One Skillet Ground Beef and Wild Rice

One skillet ground beef and wild rice with onion, garlic, bell pepper and rainbow chard is a quick and easy one-pot meal that results in a lovely well-balanced dinner.

When it comes to cooking dinner at home, I generally aim for three things: 

1.) Affordability – I like to keep it inexpensive…no need for pretention in my household! 

2.) Nutrient-Dense  – I go for balanced meals that contain all three macros – protein, fat, and carbs. Bonus points for fiber, vitamins and minerals! I find that meals that hit all three are very satisfying 

3.) Quick to Prepare – While I love cooking, I don’t typically want to spend a huge chunk of time on cooking, so I try to keep it around 30 minutes, or at the very most, 1 hour.

My skillet recipes fit all three criteria, and this ground beef and wild rice recipe is no exception!

Onion, garlic, bell pepper, ground beef, wild rice, broth, and rainbow chard is all we need to make this beauty happen! The combination of flavors is fresh and the meal itself is super satisfying! You can serve it up with a side salad or roasted veggies if you’re looking for even more vegetable power!

Let’s make it, shall we?

How to Make Ground Beef & Wild Rice Skillet:

Heat the avocado oil to medium-high in a cast iron skillet. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes.

Move onions off to the side and add the hunk of ground beef. Sear the beef for 2 to 3 minutes per side before breaking it up into smaller pieces with a spatula.

Add the garlic, bell pepper, herbs, rice, and broth and bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat, cover the skillet, and cook at a gentle simmer for 40 minutes, or until much of the liquid has absorbed.

Add the chopped rainbow chard, replace the cover and cook until chard has wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir well and serve!

How to Make this Low-Carb/Keto/Paleo:

If you’re eating grain-free, you can skip the whole process of adding rice and broth – simply cook until the beef is cooked through and rainbow chard has wilted, and you’re good to go!

Recipe Adaptations:

• For grain-free, omit the rice and broth and simply cook until beef is cooked through.
• Swap the onion and bell pepper for any of your favorite vegetables. Broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potato, and butternut squash would be amazing
• You can use spinach or kale instead of rainbow chard
• Omit the onion and garlic and replace with 1 tbsp ground ginger to make low-FODMAP

Serving Suggestions:

While this recipe can absolutely be consumed on its own as a complete meal, here are some dishes that I believe will go well alongside it:

• • Balsamic Roasted Vegetables with Bacon
  • Orange-Ginger Roasted Carrots
  • Warm Brussel Sprout Salad with Kale Quinoa and Bacon Vinaigrette
  • Pesto Quinoa Salad with Asparagus Avocado and Kale
  • Roasted Butternut Squash Kale Salad
  • Creamy Vegan Tomato Basil Soup
  • Vegan Butternut Squash Bisque

One skillet recipes for life!

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One-Skillet Ground Beef and Wild Rice

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes

A quick and easy one-skillet meal with ground beef and wild rice

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Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp avocado oil
• 1/2 medium red onion, chopped
• 1 lb grass-fed ground beef
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 small red bell pepper, cored and chopped
• 1 tsp sea salt, to taste
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp ground paprika
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2/3 cup wild rice
• 1 1/2 cups beef broth, or chicken broth
• 1 small bunch rainbow chard, chopped

Instructions

1. Heat the avocado oil to medium-high in a cast iron skillet. Add the onion and saute, stirring occasionally until softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Move onions off to the side and add the hunk of ground beef. Sear the beef for 2 to 3 minutes per side before breaking it up into smaller pieces with a spatula.
3. Add the remaining ingredients except for the rainbow chard and bring to a full boil. Reduce the heat, cover the skillet, and cook at a gentle simmer for 40 minutes, or until much of the liquid has absorbed.
4. Add the chopped rainbow chard, replace the cover and cook until chard has wilted, about 3 minutes. Stir well and serve!

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1 of 4
Amount Per Serving Calories 396Total Fat 24gUnsaturated Fat 0gCarbohydrates 11gNet Carbohydrates 10gFiber 1gSugar 1gProtein 35g