Easy Ground Beef Rice Casserole

Ground Beef Rice Casserole is hearty, flavorful, and the ultimate weeknight comfort food! With simple ingredients like lean ground beef, tender rice, juicy tomatoes, and melted cheddar cheese, this one-dish wonder brings everyone to the table with smiles.

Love More Dinner Ideas? Try My Hamburger Potato Casserole or this Crockpot Cheesesteak Potato Casserole next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

 It’s hearty, crazy flavorful, and honestly one of those dishes where you throw everything together and somehow magic happens in the oven. We’re talking lean ground beef, fluffy rice, juicy tomatoes, and that gorgeous layer of melted cheddar on top that gets all bubbly and golden.

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Ingredient List

For the Casserole:

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium tomato, chopped
• 4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups cooked rice
• ½ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Why These Ingredients Work

So the lean ground beef thing is pretty straightforward, right? You want the meat but you don’t want your casserole floating in orange grease because that’s disgusting. I get the 90/10 when it’s not like eight dollars a pound. If it’s expensive I’ll get 85/15 and just drain it better.

Now the Worcestershire sauce. Four tablespoons sounds nuts I know. When Susan first told me I was like “are you sure that’s not a typo?” But it’s not. That’s what makes this taste like actual food instead of just… I don’t know, school cafeteria beef and rice. My sister-in-law kept bugging me for years about what I put in mine because hers always came out boring. I finally told her at Christmas 2023 after she brought me that nice candle I wanted. Felt like a fair trade.

The tomatoes do basically all the work for keeping this from drying out. The fresh one I chop up adds these little juicy bits that even my pickiest kid will eat. The canned ones—and listen to me on this part—you keep SOME of the juice but not all of it. Half goes down the drain, half stays in. Too much juice and you’ve got beef soup which is weird. Not enough and it comes out like the Sahara Desert in casserole form. Balance.

Bell pepper’s mostly there so I can tell myself this is a balanced meal and not just carbs and protein. My middle kid picks it out anyway but whatever, I tried. The dried oregano and basil from my spice cabinet work perfect—I’m not growing fresh herbs like I’m running some kind of farm-to-table restaurant over here. The jar stuff that’s probably been there since we moved in works just fine.

And that cheese on top. Man. That golden melty crispy cheese layer is genuinely the best part of this entire recipe. I always add extra when nobody’s watching because my husband thinks I use too much cheese. He’s objectively wrong but we’ve been married long enough that I just do what I want when he’s not looking.

Essential Tools and Equipment

You don’t need anything weird for this, which is good because my kitchen’s pretty basic.

• Large skillet or frying pan
• 9×13-inch casserole dish (or similar 3-quart baking dish)
• Wooden spoon or spatula
• Sharp knife and cutting board
• Can opener
• Measuring cups and spoons

How To Make Ground Beef Rice Casserole

Step 1: Preheat Your Oven

Turn it to 350. Do this first before you forget. I still forget sometimes even after making this a thousand times and then I’m standing there with everything ready going “oh for crying out loud” while I wait for the oven.

Step 2: Brown the Beef and Sauté Vegetables

Throw your ground beef in a big skillet on medium-high heat. Break it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. I really attack it because I can’t stand big chunks of ground meat in my food—reminds me of bad cafeteria spaghetti from seventh grade and I’m not trying to relive that trauma. Takes maybe 5-7 minutes depending on your stove and how often you remember to stir it instead of getting distracted by your phone.

And seriously don’t walk away to check TikTok or whatever because you WILL burn it. I’ve done this so many times my husband doesn’t even comment anymore, he just opens windows without saying anything. Which is honestly more embarrassing than if he said something.

Once it’s all brown with no pink anywhere, throw in your diced bell pepper, the chopped tomato, and that Worcestershire sauce. Keep stirring everything around for maybe 5 minutes until the pepper starts getting softer. Not mushy soft, just like… less aggressively crunchy.

Step 3: Add the Tomatoes

Here’s Susan’s trick that changed everything. Open your can of tomatoes over the sink and pour out about half the juice. You don’t need to measure it or be all precise, just eyeball it. Then dump in what’s left—the tomatoes plus the juice that’s still in there.

