The Best, Fastest, Beef and Rice Dinner

Hamburger Rice is the Ultimate Quick Dinner

Hamburger rice is a humble dish, but it is also about as easy and delicious as a quick weeknight meal gets. As its name suggests, at its most basic it consists of ground beef, rice, and little more, which mean it cooks fast; it is one of the few thirty minute meals that actually takes about thirty minutes rather than an hour.

But you can also dress hamburger rice up a million different ways, from sautéing onion with the beef to seasoning it with chili powder and serving it with sour cream and avocado. Try it with kale or spinach, put some grated cheese on top, or just have ketchup or barbecue sauce on the side. You can’t go wrong.

Why I love Hamburger Rice

When I was in elementary school I would go to my grandma’s house every Friday for lunch. She would always make the same dish – long grain white rice, ground beef, and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. I ate it once or twice a week for years without getting bored of it, which is saying something. Whenever I make it I still think about those afternoons spent sitting at her table.

So I can’t claim to be completely objective when it comes to hamburger rice, since it has such fond associations. But that’s kind of the point. Hamburger rice is one of the few dishes that’s easy enough to make whenever you’re short on time and good enough to make over and over again. It should be a part of every family’s collective culinary memory!

Tips and Details

Hopefully I’ve convinced you to give hamburger rice a try. I already mentioned how versatile it is, but I also hope to impress upon you the fact that this is not a recipe that needs to be followed closely. Add more or less rice! Season as you wish! Make a double batch and have leftovers! So long as you retain a base of hamburger and rice you cannot go wrong.

Hamburger Rice Skillet Recipe

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Category

Main Course

Cuisine

American

Servings

4

Prep Time

5 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Hamburger and rice cooked in a skillet is a perfect 30 minute meal.

Author:

Garth Brown

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Quality Ground Beef

• 1 cup White Rice

• 1Tbsp Butter

• 2 tsp. Soy Sauce (optional)

Directions

1. Combine rice with 2 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover with a tight-fitting lid, reduce heat to lowest setting, and cook for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, an additional 5 minutes.

   Alternatively, cook rice in a rice cooker.

2. While rice is cooking, saute beef in a medium skillet until browned. Pour off some fat if desired, but leave at least a bit in the skillet.

3. Add butter to cooked rice and gently mix, then add desired amount of rice to the skillet with the beef. I usually use half the total cooked rice, saving the rest for another use, but you can use as much or as little as you like.

4. Season with soy sauce if using. Otherwise salt and pepper to taste, or follow my grandma's lead and add a splash of Worcestershire.

Recipe Note

• Feel free to add caramelized onions of peppers.
• Add a few handfuls of kale if you want to feel more virtuous.
• Spicy chili crunch, like Mr. Bing or Fly By Jing makes an excellent topping.
• A fried egg takes the whole thing to the next level.