This recipe turns a pound of ground beef and a whole lot of spinach into a quick, cheesy dinner that’s ready in 15 minutes. It’s a flavorful meal with minimal work, and cleanup is a breeze.
Spinach & Beef Skillet
My family loves my taco skillet recipe, so I took that same easy dinner concept and made this version much more veggie-forward. A generous amount of spinach cooks right into the seasoned ground beef, then I add salsa, olives, and melted cheese to make it a meal everyone at my table will eat.
Ingredients
Ground beef makes this skillet hearty and cooks quickly, while plenty of spinach wilts down into the meat. Salsa adds tomatoes, seasoning, and moisture without needing a long ingredient list, and cheese melts over everything at the end. Olives add a salty bite and can easily be left off if they’re not your thing.
How to Make Skillet Tacos
- Brown the ground beef.
Cook the beef in a large skillet, breaking it apart as it cooks. - Add the spinach.
Add the spinach to the skillet and cook until it wilts down into the beef. It will look like a lot at first, but quickly loses volume as it cooks. - Add the salsa and cheese.
Stir in the salsa, top with cheese and olives, then cover until the cheese is melted. - Serve.
Spoon it onto plates or bowls and add your favorite toppings.
Recipe Variations
- Swap the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken
- Add veggies like mushrooms, bell peppers, or zucchini, and sauté them with the ground beef to soften up.
- Change up the cheese or, the salsa for pico de gallo.
How to Serve Ground Beef & Spinach Skillet
This spinach and ground beef skillet is filling on its own, but you can also serve it over rice, with tortilla chips, or over lettuce for an easy taco salad. It’s also great stuffed into a tortilla or taco boat, or spooned over bell pepper nachos.
Skillet Spinach and Ground Beef Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 bell peppers, diced
- 3 tablespoons taco seasoning
- 1 ½ cups salsa, or pico de gallo
- 3 cups baby spinach (5-ounce bag), chopped
- 1 ½ cups shredded cheese, Mexican blend or Cheddar
- 4 ounce can sliced black olives, optional
- For serving: shredded lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, tortilla chips
Instructions
Cook the filling:
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm up the oil. Add the onion and sauté for about 3 minutes until soft. Add the ground meat, diced bell peppers, and taco seasoning, and cook, breaking up the meat as it cooks, for about 5-7 minutes until it's cooked through and the peppers have softened.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the salsa and spinach, stir to combine, and heat through for about 2 more minutes. Sprinkle the cheese and black olives (if using) over the top and cover with the lid. Turn off the heat and keep it covered for about 3 minutes, until the cheese has melted.
Serve:
- This spinach and ground beef can be served over shredded lettuce, over rice as bowls, or as is, topped with guacamole, more salsa, and sour cream with chips (my favorite!).
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LL says
Came out with a pool of grease on the bottom so I had to drain it. I’m happy with the amount of veggies in this!
Manisha says
Can I make this ahead of time ? Would I leave the cheese until it is time to eat?
Laura Fuentes says
yes. if you make it ahead of time you can just simply make it all the way through and then just heat it up. Or, you can leave out the cheese and put it in the end.
Erin says
My family’s favorite skillet meal is your skillet lasagna! 3 out of my 4 daughters have even learned to make it themselves. Can’t wait to try this to see if we have another winner for dinner
Laura Fuentes says
OH>MY! That’s great amazing! This made me so happy to read Erin. Thank you for sharing!
Caroline R. says
So good..and cheesy!