First time I made this I dumped the whole can in with all the liquid because I thought that’s what “undrained” meant and it turned into this weird soupy mess that slid all over people’s plates. Not cute. Now I know better—half the juice goes bye-bye before it goes in the pan.

Step 4: Season and Simmer

Add the minced onion, garlic, oregano, and basil. I use the jarred minced garlic from Costco because I’m not mincing fresh garlic on a Tuesday night, are you kidding me? Then salt and pepper—I go pretty heavy on the pepper because I like things spicy but you do whatever feels right to you.

Let this whole thing simmer for 10 minutes. Actually set a timer because otherwise you’ll think it’s been 10 minutes and it’s been like 3. During this time I usually fold some laundry or help with homework or just stand there drinking wine and scrolling my phone. Whatever works for your life.

The simmering part matters though because that’s when the liquid reduces down and all the flavors start getting friendly with each other instead of just sitting there separately being weird.

Step 5: Combine with Rice

Dump in your cooked rice and stir everything together really well. And I mean really well, not just a quick stir and you’re done. Get in there with that spoon and mix until every grain of rice has some of the meat mixture on it. Half-assing this step means you’ll bite into sad dry rice later and wonder what went wrong. This is what went wrong—you didn’t mix it enough.

Step 6: Transfer and Top with Cheese

Scrape everything into your casserole dish and smooth it out kind of evenly. Then sprinkle that Cheddar all over the top. I always do extra around the edges because that’s where it gets the crispiest and brownest and I will literally fight my kids for the corner pieces. They’re teenagers now and they’ll fight back but those corners are mine.

Step 7: Bake

Put it in the oven for 45 minutes. You’ll know it’s done when the cheese is all melted and golden and the edges are bubbling up. Sometimes I turn the broiler on for like 2 minutes at the very end to get the cheese extra crispy on top but you have to stand there and watch it because it’ll burn in like 30 seconds if you walk away. Which I’ve definitely done while answering a text message and then the smoke alarm went off and everyone was mad at me. Don’t be like me.

Step 8: Rest and Serve

Let it sit for 5 minutes before you serve it. Everyone’s gonna be hovering around the kitchen looking hungry and impatient because it smells so good but if you don’t let it rest it’ll be all sloppy and fall apart when you try to scoop it out. Just tell them to wait and maybe throw some bread on the table so they’ll stop complaining.

You Must Know

YOUR RICE HAS TO BE COOKED ALREADY. I’m yelling this in all caps because I cannot tell you how many people have messaged me about this. They try to use raw rice thinking it’ll cook in the oven and then they’re shocked when it’s crunchy and terrible. The rice will NOT cook in the oven with this method. It absolutely will not. You need cooked rice before you even start.

Cook fresh rice, use leftover rice from yesterday, order Chinese food tonight and save the rice from that for tomorrow—I genuinely don’t care how you get it but it needs to be COOKED before you add it to this casserole. This is the hill I will die on.

Also you have to drain some of that tomato juice. Half of it goes down the drain before you add the tomatoes. If you don’t do this you’re making casserole soup and that’s not what we’re going for here. Nobody wants to eat beef soup from a casserole dish, that’s weird.

Personal Secret: You want to know the real reason mine tastes better than other people’s? I let my beef get really brown. Like darker than you think is probably okay. Those crusty dark brown bits that stick to the bottom of the pan? That’s where literally all the flavor lives. When I add the vegetables I scrape up every single one of those bits and mix them in.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Mix that rice in thoroughly. I’m talking really get in there and stir, not just a quick couple stirs and call it good enough. You want every single bit of rice coated in the meat mixture or you’ll have this weird patchy situation with dry spots and wet spots and it’ll be disappointing to eat.

If you bought regular ground beef instead of lean because it was on sale or that’s what you grabbed without thinking, drain off most of the grease after you brown it. Just tip your pan over the sink carefully and spoon the grease into an empty can or something. Don’t pour it down your drain unless you like calling plumbers and spending money fixing your pipes. Ask me how I know this. Actually don’t ask me.

