What to Make With Ground Beef and Rice: 3 Fast Weeknight Dinners
Ground beef and rice is the bowl you can start while someone finds the forks. None of these need a special sauce from a jar. One is a 20-minute taco rice, one is fried rice from cold leftovers, and one is a plain soup for the night nobody wants crunch. Salt the beef early. Rice will not fix shy meat. Got more in the fridge? Snap a photo and we'll pick dinner for you. Free.
Quick picks: 3 dinners with ground beef and rice in 30 minutes or less
Fastest option: a 18-minute dinner
18 min
Weeknight beef fried rice
Total time, start to plate · One skillet · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Cold rice and crumbled cooked beef fry with soy sauce. The egg goes in at the end.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold cooked rice
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 cloves garlic
Steps
- Brown the ground beef in a skillet and break it into tiny bits. Scoop it out.
- Add a little more oil if the pan looks dry. Fry the cold rice, pressing it so it crackles.
- Stir in the garlic and soy sauce. The rice should look shiny, not wet.
- Pour the eggs over the rice and stir while they set in threads.
- Return the beef just to warm it. Taste and stop. More soy sauce will make it salty, not better.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days. Spread it in the skillet to reheat so it fries again.
One-pan or sheet-pan option
25 min
One-pot taco rice
Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
Ground beef, raw rice, cumin, and tomato paste cook together in one pot.
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 cup rice
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
Steps
- Brown the ground beef in a pot with the salt and cumin. Drain if a pool of fat collects.
- Stir in the tomato paste and let it darken for a minute.
- Add the rice and water. Stir once so the rice is submerged.
- Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Don't stir it into glue.
- Rest 5 minutes off the heat. Fluff it. The beef should be mixed through, not a layer on top.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days. The rice soaks up the sauce, so add water when you reheat.
The other dinner
22 min
Beef and rice soup
Total time, start to plate · One pot · serves 4 · Kid-friendly
A small amount of ground beef seasons a pot of rice and broth for a soft dinner.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb ground beef
- 1/2 cup rice
- 5 cups water
- 1 onion
- 1 tsp salt
Steps
- Brown the ground beef with the onion. Pour off the fat.
- Add the water, rice, and salt.
- Simmer 15 minutes, until the rice is tender and has thickened the pot a little.
- Taste. A beef and rice soup is bland until the salt is right.
- Ladle it. A squeeze of lemon is optional and not required for the kids.
Keeps: Fridge for 3 days. The rice swells, so expect a thicker bowl tomorrow.
Make it with leftovers
Cold rice belongs in the fried rice. Cooked ground beef can be warmed in the taco rice and the soup. Raw rice is only for the taco pot, where it cooks in the tomato liquid. Don't try to fry warm, just-cooked rice. It clumps.
Pantry staples you'll need
- Oil
- Salt
- Cumin
- Garlic
- Tomato paste
- Soy sauce
No rice: the taco seasoning works over pasta or a baked potato. No ground beef: black beans can take the beef's place in the taco pot if you salt them like meat.
Picky-eater and healthy tweaks
Taco rice is the one kids ask for if the chili stays on the side. Fried rice is familiar. Skip cumin on a separate small plate of beef if a child hates 'spicy brown.'
Drain the beef. Use a cup of rice, not a mountain, and add peas or shredded lettuce on the taco bowl. Skip the cheese or pass it at the table.
Have something else in the fridge?
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Questions
What can I make with ground beef and rice in 20 minutes?
Weeknight beef fried rice takes 18 minutes, start to plate. Cold rice and crumbled cooked beef fry with soy sauce. The egg goes in at the end.
What's the easiest dinner with ground beef and rice?
Weeknight beef fried rice is the low-fuss one: one skillet, 18 minutes. Cold rice and crumbled cooked beef fry with soy sauce. The egg goes in at the end.
Can I make this with leftover or cooked ground beef?
Cold rice belongs in the fried rice. Cooked ground beef can be warmed in the taco rice and the soup. Raw rice is only for the taco pot, where it cooks in the tomato liquid. Don't try to fry warm, just-cooked rice. It clumps.
What else can I add to ground beef and rice for a full meal?
The cards already use cold cooked rice, ground beef, eggs. A piece of fruit or a handful of frozen vegetables is enough if you want more on the plate. Don't make a second shopping trip.
Is ground beef and rice a healthy dinner?
Drain the beef. Use a cup of rice, not a mountain, and add peas or shredded lettuce on the taco bowl. Skip the cheese or pass it at the table.
How do I make ground beef and rice kid-friendly?
Taco rice is the one kids ask for if the chili stays on the side. Fried rice is familiar. Skip cumin on a separate small plate of beef if a child hates 'spicy brown.'
Can I make ground beef and rice in one pan or a sheet pan?
One-pot taco rice uses one pot and takes 25 minutes. Ground beef, raw rice, cumin, and tomato paste cook together in one pot.
What if I don't have rice?
No rice: the taco seasoning works over pasta or a baked potato. No ground beef: black beans can take the beef's place in the taco pot if you salt them like meat.