Cheesy Black Bean and Ground Beef Skillet
A 30-minute one-pan dinner of seasoned ground beef and black beans under a melted cheese blanket — budget-friendly taco-night comfort.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Total Time: 30 mins
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Halal
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (450g) halal ground beef (85/15 is the sweet spot — see Substitutions)
- 1 small onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 cans (15 oz each) black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes, with juices
- 1/2 cup low-sodium beef or chicken broth (halal-certified)
- 1 cup frozen corn (optional but the kids vote yes)
- 2 cups shredded cheddar or Mexican-blend cheese
- Fresh cilantro or sliced green onions, to finish
- Optional toppings: sour cream, diced avocado, crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- 1. Heat a large skillet with a lid over medium-high. Brown the ground beef 5–6 minutes, breaking it up, until deeply browned. Spoon off excess fat, keeping about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
- 2. Add the onion and cook 3 minutes until softening. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, and salt, and toast 30–45 seconds until fragrant.
- 3. Add the black beans, tomatoes with their juices, broth, and corn. Stir, scraping the bottom, and simmer uncovered 8–10 minutes until the sauce thickens. Mash about 1/2 cup of the beans against the side of the pan and stir back in to bind the sauce.
- 4. Off high heat, scatter the cheese evenly over the top and cover with the lid for 3 minutes until melted and bubbling at the edges.
- 5. Finish with cilantro or green onions and serve straight from the skillet.
Notes
Bloom the spices in the beef fat before adding liquid — this is where most of the flavor comes from. For a spicier version, add a diced jalapeño with the onion or use tomatoes with green chilies. Leftovers keep 4 days refrigerated and freeze well up to 3 months; add a fresh handful of cheese when reheating. Rolled into a tortilla, leftovers make an excellent next-day quesadilla.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of skillet
- Calories: 460 kcal
- Sugar: 5 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 23 g
- Saturated Fat: 11 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 32 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg