One-Skillet Ground Beef and Rice (450 Cal, 40g Protein)

This is the second pillar of the weekly rotation. If chicken thighs are the workhorse, ground beef and rice is the tank. It is the cheapest protein-per-dollar you can get, it cooks in one pan in thirty minutes, and it reheats without any fuss. Four portions, five bucks, done.

Ingredients

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• 1.5 lbs 90/10 ground beef
• 2 cups white rice (long grain, not instant)
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 tbsp avocado oil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• Salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste

1.5 lbs 90/10 ground beef
2 cups white rice
2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp avocado oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
salt
black pepper

That is the entire grocery list. Eight items, most of which you already have.

Method

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Step 1: Heat the skillet. 12-inch cast iron, medium-high heat, avocado oil. The cast iron matters here — it holds heat evenly and gives the beef a proper brown instead of the gray, steamed look you get from a thin nonstick pan.

Step 2: Brown the beef. Add the ground beef and break it up with a wooden spoon. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Cook for 8-10 minutes until the beef is browned and no pink remains. If you are getting a lot of liquid in the pan, your heat was too low — crank it up and let it evaporate. With 90/10, there should not be much fat to drain. If you went with 80/20 (cheaper, fattier), tilt the skillet and spoon off the excess.

Step 3: Add rice and broth. Pour in the rice and stir it through the beef so every grain is coated. Add the beef broth. Stir once. Bring to a boil.

Step 4: Cover and simmer. Drop heat to low. Cover with a lid or foil — foil works fine if your skillet does not have a matching lid. Twenty minutes. Do not lift the lid. Do not stir. The steam is doing the work and every time you peek, you lose heat and extend the cook time.

Step 5: Rest. Kill the heat, leave the lid on, five more minutes. Then fluff with a fork. The rice should be tender and the broth fully absorbed. If there is still liquid, put the lid back on and give it another three minutes.

Variations

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Add frozen broccoli. During the last five minutes of cooking, scatter a cup of frozen broccoli florets on top of the rice, replace the lid. They steam perfectly and add fiber plus some green to the container. Does not change the method or timing in any meaningful way.

Swap to cauliflower rice. If you are cutting carbs, replace the white rice with a 12 oz bag of frozen cauliflower rice. Reduce broth to 1 cup. Cook time drops to 10 minutes after adding the cauliflower rice. This brings the macros down to roughly 320 cal, 38g protein, 8g carbs, 16g fat per serving.

Hot sauce. Cholula, Valentina, or sriracha after portioning. Changes the flavor profile enough that eating this three days in a row does not feel repetitive. A different sauce each day costs you nothing and keeps things interesting.

Taco seasoning. Replace the garlic and onion powder with 2 tbsp of taco seasoning. Serve over the rice with shredded cheese and salsa. Now it is a burrito bowl.

Cost Breakdown

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• 1.5 lbs 90/10 ground beef: ~$7.50
• 2 cups white rice: ~$0.80
• Beef broth (2 cups): ~$1.00
• Oil and seasonings: ~$0.50

Total: ~$9.80 for 4 portions. That is $2.45 per serving.

For 40 grams of protein and 450 calories, that is hard to beat. A comparable meal from a fast casual spot runs $12-15 and usually has worse macros.

Meal Prep Notes

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Storage: Portion into four containers. Glass or plastic both work fine here — unlike chicken with crispy skin, this reheats the same regardless of method.

Reheating: Microwave, 90 seconds, done. Add a splash of water or broth before microwaving if the rice looks dry. It steams back to life.

Shelf life: Five days in the fridge with no quality loss. The beef and rice meld together better after a day, like a good chili.

Freezing: This freezes well if you want to double the batch. Freeze individual portions, thaw overnight in the fridge, microwave the next day. Good for up to three months.