Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet
on Jan 14, 2025, Updated Apr 13, 2025
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This cheesy ground beef and potato skillet dinner is a mixture of ground beef, potatoes, red bell pepper, onions, and green chiles. A flavorful Mexican spice blend and cheese bring this easy one pan meal to life! It’s perfect for meal prepping and a great family-friendly weeknight dinner.
If you love easy Mexican inspired meals, be sure to make this Green Chile Mac and Cheese and Mexican meatball soup!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Ground Beef Potato Skillet
Simple ingredients – This ground beef dinner uses simple and affordable ingredients, many that you may already have or that are easy to grab at the grocery store.
Meat and potatoes – If you’re a meat and potatoes person, I know you’ll love this recipe. Think of it as upgraded meat and potatoes thanks to the Mexican spices blend, cheese, and a few flavorful veggies thrown into the mix.
Versatile – Not only can the veggies used in the recipe be swapped with others you may have on hand or prefer, but you can also serve this skillet dinner in multiple ways. See serving suggestions below.
Ingredients
Ground beef – Use lean ground beef. 90/10% or slightly leaner is best so that it doesn’t get too greasy.
Potatoes – Yukon gold potatoes are great because they have a creamy texture and you don’t have to peel them.
Onion, red bell pepper– The aromatics that give the skillet dinner lots of flavor. Green bell pepper or any color can be used. Yellow or white onion both work well.
Diced green chiles – If you like spicy food use hot green chiles, otherwise stick to using a can of mild diced green chiles.
Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, smoked paprika – This flavorful Mexican spice blend is smoky, earthy, garlicy, and has that distinct chile flavor.
Cilantro – The fresh, slightly citrusy flavor of cilantro brings this recipe to life. If you don’t like cilantro, omit it.
Cheese – You can use any cheese you want, but I recommend cheddar, colby jack, monterey jack, or pepper jack cheese.
How to Make Ground Beef and Potatoes
Saute the potatoes in oil for 5-6 minutes. Push them to one half of the skillet and add in the ground beef.
Crumble the ground beef then add in the onion and pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook a few more minutes.
Add in the green chiles, dried spices, and cilantro. Stir everything together and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender and the beef is cooked through.
Top with shredded cheese and cook until it melts. Garnish with additional cilantro if desired.
Ways to Serve Southwest Ground Beef and Potato Skillet
This is a hearty skillet recipe and can absolutely stand on its own. I however enjoy eating it with this avocado corn salad, southwestern bean salad, or black bean corn salsa salad.
A side of rice is always a good option or chips and guacamole for something simple.
You can also use this Mexican ground beef as a filling for tacos or burritos. Combine it with scrambled eggs and make breakfast burritos!
Recipe Tips
- Cut the potatoes into a small dice so they cook faster. I recommend 1/2 inch cubes. Keep them equal in size so they cook evenly.
- Use a large enough skillet. I use a 12 inch enameled cast iron skillet. If you don’t use a large enough skillet you’ll have to cook the ground beef separately from the potatoes.
- Don’t be shy with the salt. Potatoes and meat benefit from a decent amount of salt. I recommend 1 – 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt for this recipe depending on your taste.
- Use a block of cheese and grate it yourself. Pre-shredded cheese uses anti-caking agents and won’t melt as well or have as good of flavor.
Substitutions and Variations
- Use different veggies – Try swapping red bell pepper with a green bell pepper, zucchini, carrots, or corn.
- Use ground turkey – Ground beef can be replaced with ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Add enchilada sauce or salsa – For extra flavor and a saucy consistency, add a 1/2 cup of red or green enchilada sauce, or your favorite jarred salsa.
- Sweet potatoes – Yukon gold potatoes can be substituted with sweet potatoes. Cut them as instructed in the recipe. Peeling the potatoes is optional. The cooking time should be about the same.
Storage, Reheating, and Freezing
Storage – Once the ground beef and potatoes have cooled, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Freezing – I don’t recommend freezing this recipe. The potatoes can have a mealy, soggy texture once they’ve been defrosted.
Reheating – Rewarm the beef and potatoes in a skillet over medium-low heat or you can reheat it in the microwave.
