This hearty Italian Beef and Rice Skillet is made in less than 30 minutes and perfect for your busy weeknight!
My family LOVED this Italian Beef and Rice Skillet! I basically took the same idea as my Mexican Beef and Rice Skillet and switched up the flavor profiles for another unique and delicious dinner.
I wasn’t necessarily going for an “Italian” flavor profile when I set out to switch up this dish, but when I started playing around with different liquids and veggies to add, it all just fell into place.
If you didn’t want to use rice in this dish, you could totally swap it out for a smaller pasta. I just loved making rice skillets because my kids are huge fans of rice and it’s fairly cheap to make.
Ground Beef and Rice Skillet Variations:
- Feel free to swap out the rice for a smaller pasta
- Use your favorite type of veggies in place of the peas and carrots – green beans, broccoli or zucchini would be nice!
- For a saucier dish, try adding in 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- Use a combination of mozzarella and parmesan cheese to top the skillet for an extra cheesy dish!
One of my favorite things about this dish is that I pretty much have all these ingredients on hand at any time.
I always keep ground beef in the freezer as well as a frozen veggie mix. We always have canned tomatoes and beef broth (you could use beef bouillon and water in place of the broth), and of course always have rice on hand too. So really, this is an easy dinner that I can whip up when I am in a pinch and need a quick dinner that I know my kids will love.
Not only is this dish super easy to make, but my kids absolutely LOVED it! We served it with garlic bread and a spinach side salad.
Yes, even my kids like spinach salads… I’m lucky like that.
Italian Beef and Rice Skillet
I know you’re going to love this quick and easy ground beef recipe too!
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Italian Beef and Rice Skillet
Ingredients
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 lb. ground beef
- 15 oz diced tomatoes, canned
- 1 1/2 cups mixed veggies, peas and carrots
- 3/4 cup white rice
- 2 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp garlic salt
- 1/2 tsp dried basil
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
Instructions
- Brown the ground beef and onion in a large skillet until no longer pink, drain any excess fat.
- Return skillet to stove top and add in the tomatoes, mixed veggies, rice, beef broth, oregano, garlic salt, basil and pepper. Stir until combined and bring to a light boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and let cook until rice is tender (about 17 minutes).
- Fluff rice with fork and top with the mozzarella cheese. Cover with the lid for about 3 minutes to let cheese melt. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Enjoy!
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One Week in Kauai, Hawaii
Jcs
We made this several times with ground beef, as the recipe is written, and enjoyed quite well. Then one day, we were out of ground beef but had ground pork. We used the ground pork, and that took it to the next level! That was the only change we made, but I highly recommend it.
S
I liked this a lot! The label on my can of diced tomatoes said “basil, garlic, oregano.” They did well, but I had to guess on adjusting those herbs given in the recipe. I used 2 beef bouillon cubes in 2 c of water for the broth. I kept everything else identical to the recipe. My husband dished himself exyra servings repeatedly, so he must have liked it, too! Good job, IwashYouDry! Thanks SO much! Can’t wait to try the Mexican version!
Donna
Did you use fresh veggies, canned or frozen in this recipe. Would love to try it tomorrow.
THank you
Neysa
I used a bag of frozen steamers that I just dumped in. Worked well.
Shawn
I also changed out the veggies to diced green pepper, celery and cherry tomatoes. I used organic brown basmati rice that requires only a 90 second heat up and did not add any liquid to the dish. I opted to add some shredded Italian Blend cheese at the time of serving. We really enjoyed the one pan preparation and will make this often. Thank you!
Shawn
Jen
Doubled beef, bumped rice to 1 cup. Subbed zucchini, orange pepper and celery for the frozen veg. and added a whole diced fresh tomato and a squeeze of tomato paste. No cheese…maybe some for those that want it at serving time. My college, protein-crazy/rock-climbing son will surely love it. Thanks for the idea and for sharing.
Susanne dePuy
Will this freeze and reheat well?
Joyce
This recipe comes together easily and is full of flavor! I’ll be making this again. I used fresh veggies I had on hand and diced them in small pieces, so they were cooked through at the end of simmer time. Thanks for sharing!
Paulette Gearhart
It was easy to make and was great. Will be making it again.
Fern
Quite tasty recipe. I made it as directed except I only had a can cruched/diced tomatoes but worked well.
Debbie
We love this dish! When I make it, I substitute sliced zucchini for the mixed vegetables.
KJ HENISA
Well, I needed something simple and I’d thawed out some grnd beef already so gave this a go. Added a little bell pepper, celery to the saute. It was easy as promised. Will definitely make again. For us, I will double most of the dried seasonings & use 2 cans of tomatoes (Italian & Fireroasted) for complexity. Also, will add 1/2 cup or so chop bell pepper & celery ea. to the saute again. We also felt it was a bit much rice so I’ll go to 2/3 Cup instead. My hubby really enjoyed it on this Friday after work as it is pretty cold here for Florida. Thanks so much.Kj in Tampa Bay
Sharon Stell
I am looking to lower the sodium in this recipe. Did you use regular broth, unsalted broth or no salt added broth?
Shawn
The nutritional information is calculated with regular broth. So you could use a lower sodium broth and also use just garlic powder instead of garlic salt to reduce the overall sodium level.
Doria
Made this tonight and it was really good. Next time I’m going to add a little sour cream on top of the cheese. Husband and adult grandkids loved it.
Shawn
Awesome! I’m so glad you all enjoyed it Doria!
Linda Babli
OMG! Absolutely delicious! will definitely make this again. thank you for sharing .
