If you’ve had a busy week and haven’t made it to the grocery store, I’ve got a winner of a ground beef dinner recipe which I can almost guarantee you’ve already got all the ingredients on hand to make!
Homemade Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper is ready in 30 minutes, made in 1 skillet, and uses fridge and pantry staples. The recipe calls for just 7 ingredients compared to the boxed version’s 27 (I counted!)
If you’ve been reading IGE for any length of time then you know that one of my favorite things to do is remake processed, packaged foods like Homemade Cheeseburger Helper, Creamy Garlic Shells, and Creamy Chicken Pasta to make them healthier at home. Well, today Homemade Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper is joining the ranks. Heck it may even be the new captain.
All aboard!
Ok, that was cheesier than this dish, which actually doesn’t have that much cheese and is still yummy even if you want to leave it out. Ground beef is seasoned with homemade taco seasoning then simmered with long grain white rice and chicken broth until tender. Freshly shredded cheddar cheese is stirred in at the end then the whole dish is topped with taco-inspired toppings like salsa, avocado, green onions, and crushed tortilla chips.
If your family likes quick, easy and satisfying meals, then they will absolutely gobble this one up!
How to Make this Recipe
Start by browning ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat with chopped shallot or onion. Drain then return to the skillet.
Next sprinkle in taco seasoning (either this single packet recipe, or 1-1/2 Tablespoons of my large batch taco seasoning, or a taco seasoning packet). Add the whole thing but don’t use the water that’s called for in the seasoning recipe or on the packet.
Next add your favorite salsa plus chicken broth then turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil.
Once boiling stir in long-grain white rice then place a lid on top, turn the heat down to low, and cook until the rice is tender and all the liquid is nearly absorbed, about 15 minutes.
Remove the skillet from the heat then stir in shredded sharp cheddar cheese until creamy and melted. Place a lid on top then let the rice continue to steam for 5 minutes.
When time is up, scoop the homemade taco hamburger helper onto plates then add your toppings and dig in. Just think of how much better you’ll feel serving this hearty, totally yummy meal to your friends or family knowing it didn’t come from a preservative-filled box, right? And it was so easy, too – like I said, 30 minutes from start to finish. Enjoy!
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Homemade Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper
Description
Homemade Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper is much healthier than the boxed version. Made in just 1 skillet and ready in 30 minutes!
Ingredients
- 1lb lean ground beef
- 1 large shallot or 1/2 small onion, chopped
- 1 taco seasoning packet OR 1 batch homemade taco seasoning (see notes), do not add water
- 1/2 cup salsa
- 1-3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup long grain white rice, such as basmati or jasmine
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- Toppings: tortilla chips, salsa, sliced avocado, chopped green onions
Directions
- Brown ground beef with shallot in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Drain then return to the skillet. Add taco seasoning, salsa, and chicken broth then bring to a boil. Stir in rice then place a lid on top and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until rice is tender then remove from heat and stir in cheddar cheese until melted. Place lid back on the skillet then let sit for 5 minutes before serving with toppings.
Notes
- For the taco seasoning: Use my single packet recipe, or 1-1/2 Tablespoons of my large batch homemade taco seasoning recipe.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
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I’m new to your blog. Do you give nutritional info (calories, grams carbs/sugar, etc)?
Made this tonight and loved it, especially how easy everything came together in one skillet!
Love this recipe. We went vegan a few years ago and my bf missed the crunchy taco HH. I found your recipe and easily made it vegan with boca crumbles, not-chicken broth, and vegan queso from Nora cooks instead of cheese. My bf likes it more than the original and our 4-year old loves it. So good! Thank you!
I was looking for a homemade version of the crunchy taco hamburger helper (which was our favorite.) This recipe is delicious! The whole family liked it including my pickiest eater. A while back I made a recipe that I thought would be similar but it was lacking flavor. This one has good flavor and I used your homemade taco seasoning too. (I multiplied it by 6 and put the extra in a jar.) Thanks for sharing.
I made this tonight for the first time after you reposted it this week. My picky 5-year-old asked for seconds! It was so easy to pull together and tasted so good. My rice ended up a tad underdone, so next time I’ll add a little more broth to cook it since all the liquid was gone after 20 minutes. Some of the other suggestions for adding in things sounds good so next time I think I’ll add corn and black beans as well. Thank you so much for making easy and healthy meals for this mom who can’t cook very well! Usually I get an upturned nose and so glad that isn’t the case with this. Have a great week!
Added some black beans and orange peppers… Have a GF sensitive daughter… The kids and adults devoured it! Awesome idea. Thanks!
I made a double recipe of this last week, and my family devoured it! We all put our own spin on it – guac, sour cream, lettuce, chips, cheese on top, etc. Making again tonight (another double batch) and, at the request of my 11 year old, serving with tortillas so he can use the “taco rice” (as we all called it) as burrito filler. Thanks for a great, easy, practical recipe!
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I loved the crunchy taco boxed meal however, I always substitute with boiling my chicken first then preparing the hamburger helper around the chicken and adding a can of black beans and some corn. Do you think it would still be possible to make this with chicken and not hamburger?
Sure!
This turned out great – thanks for the recipe! My kids loved it especially. The only thing I’ll do differently next time is check on the rice while it is cooking and add more broth or water as needed (mine got dry – I should have kept an eye on it!).
I love reading your blog – thanks for the hard work you put into it!
Thank you so much for the kind words, Kari! I’m so glad your family loved the dish! :)
This is a great, easy recipe. I was wondering if you had nutritional info? It’s definitely healthier than the boxed version, but I am trying to watch what I eat, and its hard to do it by each ingredient lol. I make it with two cups of brown 10 minute rice. I add an additional 1 1/4 cup chicken broth, 3/4 water and 1/4 cube of chicken bouillon cube, 1/4 extra salsa, and maybe an extra 3 tbsp. taco seasoning since I double the rice. I let it cook around 18 minutes. My family and I love it! Thanks for the recipe!
My family loves this – it is in regular in our weekly meal plans!! Thank you!
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This was easy and yummy! I used brown rice and 2 cups of chicken broth. My picky 3 year old grandson loved it!
[…] Homemade Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper from Iowa Girl Eats […]
I’m making this right now. I made it probably within the first week of you posting and it has been a family favorite. I make it about 1 time a week every week as it is my 6 year old daughter’s favorite and it heats well to go in her thermos for school lunch. I add a can of corn and a can of black beans to bulk it up a little bit. But this recipe is for sure a family favorite!
Oh I’m so glad to hear it, and love the healthy additions, too!
Hi Kristin, it’s been a while since I’ve been on your page, but I came back specifically looking for your taco seasoning recipe (which I’ve made a few times before and LOVE!!) and can’t find it. The link within this recipe no longer works – could you please point me to the taco seasoning recipe? Thanks!
All fixed up for you, Megan! :)
Thanks so much! I’m going to make the crunchy taco helper recipe again this week too – sooo yummy! :)