Don’t fill your casserole dish all the way up to the rim. I fill mine maybe three-quarters of the way at most. When it bakes it bubbles up and expands a little bit and if you overfilled it you’ll have a mess all over the bottom of your oven. And then you have to clean it. And then you’ll be in a bad mood. Just leave yourself some space at the top and save yourself the hassle.

Here’s something random I figured out by accident—if you put your dried herbs in the hot pan for like 30 seconds before you add any wet stuff, they smell incredible. Something about the heat wakes up all those essential oils that have been sitting there dormant in your spice cabinet since God knows when. You don’t have to do this but it’s kind of cool if you remember.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

This recipe’s flexible which is nice when you’ve made it a million times and you’re bored:

Spicy Version: Use Pepper Jack cheese instead of Cheddar and get the diced tomatoes with green chilies. Sometimes I throw in extra cayenne pepper if I’m in a mood. My husband hates spicy food so I only make this version when he’s working late or out of town. He came home early once when I was making the spicy version and ate it anyway and complained the entire time but he still finished his plate so clearly it wasn’t that bad.

Veggie-Loaded: Add frozen corn or peas or diced carrots when you add the bell pepper. I do this sometimes when I’m feeling guilty about not serving enough vegetables. My kids still pick most of them out but at least I tried, right? That’s what matters for my mental health.

Italian Style: Mix some Italian sausage in with the ground beef, or sometimes I just use all Italian sausage instead. Then swap the Cheddar for Mozzarella and Parmesan. My husband asks for this version constantly and then acts all surprised every time when I tell him it’s basically the exact same recipe just with different meat and cheese. Men are ridiculous.

Mexican-Inspired: Use cumin and chili powder instead of the Italian herbs, Monterey Jack cheese, and throw some jalapeños on top before you bake it. Serve it with sour cream and cilantro. My daughter’s obsessed with this version—she makes me do it at least twice a month and takes the leftovers to school for lunch.

Lighter Option: Ground turkey or chicken if you’re trying to eat healthier or whatever. Just watch it carefully because poultry dries out way faster than beef and there’s nothing sadder than dry casserole. Well there are sadder things but you know what I mean.

Brown Rice Version: Use brown rice instead of white. Takes longer to cook the rice beforehand so plan for that but it’s chewier and more filling and supposedly better for you. I do this sometimes when I’m pretending to care about fiber intake.

Make-Ahead Options

This is perfect for meal prep and I’m trying to be better about that whole thing. You can assemble everything the day before—just don’t put the cheese on yet. Cover it with foil, stick it in the fridge, and then next day add the cheese on top and bake it. Give it maybe 10 extra minutes in the oven since it’s starting from cold.

You can freeze it too which I do probably more than I should. I use those disposable aluminum pans from the grocery store, put the whole thing together, wrap it up really well with plastic wrap first and then foil on top of that, and chuck it in the freezer. It’ll last like 3 months in there. Maybe longer, I’ve definitely pushed it past 3 months and it was still fine.

Sometimes when I’m already making one I’ll just make two at the same time—one for dinner tonight and one for the freezer. It’s basically the same amount of work and then when I’m having a terrible week and can’t deal with cooking I’m like “oh hey past me was actually smart for once” and I just thaw it out and bake it. Future me is always grateful when I remember to do this.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

I usually use jasmine rice because that’s what I buy in the giant bag from Costco. Regular long-grain white rice works exactly the same. Brown rice takes longer to cook initially but works great if that’s what you’re into. Just make sure whatever rice you use is completely cooked and fluffy before you add it or we’re back to the crunchy rice disaster situation I keep warning you about.

If your meat mixture looks too dry when you’re stirring it all together, add a splash of beef broth or just water. If it looks too wet and soupy, let it simmer longer before you add the rice so more liquid can cook off.

Day-old rice from the fridge actually works better sometimes than fresh rice because it’s drier and doesn’t get mushy. Just break up any clumps with your hands before you mix it in so it distributes evenly instead of in weird chunks.