More Ground Beef Dinner Recipes
If you’ve got ground beef then I’ve got some great recipes for you!
If you’re in the mood for an Asian inspired dinner, make this sweet chili ground beef and brussels sprouts, pineapple beef stir fry, or teriyaki ground beef and broccoli.
Craving more southwest inspired meals? This southwest ground beef sweet potato skillet is a reader favorite and one of my favorites too! Ground beef taco casserole and tamale pie are also great options for easy weeknight meals.
When you want a cozy meal on a cold night you can’t go wrong with this cheeseburger soup or shepherd’s pie.
Did you make this Mexican ground beef and potatoes? I’d love if you’d leave a recipe rating and review below.
Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 pound potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, I use approximately 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 4 ounces diced green chiles
- 2 1/2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot swirl it to coat the bottom of the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Add the potatoes and cook them stirring often. Cook for about 6 minutes or until the potatoes are turning golden and start to become tender (they will still be too firm to eat).
- Push the potatoes to one side of the skillet and add in the ground beef. Crumble the beef then add in the onion and red bell pepper. Season with salt and pepper and cook. Continue to break the beef apart as it cooks.
- Add in the green chiles, spices, and cilantro. Stir everything together and cook until the potatoes are tender and the beef is cooked through, about 6-8 minutes.
- Taste for seasoning and add additional salt if needed. Top with the cheese and cook for another minute until it melts. Garnish with cilantro if desired and serve hot.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was incredible! We garden & I have been trying to find new recipes to use up our peppers & potatoes. I didn’t have cilantro or green chiles, but I did have both jalapenos & green bell peppers from the garden, so that is what I used. DELECIOUS! We topped it with cheese, plain greek yogurt & avocado slices. My kids loved it & went back for seconds.
Glad you all enjoyed it!
Great recipe! I used sweet potatoes instead of regular potatoes, absolutely delicious!
I’m so glad you liked it! If you’re looking for a similar recipe using sweet potatoes, try my southwest ground beef and sweet potato skillet.
I’ve made this twice now (in one week)! I love this recipe, second time I made it I added canned diced tomatoes, I had no cilantro but still really yummy! Love it with some lime juice too. This will be in the rotation
Twice in one week! I love that! Thanks so much for making it Alissa!
So very good! I added 1/2 cup of mild pace salsa and my picky granddaughter loved it. Asked if I’d make make ot again. Most definitely will
Always love hearing when a recipe goes over well with picky eaters!
I made this today. It’s going into my regular rotation. Absolutely delicious! I used good quality pepper Jack cheese because we like a little kick. I subbed in 1 TBSP of dried cilantro because I was too lazy to drive out for fresh. Served over rice (I know…potatoes! I don’t care) I think next time I’ll get some burrito tortillas, mix a bit of scrambled egg in. But for now I think I’ll have a second bowl.
I like your style Judy, double the carbs! Thanks for leaving a review!
This was so amazing! I cooked the potatoes in one pan, started the onions, added the peppers and minced garlic then the ground beef in another pan then combined everything. I thought it would be dry and need stock but it was perfect. We served it with tortillas and it was great with eggs in breakfast tacos the next day!
Love that you turned the leftovers into breakfast tacos!
I used a few subs for this recipe and it came out amazing. I only had chipotle chili powder and instead of paprika I had to use chili flakes. I used frozen peas instead of fire roasted corn, and I used Salsa instead of enchilada sauce. I also used red potatoes instead of Yukon gold. Didn’t have zuchini so I omitted it. Was really good will make again! And it makes a lot which lasts for days. Left overs are yummy
Which recipe are you talking about?
very good taste but, I cut the potatoes slightly smaller than 1/2″ pieces and they were no where near ready to eat when they should have been. is there a certain kind of potato that works better?
Parboiling the potatoes might also help
Meal was great. Added 1/2 cup cottage cheese to each serving I had and it was amazing.
This was incredibly easy to make. I didn’t have Cilantro but decided to make anyways and I’m glad I did! So yummy!!!!
I’m glad you made it too Mary! Thanks for trying it out and leaving a review.