Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Bacon Cheeseburger Rice Skillet
Cheeseburger flavors have a comfortable place in a skillet of beef and rice. Melted cheddar settles over the savory filling, with barbecue sauce and mustard giving it a familiar tang. The bacon garnish adds crunch when you scoop through the cheese into the rice beneath.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 8 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cuisine
- American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Rice dishes
A few quick notes
1. Brown the onion with the beef
Let the onion cook in the skillet while the beef browns. It softens into the meat mixture and saves you from having sharper little bites of onion later.
2. Drain before the sauce goes in
After the beef has browned, pour off the excess fat before adding the BBQ sauce, mustard, pepper and rice. That keeps the skillet saucy rather than greasy.
3. Cover the rice with broth
Once the rice is stirred through the beef mixture, add the broth so it covers everything. That liquid is what cooks the instant rice during the short simmer.
Get to know the ingredients
Use lean ground beef
Lean ground beef gives the skillet its cheeseburger feel, and you’ll still drain any excess fat after browning. Break it up well as it cooks with the onion.
Instant rice matters here
This skillet is written for instant rice, which cooks during the brief covered simmer. Regular rice would not match the timing given in the recipe.
Cheddar goes on before simmering
Sprinkle the shredded cheddar over the top before you cover the skillet. It melts while the rice cooks, so the finish is cheesy without needing a separate step.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 4 steps completeMake room for Bacon Cheeseburger Rice Skillet
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Add the bacon and green onions last
The bacon and green onions are a garnish, so keep them for the end. Sprinkle them over the skillet after the simmer so the bacon stays crisp and the onions stay fresh.
A little more help as you go
Keep the lid on
Once the cheese is on and the skillet is simmering, cover it and leave it to cook for the listed time. The trapped steam helps the instant rice soften.
Stir before adding the broth
Mix the BBQ sauce, mustard, pepper and rice into the drained beef first. It helps coat the rice and meat evenly before the broth goes in.
A few questions you might have
Can I use regular rice instead of instant rice?
Use instant rice, and the simmer time is built around that. Regular rice would need different liquid and timing, so stick with instant here.
Do I stir the cheese in?
No, sprinkle the cheddar over the top after the broth has been added. Then cover the skillet so it melts while the rice simmers.
When do the bacon and green onions go on?
Add them after the skillet has finished simmering. They’re listed as the garnish, so they go on right before serving.
Should the broth be mixed in or poured over?
Stir the rice into the sauced beef first, then cover the mixture with the broth. After that, the cheese goes on top and the skillet is covered to simmer.
Why drain the beef before adding everything else?
Draining removes the excess fat after browning. Then the BBQ sauce, mustard, pepper and broth can flavor the rice and beef without extra grease in the pan.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: easyfamilyrecipes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
