Texas Hash

Texas Hash is an easy tex mex ground beef and rice dish! This versatile one pot meal can be served on its own, loaded up with toppings, or used as a filling for tacos.

If you love Tex Mex, don’t miss out on our Mexican Cornbread Casserole, Beef Enchilada Soup, and Ground Beef Queso Dip!

A Mennonite cookbook might be the last place you'd expect to find a recipe for Texas Hash, and yet that was exactly where we got the inspiration for this dish!

While this hash might have origins in Texas, it's popularity has clearly spread throughout the U.S., and it's easy to see why!

Like our Taco Spaghetti, this hamburger and rice skillet is made with pantry staples and perfect for busy weeknights. With bell peppers, onions, mild spices, and plenty of cheese, this dish is a comfort food favorite that's easy to love.

Why You’ll Love Texas Hash

• Made in one skillet with minimal prep, this is an ideal recipe to make when you don’t want to deal with a lot of dishes.
• This versatile hash recipe can be served on its own, loaded with toppings, or even used as a filling for tacos.
• Texas hash is gluten free, and if you omit the cheese, it’s also dairy free, making it a great dish to serve to people with various dietary restrictions.

Key Ingredients & Substitutions

• Ground beef- We usually use 80/20 ground beef for this recipe, but you can use leaner ground beef if you prefer.
• Onion- Yellow or red onion will work for this pepper.
• Green pepper- This adds flavor, fiber, and extra nutrition to the dish.
• Seasonings- We use a simple blend of salt, pepper, chili powder, onion powder, and garlic to season Texas Hash. If you want a spicier version with more heat, see our suggestions below.
• Diced tomatoes with green chilies- We tested this with diced tomatoes and diced tomatoes with green chilies and preferred the subtle heat and added flavor of the green chilies. However, feel free to substitute with plain diced tomatoes if you prefer.
• Beef broth- You can use water, tomato juice, or beef broth to simmer the rice, but we preferred the extra depth and savoriness of the beef broth. We usually use low sodium beef broth.
• Rice- Uncooked long grain rice is simmered right along with the other ingredients. We do not recommend subbing a different kind of rice, as the liquid ratios and cooking time might be different.
• Cheese- Cheddar or jack cheeses are the ideal finish for this Tex-Mex recipe!

How to Make Texas Hash

Note: We like to use a large cast iron skillet for this recipe. Our favorite is this chicken fryer, but any 12 inch oven safe skillet will do. If you don't have an oven safe skillet, see our stove top instructions, or transfer the rice mixture to a casserole dish before baking.

Step 1: Prep. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Step 2: Saute beef and veggies. In a large oven safe skillet (we love our cast iron chicken fryer for this!), heat the oil over medium heat. Add the beef, spreading it out over the pan, and cook, undisturbed, 2-3 minutes, or until beef is browned on the bottom. Flip the beef over, then add the onions and peppers to the skillet. Cook another 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fully browned and onions and peppers are softened.

Step 3: Season. Add the garlic to the skillet and saute until fragrant. Season the beef to taste with salt and pepper. (We use about 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper). If needed, drain off any excess grease, so only a few teaspoons remain.

Step 4: Add liquids and rice. Stir in the chili powder, rice, diced tomatoes and beef broth until well combined.

Step 5: Bake. Bake the mixture, covered, for 40-45 minutes or until rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle with cheese. Return to the oven, uncovered, for about 8 minutes, or until cheese is melty. Serve with fresh cilantro and toppings of your choice.

Alternate stove top instructions: If you prefer to cook this entirely on the stove top, cover the dish, lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for about 20 minutes.

Storage Instructions

Keep leftover hash in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 weeks.

Reheat leftover hash in the microwave or crisp it in a hot skillet with a little oil until warmed through.

How to Spice up Texas Hash

As written, this Texas Hash recipe is pretty mild and very kid friendly. If you’d like to spice it up, you have several options.

Spice up the dish itself by adding ¼-½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, sauteing diced jalapeno with the peppers and onions, and/or adding a few teaspoons of hot sauce.

We prefer to add heat to the dish afterwards, so it’s still mild for the kids or other folks who don’t like spicy foods. Adding fresh or pickled jalapenos is a great way to do this, as is adding a little hot sauce to individual servings.

Toppings + Variations

Texas hash is the perfect base for all kinds of fun toppings. Anything you would put on ground beef tacos, you can put on hash!

Try these:

• diced red onions
• chopped iceberg lettuce
• sour cream
• avocado
• fresh or pickled jalapeno slices
• salsa
• cilantro

Want to add more bulk to the hash itself? Feel free to add a can of rinsed black beans or a cup of frozen corn to the mixture before baking!

You can also serve the hash as a filling for hard or soft shell tacos.

What to serve with Texas Hash

We love a side of tortilla chips for scooping up any leftover hash.

This is also wonderful with Black Bean and Corn Salsa or guacamole.

Other great side dishes for Texas Hash include Gluten Free Cornbread, Mexican Street Corn, and Mexican Style Zucchini.

📖 Recipe