One Skillet Cowboy Rice is a quick, convenient and hearty meal for any busy night of the week. Thank you to Zatarain’s Rice Mixes for sponsoring this post. All opinions are mine alone.
We eat a lot of rice bowls during the week. It’s filling for my kids to fuel them for their swim team practices and I can customize them based on what protein might be on sale that week at the store. Ground beef is the primary source of protein for this One Skillet Cowboy Rice recipe I’m sharing with you today.
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What makes a meal centered around rice even more convenient is Zatarain’s Rice Mixes. Each box contains just the right amount of rice for a family of four and is perfectly seasoned, ready to make a complete meal in just a short amount of time. And who doesn’t need family dinner ready to go in a short amount of time these days?
I decided to take the “bowl” concept out of this rice recipe and instead make the whole meal in just one skillet. That means less dishes to wash for me afterward. I filled this skillet with ingredients my whole family can agree on – beef, bacon, corn and cheese, combined with the Zatarain’s Black Beans and Rice Mix.
Does your family enjoy rice bowls and rice-centered meals as well? Be sure to choose Zatarain’s Rice Mixes for your family dinners. I love the convenience of rice plus the perfect amount of seasonings (plus beans in some of the varieties) all in one box. Zatarain’s is an economical and filling choice to plan a delicious family meal around. So put this One Skillet Cowboy Rice on your weekly menu soon. Or try this Red Beans and Rice Burrito Bowl recipe using Zatarain’s Red Beans and Rice Mix.
Tips for One Skillet Cowboy Rice:
- Use a skillet with a lid that is at least 12-inches in diameter. I used my cast iron skillet, similar to this one.
- To customize this recipe for your family, swap out the sour cream for BBQ sauce. Or leave off the pickled jalapeños if your kiddos don’t like spicy food. Also the ground beef could be replaced with ground turkey.
- I use this kitchen gadget to help break up the ground beef into smaller pieces as it is cooking.
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One Skillet Cowboy Rice
Ingredients
- 1 box Zatarain's Black Beans and Rice Mix
- 5 slices bacon chopped
- 1/2 white onion finely chopped
- 1 lb ground sirloin 90% lean
- 1 15 oz can corn drained
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 4 oz cheddar cheese shredded
- sour cream and pickled jalapeños for serving
Instructions
- Heat skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and stir occasionally until bacon is crisp. Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Set cooked bacon aside.
- Add the chopped onion to the bacon grease in the skillet. Cook for a few minutes until the onion is starting to soften.
- Add the ground sirloin and cook until no longer pink, breaking up the beef with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Add the corn, Zatarain's Black Beans and Rice Mix and the water to the skillet with the cooked onion and ground sirloin.
- Bring the water to a boil. Reduce heat so the skillet contents are gently simmering. Put the lid on the skillet and cook for 25 minutes, or until rice is tender.
- While the rice mixture is cooking, turn the oven to the broil setting.
- When rice is cooked, remove the lid from the skillet and top the cowboy rice skillet with the shredded cheese.
- Put the skillet under the broiler for a couple of minutes to melt the cheese.
- Top the skillet with the cooked bacon, sour cream and pickled jalapeños and serve immediately.
Dannii says
That rice has got all of my favourite flavours in it. Just pile the jalapeños up high for me please.
foodtasticmom says
Will do!
Karen @ Seasonal Cravings says
I love this shortcut idea bc rice is always something my kids will eat. It also makes a great base for leftovers topped with cheese, like my leftover pork tenderloin I have now. I will be trying this rice out for sure!
foodtasticmom says
Yes. It’s so versatile as a base to add leftover pork tenderloin, etc. Thank you!
rebecca says
yay for one pot meals that look delicious! I love everything in this skillet
foodtasticmom says
Glad it appeals to you – hope you try it. Thanks!
Lisa | Garlic & Zest says
I love a good skillet dinner and your Cowboy Rice dinner sounds like a crowd pleaser. Zaitaran’s is a brand we use regularly too. Can’t wait to try this.
foodtasticmom says
Great to hear that you like Zatarain’s as well. Thanks Lisa!
Leslie says
This would be a big hit with my family. Using the beans and rice mix really saves time as well as being economical.
foodtasticmom says
Thank you Leslie!
Avianti says
I love this! Plus i love rice and beans! This is great for camping! I would skip the sour cream though!
foodtasticmom says
Yes, it would be great for camping. I love sour cream on everything, LOL But I know not everyone does. By all means, skip the sour cream 🙂
FutureTricks says
such a great article. wonderful blog.
Joey B says
This recipie sounds great but we really don’t like beans. Would Zatarains Dirty Rice or Yellow Rice be a good substitute?
foodtasticmom says
Yes! When I first proposed the concept, I actually wanted to use the yellow rice. But they wanted me to use the mix with black beans. By all means, please substitute to your own tastes 🙂
Sushmita Sahu says
wow, good post. I will definitely make this food. This is really delicious.
sushmita says
hey mam,Jill. Thank you for sharing such a good post on cowboy rice. Its really useful for me.
Rakesh T says
Wow interesting article amazing thanks.