Mexican Ground Beef Rice Casserole with Beans, Corn, Bell Pepper and Tomatoes
This Mexican Ground Beef Rice Casserole with Beans, Corn, Bell Pepper and Tomatoes is a one-dish dinner made without cheese, built instead on well-seasoned beef, tender rice, and plenty of vegetables.
It’s delicious on its own, and the rice cooks right in the pan so there’s no extra pot to wash.
This is my go-to on busy weeknights when I want something filling that doesn’t need a side.
It also reheats well, so I’ll usually make a full 9×13 pan and eat off it for lunches the next couple of days.
If you like easy one-dish beef dinners, these are worth a look too:
- 13 One-Dish Ground Beef Dinners
- Slow Cooker Beef Stew
- 21 High Protein Mediterranean Recipes
- Healthy Minestrone Soup
Ingredients You’ll Need
This is a no-cheese casserole, so the flavor comes from the beef, the toasted spices, and the vegetables (not a melted topping).
Ground beef works best here, but leaner ground turkey is an easy swap if that’s what you have.
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Ingredients
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
In a large oven-safe skillet or pot, cook the ground beef over medium-high heat, breaking it apart with a spoon, until browned and no longer pink, about 6 to 8 minutes. - Drain any excess fat from the pan, then add the diced onion and chopped bell pepper.
Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften. - Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika, and cook for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Don’t skip toasting the spices here. It wakes up the flavor before the liquid goes in. - Add the uncooked rice, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes (with their juice), and beef broth to the pan.
Stir everything together so the rice is fully submerged in the liquid. - If your pan isn’t oven-safe, transfer everything to a greased 9×13 casserole dish now.
Cover tightly with foil. This traps the steam the rice needs to cook through. - Bake, covered, for 35 to 40 minutes, until the rice is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Check at the 35 minute mark. Ovens vary, and you don’t want the rice to dry out. - Remove the foil for the last 5 minutes of baking to let any extra liquid evaporate.
The casserole should look thick and slightly glossy, not soupy, when it’s done. - Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving.
This gives the rice a chance to firm up a bit (skip it and the first scoop comes out looser than you’d like).
- Top with chopped cilantro and serve warm, straight from the dish, and enjoy!
Important Recipe Notes
- Use an oven-safe skillet if you have one. It saves you from dirtying a second dish and keeps the whole process to one pan.
- Rinse the black beans well before adding them. Extra liquid from the can can make the casserole runnier than you want.
- Check the rice at the 35 minute mark. Ovens vary a lot, and rice that hasn’t fully cooked will stay firm even after resting.
- Let the casserole rest for 5 minutes before serving. It firms up as it sits, so scoops hold together better.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of broth or water so the rice doesn’t dry out.
- This freezes well for up to 3 months. Cool it completely before freezing in a freezer-safe container.
- Swap ground beef for ground turkey if you want a leaner version, the cook time stays about the same.
How to Serve, Store & Customize This Recipe
Serving:
Scoop this straight from the casserole dish while it’s warm, and finish with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro right before serving.
A squeeze of lime over the top brightens it up nicely. It’s filling enough on its own, but a simple green salad on the side rounds out the meal.
Storage:
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The rice tends to soak up more liquid as it sits, so add a splash of broth or water when reheating to loosen it back up.
It also freezes well for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.
Customization:
Swap the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken if you want something leaner, the seasoning and cook time work the same either way.
Pinto beans work fine in place of black beans if that’s what’s in your pantry. For more heat, add a diced jalapeno with the bell pepper or stir in extra chili powder.
Mexican Ground Beef Casserole with Rice, Beans, Corn, Bell Pepper and Tomatoes
Course: Recipes4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalIngredients
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup long-grain rice, uncooked
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt and pepper, to taste
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
Directions
- Brown the ground beef in an oven-safe skillet, about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Drain fat, then cook onion and bell pepper until softened.
- Stir in garlic and spices; cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add rice, black beans, corn, diced tomatoes, and beef broth; stir to combine.
- Cover tightly and bake at 375°F for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Uncover for the last 5 minutes to let excess liquid evaporate.
- Rest 5 minutes, top with cilantro, and serve warm.
- Instant Pot Version
- Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. Drain excess grease if needed.
- Add the diced onion and bell pepper and cook for 2–3 minutes, until they begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and seasonings and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Pour in the broth and scrape the bottom of the pot well to remove any browned bits. This helps prevent a Burn warning.
- Add the rinsed long-grain rice and gently press it into the liquid. Do not stir the tomatoes into the rice.Spoon the diced tomatoes evenly over the top.
- Lock the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on HIGH pressure for 4 minutes.
- When the cooking time ends, allow a 10-minute natural pressure release, then carefully release the remaining pressure.
- Open the lid and fluff the rice gently. Stir in the rinsed black beans and corn. Replace the lid and let everything sit for 5 minutes so the beans and corn can heat through.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning. Finish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime, if desired.
Notes
- Brown the ground beef well before adding the remaining ingredients for the best flavor.
- Drain excess grease if your ground beef releases a lot of fat.
- Long-grain white rice works well because it cooks evenly and stays fluffy in the casserole.
- If using uncooked rice, make sure there is enough broth or liquid in the casserole for it to cook properly.
- For more heat, add jalapeños, cayenne, red pepper flakes, or extra chili powder.
- Nutrition
Approximate nutrition per serving:
Calories: 510 kcal
Protein: 30g
Carbohydrates: 45g
Fat: 24g
Saturated Fat: 10g
Fiber: 5g
Sugar: 5g
Sodium: 760mg
