Transform ground beef (hamburger) from unexciting to HELLO! with a bold and aromatic tomato sauce and briny pops of green olives with this Tex-Mex Ground Beef Skillet recipe.
There are many reasons to love this one pan ground beef recipe, because it's not only bold, flavorful, and uses bright pops of acid to make the dish seem comforting but not heavy. The umami is strong in this dish thanks to ground beef and green olives, and canned tomatoes and red wine vinegar brightens the dish up.
It's fantastic over rice, which is a favorite way to serve. Tex-Mex Ground Beef is a great motivator for using up leftover rice as well.
It also answers the question of what the hell do I do with ground beef that isn’t:
1) a hamburger
2) meatballs
3) tacos.
While those entrees are great dinner options, they tend to suck the most well-intentioned and creative cook into a ground beef rut. The one where you stare cluelessly at a package of ground beef, not wanting to repeat the uninspired rotation of recipe stand-bys you usually rely on due to A) sheer laziness, B) hanger, C) impaired brain function after a long day.
This is an easy weeknight meal that comes together quickly and utilizes a lot of pantry staples. It’s a great way to use up leftover rice. If you’re making rice, prioritize the rice first and by the time the Tex-Mex Ground Beef is ready, it’ll be done! Multi-task for the win!
This Tex-Mex Ground Beef Skillet pairs well with Instant Pot Basmati Rice and Instant Pot Spanish Rice. And if you want to add a condiment to the mix, this Cucumber Pico de Gallo adds freshness and crispness.
Jump to:
How to Make Tex-Mex Ground Beef - Ingredients
If you're going to transform ground beef from unexciting to HELLO! you are going to need the following ingredients. This is one unforgettably flavorful ground beef skillet recipe that you can easily adapt to suit your tastes and whatever you have on hand.
- extra virgin olive oil
- garlic cloves
- yellow onion
- green bell pepper
- ground beef
- diced tomatoes in a can*
- red wine vinegar
- dried oregano
- ground cumin
- sliced green olives
- cayenne pepper (optional)
- dried rice OR 3 cups leftover cooked rice**
- salt and black pepper, to taste
See recipe card for ingredient amounts.
How to Make Tex-Mex Ground Beef - Directions
Start preparing the rice first, according to the package instructions. Or, if you’re using leftover rice, see recipe card on how to achieve crispy rice.
Heat extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. Break the ground beef up into small chunks with a spoon.
Cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently until the meat is fully browned.
Add petite diced tomatoes with their juices, sliced green olives, oregano, cumin, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, and cayenne pepper (optional).
Continue cooking, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat for around 6 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced.
Reduce heat to low. Add in the remaining tablespoon of red wine vinegar and the sliced green olives, then add a few pinches of salt and black pepper and stir.
Taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary.
Serve immediately over rice and enjoy!
Get ready to liven up your socially distant dinnertime with a steaming hot pan of Tex-Mex flavors. This Tex-Mex Ground Beef Skillet recipe was adapted from Good Housekeeping’s Quick Sauteed Cuban Beef.
Substitutions to Consider
This one-pan ground beef recipe is amenable to substitutions. Here are a few you can make while still keeping the flavors in the realm of Tex-Mex.
- Replace green olives with black olives, equal amounts.
- Red, white, or yellow onion is just fine here.
- You can use poblano or jalapeno instead of green bell pepper if you'd like a spicier outcome. Or feel free to use red, yellow, or orange bell pepper instead of green.
- Even though beef is in the name of this skillet recipe, I see no reason why you can't make it with ground chicken, ground pork, or even ground turkey.
Spicy Tex-Mex Ground Beef Variations
The obvious variation here is to make this ground beef skillet recipe SPICY. Here are some suggestions to add some heat.
- Use jalapenos, thai chilis, or a bit of habanero to add fire! Add a modest amount to start as fresh peppers can be unpredictable!
- Use canned diced jalapenos or green chilis.
- Sprinkle in some cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, or hot Hungarian paprika.
- Add your favorite hot sauce to the mix.
FAQ
Absolutely! The beauty of this Tex-Mex Beef recipe is you can serve it over most anything you'd like, from rotini pasta to gnocchi. Or grains like quinoa or barley would be great paired with this boldly flavored Tex-Mex ground beef.
I've even made this and served it in hard shell tacos with a little lettuce and shredded cheese. Mmmm.
Store leftovers in a lidded container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days, or freeze for up to 6 months.
My preferred reheating method is to reheat on the stovetop (but you can, of course, use your trusty microwave). Add leftovers to a frying pan over medium heat and cover. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring once or twice until heated through.
What's New on Midwexican
Tex-Mex Ground Beef
Equipment
- cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ green bell pepper, finely diced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes*
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1 cup dried rice OR 3 cups leftover cooked rice**
- ¼ cup green olives sliced
Instructions
- Start preparing the rice first, according to the package instructions. Or, if you’re using leftover rice, see notes on how to get crispy rice***.1 cup dried rice OR 3 cups leftover cooked rice**
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and bell pepper. Cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 5-6 cloves of garlic, minced, 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced, ½ green bell pepper, finely diced
- Increase heat to medium-high and add the ground beef. Break the ground beef up into small chunks with a spoon. Cook for 6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the meat is fully browned.1 pound ground beef
- Add petite diced tomatoes with their juices, sliced green olives, oregano, cumin, 2 tablespoons of the red wine vinegar, and cayenne pepper (optional).1 14.5 ounce can petite diced tomatoes*, 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin, ¼ cup green olives
- Continue cooking, stirring frequently, over medium-high heat for around 6 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced.
- Reduce heat to low. Add in the remaining tablespoon of red wine vinegar, add a few pinches of salt and black pepper, and stir.salt and black pepper, to taste
- Taste. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve immediately over rice and enjoy!¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
Notes
**I used brown Jasmine rice cooked the day before in the Instant Pot.
***My favorite way to reheat leftover rice is in a large, well-oiled pan over medium heat. I pat the rice down in an even layer, cover, and let the bottom get nice and crusty. This takes around 7-10 minutes, or until you’re happy with the crustiness achieved. Nutrition information was calculated with an online nutrition calculator and should be considered calorie estimates.
Leave a Reply