Don’t stress too much about getting exact measurements. I haven’t measured anything in this recipe in like five years. Little more beef, little less rice, whatever you’ve got in the fridge—it’s all gonna work out fine. Casseroles are pretty forgiving unless you really try to mess them up.

Serving Suggestions

This is a complete meal by itself but I usually make a salad to go with it so I don’t feel like a total slob. Whatever lettuce is in the crisper drawer that hasn’t gone bad yet, some dressing from the fridge door, maybe some croutons if we have them. Nothing fancy.

Garlic bread is always good with this. My kids go absolutely feral for garlic bread so I have to buy two loaves or there won’t be enough. I used to buy one loaf and then everyone would fight over the last pieces and I got tired of playing referee so now I just buy two and hide one until the first one’s gone.

Sometimes I’ll roast whatever vegetables are about to go bad in the crisper—broccoli, green beans, brussels sprouts, whatever needs to get used before it turns into mush. Just throw them on a sheet pan with some olive oil and salt and stick them in the oven at 400 for like 20 minutes. Done. Vegetables.

How to Store Your Ground Beef Rice Casserole

Room Temperature: Get this in the fridge within 2 hours or so. It’s got meat in it so you can’t just leave it sitting out on the counter while you binge-watch whatever show you’re into right now. Food safety and all that.

Refrigerator: Cover it with foil or put leftovers in containers. Keeps for 3-4 days in there. My kids eat it cold straight from the fridge for breakfast sometimes which I think is absolutely disgusting but they’re teenagers and everything they do is weird so whatever. Pick your battles.

Freezer: This freezes great which is one of my favorite things about it. You can portion it out into individual containers or freeze the whole thing. Wrap it up really well so it doesn’t get freezer burn and it’ll last 3 months easy. I’ve gone longer than that—like found one in the back of my freezer from 5 months ago and it was still totally fine.

Reheating: Microwave single portions for 2-3 minutes until it’s hot all the way through. For bigger portions, cover it with foil and put it in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. You can also reheat it on the stovetop in a pan with a little splash of water so it doesn’t dry out, which works pretty well actually.

Allergy Information

Contains: Dairy from the cheese, and probably gluten depending on what brand of Worcestershire sauce you bought

Gluten-Free: Most Worcestershire sauce has gluten in it from malt vinegar or whatever. Check the label. Lea & Perrins makes a gluten-free version that’s pretty easy to find. Everything else in this recipe is naturally gluten-free so that’s the only thing you need to worry about.

Dairy-Free: Just don’t put the cheese on top. Or use one of those dairy-free shredded cheese things, some of them are actually pretty decent now. It’s still good without cheese honestly, just not AS good because that crispy cheese layer is kind of the best part.

Vegetarian: Use plant-based ground meat instead of beef, or cooked lentils work too. My friend Kelly’s vegetarian and she makes this with lentils sometimes and says it’s solid. I tried it once and it was fine, different texture but same general idea.

Low-Sodium: Get the low-sodium canned tomatoes and go easy on the added salt. You can find reduced-sodium Worcestershire sauce too if you look hard enough, usually on the bottom shelf where they hide all the specialty stuff.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

What if I don’t have Worcestershire sauce?

Mix some soy sauce with a tiny splash of vinegar. Won’t taste exactly the same but it’s close enough that most people probably won’t notice. Or use steak sauce if you have that. Or honestly just skip it and add extra salt. It won’t be quite as good but it’ll still be edible. The recipe police aren’t gonna show up at your house and arrest you for making substitutions.

My casserole turned out really watery and soupy. What did I do wrong?

You didn’t drain enough juice from the canned tomatoes. Next time pour out about half the liquid before you add them. Also make sure you’re letting the mixture simmer for the full 10 minutes to cook off some of that extra liquid before you add the rice. If it’s already watery and you already baked it, just let it sit for like 10-15 minutes after it comes out of the oven. It’ll thicken up some as it cools down. Won’t be perfect but it’ll be better than it was.

💬 Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and rating below! Seriously tell me how it went.