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At the end of every month, when there was one package of ground beef, a bag of rice and a can of tomatoes in the house, my mother made Spanish rice with ground beef, and six of us went to bed full. We never once knew it was the end of the month. It was one big skillet: browned beef with onion and green pepper, rice cooked right in the tomatoes with chili powder and a little cumin, and a handful of cheddar melted over the top. My father ate it with a piece of bread and butter and called it the best supper of the week, every single time.
The one thing that goes wrong with this dish is the rice. Stir it, lift the lid, or skip the first step, and you get a sticky, mushy pan. My mother’s rice was always fluffy, every grain separate, because she toasted the dry rice in the skillet before any liquid went in, and then she put the lid on and left it alone. Here is the full recipe, and how to keep the rice fluffy instead of mushy.
Why this Spanish rice with ground beef works
- Toasting the dry rice. Stirring the raw grains in hot fat seals their outside, so they hold their shape and do not release starch into the sauce.
- Long-grain white rice. It cooks up separate and fluffy. Short-grain rice turns sticky.
- The right amount of liquid. Tomatoes plus measured water give just enough to cook the rice through with nothing left over.
- Lid on, heat low, no peeking. The steam does the cooking. Every lift lets it out and leaves hard, uneven rice.
- A rest off the heat. Ten minutes with the lid still on finishes the grains and makes them fluffy.
Ingredients
Serves 6 from a 12 inch skillet with a lid. The measurements are in US cups with grams in brackets.
For the skillet
- 1 pound lean ground beef (450g)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice (280g), uncooked
- 1 can (14.5 ounces, 411g) diced tomatoes, with their juice
- 1 can (8 ounces, 227g) plain tomato sauce
- 2 cups water or beef broth (480ml)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
To finish
- 1 cup shredded cheddar (100g)
- Sliced green onion, optional
Do not use instant or parboiled rice in this recipe; the liquid amount is set for regular long-grain white rice.
How to make Spanish rice with ground beef
- Heat a 12 inch skillet with a tight lid over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned, about 6 minutes.
- Add the onion and green pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds. Spoon the beef and vegetables into a bowl, leaving the fat in the pan. If there is less than a tablespoon of fat, add the oil.
- Add the dry rice to the hot skillet and stir it constantly for 3 to 4 minutes, until most of the grains turn golden and smell toasty.
- Return the beef and vegetables to the pan. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, the tomato sauce, water or broth, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a full boil, stirring once to make sure no rice is stuck to the bottom.
- Turn the heat down to low, cover with the lid and cook for 20 to 25 minutes without lifting the lid, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Take the skillet off the heat and leave the lid on for 10 minutes.
- Fluff the rice gently with a fork. Scatter the cheddar over the top, cover again for 2 to 3 minutes until it melts, and serve with green onion if you like.
Tips that make the difference
- Use a skillet with a lid that fits well. If yours is loose, lay a sheet of foil over the pan under the lid.
- If the rice is still firm after 25 minutes, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of hot water over it, cover and leave it on low for 5 more minutes.
- Keep the heat truly low after the boil; too high and the bottom scorches before the top cooks.
- Fluff with a fork, not a spoon. A spoon mashes the grains.
Variations
- With corn. Stir 1 cup frozen corn (140g) in with the tomatoes.
- Spicier. Add a chopped jalapeno with the green pepper and a pinch of cayenne.
- Oven finish. Use an oven-safe skillet, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes instead of cooking on the stove.
- With beans. Fold in a drained can of pinto or kidney beans before the cheese.
Storage and make-ahead
Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat in a covered skillet with a splash of water over low heat, or in the microwave, until hot.
Freeze in portions for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight before reheating.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my Spanish rice mushy?
The rice was not toasted first, there was too much liquid, or the lid was lifted and the rice stirred while it cooked. Toast the grains, measure the liquid and leave the lid alone.
Can I use brown rice?
Yes, but add 3/4 cup (180ml) more water and cook covered for 45 to 50 minutes.
Is Spanish rice the same as Mexican rice?
In most American kitchens the names are used for the same tomato rice. This version with ground beef is the old family supper style.
Can I make it without cheese?
Of course. It is just as good plain, with a spoon of sour cream on top.
One skillet, one package of beef, and a lid you do not lift: that is how a supper at the end of the month ends up being the one everybody remembers.
Spanish Rice with Ground Beef (The One-Skillet End of the Month Supper)
Old-fashioned Spanish rice with ground beef: rice toasted golden in the skillet, browned beef, onion and green pepper, simmered in tomatoes with chili powder and cumin, finished with melted cheddar. One pan, fluffy rice, feeds six.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups long-grain white rice (280g), uncooked
- 1 can (14.5 ounces, 411g) diced tomatoes, with their juice
- 1 can (8 ounces, 227g) plain tomato sauce
- 2 cups water or beef broth
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- Sliced green onion, optional
Instructions
- Heat a 12 inch skillet with a tight lid over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned, about 6 minutes.
- Add the onion and green pepper and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until soft. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds. Spoon the beef and vegetables into a bowl, leaving the fat in the pan. If there is less than a tablespoon of fat, add the oil.
- Add the dry rice to the hot skillet and stir it constantly for 3 to 4 minutes, until most of the grains turn golden and smell toasty.
- Return the beef and vegetables to the pan. Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice, the tomato sauce, water or broth, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Bring to a full boil, stirring once to make sure no rice is stuck to the bottom.
- Turn the heat down to low, cover with the lid and cook for 20 to 25 minutes without lifting the lid, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Take the skillet off the heat and leave the lid on for 10 minutes.
- Fluff the rice gently with a fork. Scatter the cheddar over the top, cover again for 2 to 3 minutes until it melts, and serve with green onion if you like.
