1 Amazing Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

When the weeknight dinner rush hits, you need something fast, hearty, and flavorful that doesn’t leave you scrubbing pans for an hour. That’s where my absolute favorite **Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet** steps in! Honestly, this recipe is my go-to for those days when I want maximum flavor with minimal cleanup. It just tastes like a hug in a bowl, you know?

I’m Daniel, and I started Reciqa because I truly believe that cooking shouldn’t feel like a chore; it should be about comfort and connection around the table. I love sharing simple, tasty recipes that fit right into real life—whether that’s a quick weeknight win or a healthier option for busy days. Let’s make cooking fun together!

This skillet meal is the perfect example of what I mean. It brings together seasoned beef, perfectly tender potatoes, and bright Mexican spices all in one pan. It’s one of those meals that smells incredible while it cooks and makes you feel instantly satisfied the second you sit down to eat.

Essential Ingredients for Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

To pull off this amazing one-pan wonder, you don’t need a pantry full of specialty items. Most of this is stuff you probably have hanging around! But listen to me—the way you prep the potatoes makes a huge difference in the final texture. We need those potatoes cut into nice, even 1/2 inch cubes so they cook through perfectly at the same time as everything else. For the beef, I always grab lean ground beef; it keeps things from getting too greasy in the skillet. And please, use fresh cilantro if you can! Chopping it right before you toss it in keeps that bright, fresh flavor alive.

Don’t skimp on the spices here, either. The chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika are what give this skillet that deep, warm Mexican flavor we’re looking for. Trust me, measuring them out is worth the extra thirty seconds!

Ingredient Table for Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

Ingredient	Amount	Notes
Avocado Oil	2 tablespoons	For cooking
Potatoes	1 pound	Cut into uniform 1/2 inch cubes
Lean Ground Beef	1 pound
Yellow Onion	1/2 cup	Diced
Red Bell Pepper	1 diced
Kosher Salt and Pepper	To taste	About 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Diced Green Chiles	4 ounces	Canned is fine
Chili Powder	2 1/2 teaspoons
Ground Cumin	1 teaspoon
Smoked Paprika	1/2 teaspoon
Cilantro	1/4 cup	Chopped, plus extra for garnish
Shredded Cheese	1/2 cup

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

Okay, this is where the magic happens, and honestly, it’s so fast you’ll be shocked. The whole cooking process takes about 20 minutes total, but you have to respect the order of operations, especially with the potatoes. If you just dump everything in at once, you end up with soggy potatoes and undercooked beef, and we absolutely cannot have that!

Browning the Potatoes First in Your Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

First things first: get your largest skillet hot over medium-high heat. Add your two tablespoons of avocado oil and swirl it around so it coats the bottom nicely. Now, here’s the crucial part: immediately drop in those perfectly cubed potatoes. You want to cook these, stirring often, for about six minutes. We aren’t trying to boil them; we want them to get golden brown and start softening up. Keep the heat right around medium so they crisp up instead of steaming. Once they look happy and slightly tanned, push them all over to one side of the skillet. They can hang out there for a bit while we deal with the meat.

Cooking the Beef and Vegetables for Your Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

With that empty space you just made on the other side of the pan, toss in your pound of lean ground beef. Go ahead and crumble it up right away! Then, add your diced onion and red bell pepper right there next to the meat. Season this whole side generously with salt and pepper—this is where you build the flavor foundation. Keep breaking that beef apart as it cooks. Once the meat is mostly browned, it’s time to bring everyone together! Add in your diced green chiles, the chili powder, cumin, and smoked paprika. Give everything a really good stir so those spices coat the beef and the potatoes get a little taste of the flavor mix. Now, let this whole beautiful mess cook down together for about six to eight more minutes. This final simmer is what makes the potatoes perfectly tender and lets all those wonderful Mexican spices really bloom.

Final Touches and Melting Cheese in the Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

Once everything is cooked through and the potatoes give easily when poked, taste it! Seriously, taste it now. Does it need a little more salt? A dash more pepper? Adjust it until it sings to you. Then, take your half-cup of shredded cheese and sprinkle it right over the top. Turn the heat down low, put a lid on the skillet for just about one minute, and let that cheese get gooey and melted. Garnish with a little fresh cilantro if you held some back, and serve this fantastic Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet piping hot!

