This Whole30-friendly Tex-Mex Beef and Rice Casserole uses cauliflower rice, ground beef, and salsa to make a delicious one-pan grain-free meal your whole family will love!
Table of Contents
- An easy paleo casserole for any time of the day!
- Can you use another protein instead?
- Can you adjust the spice level?
- Can you bake this in a casserole dish?
- Ingredients
- How to make Tex-Mex Beef and Rice Casserole
- What can you serve this with?
- How can you save the leftovers?
- More paleo casserole recipes
- Tex-Mex Beef and Rice Casserole (Whole30, Paleo, Low Carb) Recipe
An easy paleo casserole for any time of the day!
This simple and delicious Mexican-inspired recipe is straight from the pages of our second cookbook, Ready or Not, and many Nomsters have declared it one of their favorites from the book. In the spirit of sharing some indispensable recipes from our sunny yellow cookbook (e.g. All-Purpose Stir Fry Sauce and Potsticker Stir-Fry), I’m posting my Tex-Mex Beef and Rice Casserole on the blog because you need it in your kitchen arsenal. It’s family-friendly, gluten-free, packed with easily modifiable ingredients, perfect for meal prep, and you end up dirtying just one skillet!
Can you use another protein instead?
Yes! This paleo version of a taco casserole can be made with your favorite ground meat—beef, chicken, turkey, pork, bison, you name it. But as I’ve said before, don’t use super lean ground meat in this recipe—it won’t taste as good.
Can you adjust the spice level?
The spice level is totally modifiable! If spicy foods don’t agree with you, just leave off the jalapeño slices and use a mild tomato salsa instead. For those of you who LOVE hot and spicy food, you can crank up the heat by using serrano peppers (or your favorite mouth-scorching variety), adding crushed red pepper flakes, and/or mixing in a super spicy salsa.
Can you bake this in a casserole dish?
Of course! If you don’t have an oven-proof 12-inch skillet, you can transfer everything to a greased casserole dish that holds at least 2 quarts. You may need to adjust the cooking time depending on the depth of the container.
Ingredients
- Ground beef: I like using lean ground beef, but feel free to use your favorite ground meat.
- Eggs
- Onion
- Cherry tomatoes
- Red bell pepper
- Jalapeno or serrano pepper (optional)
- Riced cauliflower: This simple substitute keeps this casserole low carb and adds extra nutrients.
- Garlic
- Roasted tomato salsa: Just use your favorite store-bought brand!
- Dried oregano
- Chili powder
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh cilantro, lightly packed (optional)
How to make Tex-Mex Beef and Rice Casserole
Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Heat a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef when the pan is hot.
Break up the meat with a spatula and cook, stirring occassionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until it’s no longer pink.
Mix in the onion and bell pepper and stir-fry for 5 minutes or until softened.
Stir in the riced cauliflower and minced garlic.
Next, mix in the salsa, oregano, and chili powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Remove the skillet from the heat, and pour in the whisked eggs. Gently stir to incorporate, and smooth the top of the casserole with a spatula.
Top with the sliced tomatoes (cut-side up) and hot pepper, if using.
Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the eggs are set and browned on the edges.
Rest the casserole for 5 minutes, and top with cilantro if desired.
Slice and serve or save the slices for packed lunches!
What can you serve this with?
This one-skillet dinner already includes a healthy portion of protein and veggies, so you really don’t need to bother making a side dish. But if you want to add more veggies, you can serve this casserole with a big green salad—or add more fat by spooning on a dollop of guacamole.
How can you save the leftovers?
Transfer the slices to a sealed airtight container and store in the fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. I love eating leftover slices of this casserole for breakfast or lunch—they taste great cold or heated up in the microwave or toaster oven.
More paleo casserole recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Tex-Mex Beef and Rice Casserole (Whole30, Paleo, Low Carb)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 1 pound riced cauliflower
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1½ cups roasted tomato salsa
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon chili powder salt-free
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 4 large eggs whisked
- 6 cherry tomatoes cut in half
- 1 jalapeno pepper or serrano pepper, thinly sliced crosswise
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves lightly packed (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F with the rack in the middle. Heat a large, oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef when the pan is hot.
- Break up the meat with a spatula and cook, stirring occassionally, for 5 to 7 minutes or until it’s no longer pink.
- Mix in the onion and bell pepper. Cook for 5 minutes until softened.
- Stir in the riced cauliflower and the minced garlic.
- Next, mix in the salsa, oregano and chili powder. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Remove the skillet from the heat, and pour in the whisked eggs. Gently stir to incorporate, and smooth the top of the casserole with a spatula. Top with the sliced tomatoes (cut-side up) and hot pepper, if using.
- Put the skillet in the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the eggs are set and browned on the edges.
- Rest the casserole for 5 minutes, and top with cilantro if desired.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Just wanted to tell you that I make this ALL THE TIME. It’s so good topped with sour cream, guac and cholula. I eat keto most of the time and my favorite part of this dish, beside the taste, is the low calorie count!
I also use a green pepper usually and if I dont have the cherry tomatoes or jalapenos I make it anyway 🙂
Can you make this with frozen riced cauliflower? Any adjustments?
You can use frozen! I just dump it in straight from the freezer. It doesn’t really add any extra cooking time.
Can I sub ground turkey for the beef? My son is allergic to beef😣. If I did, would I need to make any adjustments to other ingredients?
P.S.
I’m in love with your meals!
– Katie
I just made this and I think you could absolutely sub in ground turkey.
OMG. Stop what you are doing right now and make this. It’s phenomenal. If you have picky eaters who don’t like cauliflower, I promise you can’t even taste it or tell it’s in there! If you do dairy, I stirred in a generous amount of shredded habanero cheddar cheese just before I added the eggs, and served it with sour cream. I’m having seconds as I type. One of my favorites for sure!
Can you use frozen cauli rice? or regular rice?
thanks!
I thought this was very, very bland. I have some hatch green chili powder and once I added that to my serving and more salt, it was better. I would try this again but start out with more salt (I had done 1.5 teaspoons initially) and adding some additional seasonings.
Just made this for the first time, following directions almost exactly. We feed our dogs from the table so I sliced the onions instead of chopping them so we could pull them out. Personally, I found it a bit dry and would add a full 2 cups of salsa next time. I used both the tomatoes and the sliced pepper and it made it very pretty. We can have dairy, so next time, and they will definitely be a next time, I’ll top with some shredded cheese, just because we love it. I may mix it in too, like one of the other comments suggested. Highly recommend!!
I’m one of those people who like very spicy and flavorful foods. I have made this several times since purchasing the cookbook and it is one of my go-to make-ahead meals. I’m not sure about the people who said it was bland because I found this recipe to be very flavorful! Maybe it is the salsa they are using. I suggest using the salsa in her cookbook or find a salsa that you have used prior to this to ensure the flavors are acceptable. Personally, this is a must for every family – creamy and delicious! Thanks Michelle…love your recipes and your new cookbook!
What kind of utensil are you using to brown the beef?
Delicious for any meal of the day. It’s often a breakfast go to during Whole 30 for me and sometimes I add a few more eggs because… I love eggs, lol. We enjoy it a little spicier and tend to kick up the spice a notch. I’m always impressed with the final product and how it really scratches the comfort food itch. YUM!
This was delicious and easy to make. It also look beautiful with the slice tomatoes and jalapenos on top. It also froze really well for hubs to take for lunches.