Kristin
I had my doubts when I was making it, but all 3 of my pickiest eaters loved it. So easy! Especially appreciated a recipe that was gluten-free and easily made dairy-free.
Nancy
Do you instant or reg rice in the Italian beef and rice skillet? It’s looks so easy and delicious I want to try it the next time family is over.
Shawn
This recipe uses regular long grain white rice. Enjoy!
Josane
My husband loved this. I just put in ground beef and leftover rice. Since the rice was already cooked I used a small amount of broth. Used Italian Seasoning instead of Oregano. Added a dash of Lea and Perrin also with a cup of Rao. Unless it’s a bakery recipe I can’t seem to stop myself from doctoring up recipes. I did taste it before and it was very good. Husband approved.
Cathy
Can you use brown rice?
Lynn Olson
Made this tonite, it was so easy and tasty will definitely make again.
Also checked out the Mexican version and will be trying that too.
Thanks for the recipe.
Michelle
I made this low fodmap friendly (it’s a diet I need to follow for stomach issues) by using green onions , no garlic and making sure the broth was onion and garlic free, and switching out some of the veggies and it was very delicious!
Skylar
Can you use instant rice?
Shawn
Instant rice will change the amount of liquid needed and time it takes to make this recipe.
Linda Pallen
Thank you looking forward to trying this.
Lois Weber
What a great evening meal.
Cheryl
Fixed this dish for dinner tonight and my husband loved it. It’s definitely a keeper.
Shawn
I’m so thrilled you enjoyed it Cheryl!
Alissa Billingslea
Such a good recipe! I didnt have frozen veggies so I just used some red and green bell pepper I had on hand and cooked it with the meat and onion, then added in the rest. Everyone in my family loved it! Reminded us of stuffed bell peppers, but without the outer bell pepper shell. Thank you for a great family meal!❤
Shawn
I love that you were able to make it work with what you had on hand! Sounds very similar to my Ground Beef Stuffed Pepper skillet! 🙂
Jerry Van Nostrand
I found only using 3/4 cup rice was too soupy so I upped to a full cup the second time and it came out much better. Overall this is a fantastic super easy recipe that everyone loves.
Tami
Can i use brown rice instead of white and ground turkey?
Shawn
Yes and yes! The brown rice will take longer to cook through though.
Tatjana
Hi! How much longee.i have so much brown rice and scared to cook with it ♀️
PATSY
A wonderful substitution is using riced cauliflower instead of real rice or pasta. The flavor is the same but many fewer calories.
Renee Schouten
Hi there, are the veggies frozen? thanks!
Shawn
The peas and carrots are a frozen blend, yes! 🙂
Eli
What is the serving size? 1 cup? Thank
You!
Shawn
I would say about 1 1/2 cups.
Megan
What do I do if I don’t have beef broth
Shawn
You could use chicken broth, or if you just have water, that will do. It just wont be as flavorful.
Lori Vanoss
We didn’t care for it.
Too bland .
Kimberly.g.616@gmail.com
How would you adjust this if you wanted to sub cauli rice after its cooked. I assume liquid would need to be reduced but how much??
Shawn
You wouldn’t really need more than maybe 1/4 cup liquid to keep it all moist.
Tony Marshall
I tried this with Basmati rice, zucchini instead of peas and carrots, and Fire Roasted diced tomatoes vs regular diced tomatoes. Very impressed with how good this was and how easy it was to cook.
Shawn
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Tony!
Sheri
Is the rice cooked or uncooked? I cannot wait to try this!
Shawn
The rice is uncooked when you start!
Nancy Schieble
What is 1 tomatoes?
Shawn
Sorry, when we switched recipe cards some info didn’t transfer! You’ll need 1 (15oz) can diced tomatoes.
Sandee West
I’ve made this several times and I always use zucchini in place of the mixed vegetables. I dice it and add it when I add the rice. It’s so good! It’s a regular on my menu rotation!
Shawn
Love the zucchini in there!
Janalynn
Can I double the recipe?
Shawn
Yes, definitely. You’ll just need a large pan for it.
Theresa rhodes
What is one portion size
Shawn
Hey Theresa, I would say a single portion would be about 1 cup.
Vanessa
Love this recipe!! Modified it and added cauliflower rice at the end to reduce carbs!!
Brenda
Can the beef be substituted with ground turkey?
Shawn
Definitely!
Sofiane Benzaza
Same time and liquid for all white rice? Basmati , jasmine for ex
Thanks
Shawn
I use Jasmine rice for this recipe, but Basmati should work just fine with the same liquid and time.
Valerie L Harder
Easy, tasty, forgiving recipe my family enjoyed. I didn’t have all the ingredients, i.e., only frozen corn and stewed tomatoes, so I added extra Italian seasoning. Thank you for a really great idea!
Shawn
So glad you were able to make it work with what you had on hand!
Maricruz
Hello, I am not much of a cook and I stumbled across this recipe. I made it and my family loved it! It is now one of my new go to meals. It tastes so good and so easy to make. Thank you!
Shawn
That’s fantastic! I’m so glad you enjoyed it Maricruz!
Jolanda
I made this today. My family of six loved it! Thank you for the recipe. Greetings from our family from the netherlands
Shawn
Fantastic! So glad you all enjoyed it!
Christy
SO good!!! Definitely 5 stars. I didn’t have canned tomatoes so I used 3 very small ones, still used 2 cups of broth, and it came out perfect. Still 17 min cooking time. Thank you so much!!!
Shawn
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!