Name: Skillet Spinach and Ground Beef Recipe
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 onion (diced); 1 lb ground beef; 2 bell peppers (diced); 3 tablespoons taco seasoning; 1 1/2 cups salsa (or pico de gallo); 3 cups baby spinach (5-ounce bag) (chopped); 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Mexican blend or Cheddar); 4 ounce can sliced black olives (optional); For serving: shredded lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, tortilla chips

Recipe

This skillet spinach and ground beef recipe combines seasoned beef, plenty of spinach, salsa, olives, and melted cheese for an easy 15-minute dinner made in one pan.

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.

overhead view of a ground beef and spinach skillet meal with cheese on top and a side of guac

Spinach & Beef Skillet

Laura fuentes holding a skillet of food standing in front of a blue door

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.

a plate with a ground beef and spinach skillet meal topped with guacamole and pico de gallo and served with chips

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

overhead view of a ground beef and spinach skillet meal with cheese melted on top

Servings: 6

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

This skillet spinach and ground beef recipe combines seasoned beef, plenty of spinach, salsa, olives, and melted cheese for an easy 15-minute dinner made in one pan.

4.98 from 35 votes

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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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