Go Back
beef taco skillet

One Pan Beef Taco Skillet

beef taco skillet combines one pan taco ease with quick skillet dinner, perfect for easy beef 20-minute meals. Try now!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Ground Beef Recipes
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 445

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 cup onion diced
  • 1 cup bell pepper diced
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 packet taco seasoning
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
  • 1 cup corn kernels
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
  • 8 small flour tortillas
  • 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
  • 1 tsp lime juice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Heat your skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once it's shimmering, add your ground beef and break it apart with a wooden spoon. Sear it for about 5 minutes until it's browned and no longer pink. This is where the flavor starts, so don't rush it.
  2. Drain any excess fat from the skillet if there's a lot pooling at the edges. You want some of that beefy flavor left behind, just not a grease puddle.
  3. Add your diced onion and bell pepper to the beef and stir everything together. Let them cook for about 3 minutes until they start to soften and the onion becomes a little translucent.
  4. Toss in your minced garlic and stir constantly for about 30 seconds. You'll smell it immediately—that's how you know it's working.
  5. Sprinkle the taco seasoning over everything and pour in the water. Stir it all together so the seasoning coats the beef and veggies evenly. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
  6. Add your drained black beans and corn kernels. Stir everything together and let it simmer for another 3 to 4 minutes until the liquid reduces slightly and everything's heated through.
  7. Taste it and adjust your salt and pepper if needed. Sometimes the seasoning packet is salty enough, sometimes you need a little more kick.
  8. Turn off the heat and sprinkle the shredded cheese on top. Cover the skillet with a lid or even a plate for about a minute so the cheese melts from the residual heat.
  9. Warm your tortillas in a dry skillet or directly over a gas flame for a few seconds each. This makes them pliable and way better than serving them cold.
  10. Stir the cilantro and lime juice into the beef mixture just before serving. This brightens everything up and makes it taste restaurant-quality.