar of your favorite chunky salsa (we picked a medium spicy one).

Black Beans. One of my favorite additions to any Mexican recipe. They’re packed with filling protein and fiber. You could use another kind of beans here if that’s what you have on hand; pinto would be especially good, and I think most types would work just fine.Brown Rice. Helps make this ground beef and rice dish extra filling. Plus, the rice soaks up all the yummy flavors from the spices and salsa.

Cheese. For the delicious, decadent layer of gooey cheesy goodness on top. I used Monterey Jack cheese here, but you could use cheddar, pepper jack, or a Mexican blend.Toppings. The sky’s the limit! Our favorites are cilantro, jalapeno, avocado, salsa, and sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.

The Directions

Recommended Tools to Make Beef Taco Skillet

Ovenproof Skillet. This skillet will last a lifetime.Measuring Spoons. These use a magnet to stay together during storage.Sharp Chef’s Knife. An investment piece that will help you prepare ingredients for every recipe.

Mexican spices, juicy lean ground beef, and hearty beans and rice: if your mealtime desires are anything like ours, no matter when you last had this combination, chances are you’ll be happy to find it on your plate again!

Skinny Margarita

5 mins

Crock Pot Pinto Beans

8 hrs 10 mins

Roasted Broccoli

40 mins If you make this beef taco skillet recipe, please leave a comment to let me know how it goes! Your comments and 5-star ratings always make my day and really help make this site helpful to others too. Leave a rating below in the comments and let me know how you liked the recipe.