This easy to make one pot cheesy taco rice is made with just a few hearty ingredients like rice, taco seasoned ground beef and cheese.

Cheesy Taco Rice

From the recipe collection of Tara Ippolito

Cheesy taco rice is a meal all in itself.

With taco seasoned ground beef, rice and cheese this recipe will keep you full for hours.

It’s really one of those stick to your ribs dinners that are perfect for busy weeknights because it’s so easy to make and only requires one pot.

That means less prep work and less clean up for you. Win!

My family loves to add their own toppings to this rice like sour cream, salsa, shredded lettuce and whatever else they’re in the mood for that night.

It kinda reminds me of a burrito bowl if all of the ingredients were mixed now that I think about it.

I absolutely love simple crowd pleasing recipes like this one.

I know that if you give this cheesy taco rice recipe a try that you’ll love it, too.

Fast. Simple. Delicious.

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Do I have to use ground beef?

Nope. Not if you don’t want to use it.

The ground beef can absolutely be substituted for ground turkey or chicken.

Either of those would work just fine.

How can I make this cheesy taco rice spicy?

You can easily make this recipe spicy with barely any adjustments.

First, try using hot and spicy taco seasoning packets instead of the mild ones. That should be a great start.

You can switch the mild salsa out for hot, too.

And use pepper jack instead of the Monterey Jack cheese.

Now just top it off with some diced jalapeños or chilis and that should do the trick.

Do I really have to shred the cheese myself?

Yes, absolutely! This is the one thing that I’d really urge you not to take a shortcut on.

Pre-shredded bagged cheese has chemicals in it like cellulose.

This keeps the cheese from clumping but it also prevents it from melting properly

Shred the cheese off the block. The taco rice will be much creamier that way.

What toppings should I use?

This recipe is great on its own so feel free to eat it as is.

I do like to add some shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and sour cream, personally.

Sliced red olives, guacamole and some diced jalapeños would be delicious, too.

The choice is really up to you so mix and match whatever you’d like.

Similar recipe ideas

If you liked this recipe for taco rice, here are some others you will love, too.

• Taco lasagna
• Enchiritos
• Meximelt

Cheesy taco rice ingredients

• Ground beef
• Taco seasoning
• Canned corn
• Canned black beans (rinsed and drained)
• Salsa (mild)
• Minute/ instant rice (white or brown)
• Beef broth
• Shredded cheddar cheese
• Shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• Toppings of your choice (optional)

Instructions

First, brown the ground beef and make it according to the directions on the back of the taco seasoning packet.

Remember we’re using two packets for one pound of ground beef.

Now add the corn, salsa, beans and shredded cheeses.

Then mix everything together until it’s evenly combined.

Next, add the beef broth and rice and mix everything together again.

After that, top it with more cheese and lid the pot.

Now let it cook for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and the rice is cooked.

Finally let it cool slightly and serve it with your favorite toppings. Enjoy!