Tips for Success with Your Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

If you want this **Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet** to turn out absolutely perfect every single time, you need to pay attention to a couple of small details. My biggest piece of advice, which I pulled straight from my notes, is to really focus on how you cut those potatoes. They absolutely must be uniform, about a half-inch cube. If you have some big chunks and some tiny bits, the tiny ones will turn to mush while the big ones are still hard in the middle. That’s why cutting them evenly is so important for this skillet recipe! Potatoes are versatile, but precision matters here.

Also, don’t be afraid to taste as you go! The seasoning stage right before the cheese goes on is your last chance to make it perfect for your family. If you like a little kick, that’s the time to throw in a pinch of cayenne with your main spices. It makes a huge difference in the final flavor profile of your one-pan meal.

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions for Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

Let’s talk about those potatoes again because I can’t stress this enough: uniformity is your friend here. When you cut the potatoes into those consistent 1/2 inch cubes, you make sure they all hit that sweet spot—tender on the inside but maybe a little golden crust on the outside—at the exact same time the beef finishes cooking. If they aren’t the same size, you’ll end up with a texture mess in your **Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet**.

Now, if you’re avoiding red meat for the night, don’t sweat it! You can absolutely swap out the ground beef for ground turkey or even ground chicken. They cook up similarly, but you might need to add a tiny bit more oil since poultry is leaner. Just remember to season it well! This flexibility is what makes this skillet recipe so great for weeknight dinners. Everything else—the veggies and the spices—stays the same, giving you that fantastic flavor every time.

Serving Suggestions for Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

Since this **Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet** is such a satisfying meal all on its own, you don’t need much fuss on the side! But if you want to dress up your plate, I have a couple of easy ideas. A dollop of plain Greek yogurt—it’s like sour cream’s healthier cousin—adds a lovely cool creaminess that cuts through the spice perfectly.

For some extra freshness, a squeeze of lime juice right over the top before you take the first bite brightens everything up instantly. And if you have some extra chopped cilantro lying around, sprinkle it on! It just makes the whole dish look restaurant-ready, even though it took you barely any time to make.

Storing and Reheating Your Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

This skillet meal is so great for leftovers, which is why I always make sure to double the recipe if I can! When it comes to storing your **Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet**, make sure you let it cool down completely before you seal it up. If you put hot food into a sealed container, you risk creating steam, and nobody wants soggy potatoes tomorrow.

I usually store leftovers in shallow, airtight containers so they cool faster. You can keep this safely in the fridge for about three or four days. When you’re ready to eat it again, the microwave works fine, but I find the stovetop is best for textures. Just put a little scoop back into a clean skillet over medium-low heat. Add a tiny splash of water—like a teaspoon—to help steam the potatoes back to life without drying out the beef. It takes about five minutes to heat through gently, and it tastes almost as good as the first night! If you are looking for other great one-pan meals, check out my one pan cheesy meat potato skillet.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

I get so many questions about this recipe because it’s become such a staple for so many of you! It’s a busy cook’s dream, but sometimes people worry about timing or heat control. Here are the things I hear most often when folks make their first batch of this fantastic **Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet**.

Can I make this Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet ahead of time?

You sure can! While I love serving it fresh right out of the pan, this is a great meal prep option. You can cook the entire **Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet** through, let it cool, and store it in the fridge for up to four days. When reheating, just be gentle with the heat as I mentioned before—a splash of water on the stovetop is magic for reviving the potatoes!

What kind of potatoes work best for this skillet recipe?

This is a huge question! For the best texture, you really want a potato that holds its shape well. I always recommend using Russet potatoes if you can find them, cut perfectly into those 1/2 inch cubes. They get beautifully tender inside while still holding onto that nice golden exterior we cook up first. Avoid waxy potatoes if you can, as they sometimes turn out a little too firm for this quick skillet cook time.

How do I adjust the heat level in this Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet?

That’s easy to customize! If you are sensitive to heat, just leave out the 4 ounces of diced green chiles entirely. You still get great flavor from the spices! If you want it spicier than the chiles provide, add a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper right along with your chili powder and cumin when you season the beef. That way, you control exactly how fiery your **Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet** turns out! For more information on spice levels, you can check out general guidelines on chili pepper heat.

Nutritional Snapshot of Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet

Even though this **Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet** tastes incredibly rich, it’s actually quite balanced for a quick weeknight dinner! It packs a solid punch of protein from the beef and has a good amount of fiber thanks to the potatoes and veggies. Here’s a quick look at what you can expect based on one serving size. Remember, this is an estimate, especially depending on the leanness of your beef!

Nutrient	Amount (per serving)
Calories	375kcal
Protein	31g
Carbohydrates	26g
Fat	16g

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