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Chili Rice Bake is everything you love about a big bowl of chili, baked together with rice and buried under a layer of melted cheddar. There’s ground beef, 2 kinds of beans, corn, and smoky spices, with tender rice in every scoop. And the rice goes in uncooked, so there’s no extra pot to babysit!
Easy Ground Beef Chili Rice Bake
I love chili. I love rice with my chili. I do not love washing the chili pot, the rice pot, and the spoon I lost behind the stove.
So this Chili Rice Bake puts it all in one baking dish. The rice goes in raw and cooks right in the chili while it bakes. It comes out tender, saucy, and full of flavor.
You brown the beef and spices in a skillet first. Everything else goes straight into the dish. Then it goes in the oven and you get to sit down.
I’ve made plenty of rice casseroles over the years. When the rice comes out crunchy, it’s almost always because of a loose foil cover. So we’re going to talk about foil. Briefly. I promise.
How to Cook Uncooked Rice in a Casserole
Baking raw rice in a casserole works beautifully. You just need to get these 4 things right.
- Keep the rice under the liquid. Press everything down with the back of a spoon before it goes in the oven. Rice sitting on top, out of the broth, stays hard.
- Seal the foil tight. Crimp it firmly around every edge of the dish. That keeps the steam inside, and the steam is what cooks the rice. A loose cover is the number 1 reason rice bakes come out crunchy.
- Use long grain white rice. The amount of liquid and the bake time here are set for it. Brown rice needs more of both, and instant rice turns to mush.
- Check the rice before the cheese goes on. When the foil comes off at 35 minutes, stir gently and taste a few grains. They should be tender. Then you pile on the cheddar.
Ingredients for Chili Rice Bake
- Olive oil (1 tablespoon): Just enough to get the beef going without sticking. Any neutral oil works, like vegetable or canola.
- Ground beef (1 pound): Break it up well as it browns so you get little crumbles in every bite. Lean ground turkey works too if that’s what’s in your freezer.
- Onion and garlic (1 small onion, diced, and 3 cloves garlic, minced): The flavor base for any good chili. A yellow or white onion is fine. Out of fresh garlic? Use 1½ teaspoons of jarred minced garlic.
- Chili powder (1 tablespoon): This is a blend of spices, not straight hot peppers, so it tastes warm and earthy, not fiery. In a pinch, taco seasoning works. It’s already salted, so skip the ½ teaspoon salt if you use it.
- Cumin and smoked paprika (1 teaspoon each): Cumin is that classic chili smell, and smoked paprika adds a little smokiness. Regular paprika is fine, you’ll just lose the smoky flavor.
- Salt and black pepper (½ teaspoon each): Start here. Taste at the end, since the salsa and cheese add salt too.
- Long grain white rice (1½ cups, uncooked): Uncooked is not a typo. It cooks right in the oven. Please don’t swap in brown or instant rice. Brown needs more liquid and time, and instant turns to mush.
- Diced tomatoes (1 can, 15 ounces): Juices and all. That liquid helps cook the rice, so don’t drain it. Fire roasted diced tomatoes are great here. A can of diced tomatoes with green chiles works too if you like a little heat.
- Kidney beans and black beans (1 can each, 15 ounces): Drain and rinse both to wash off the thick, salty liquid from the can. Pinto beans can stand in for either one. Use any 2 cans you like.
- Corn kernels (1 cup): Sweet little pops in every bite. Frozen or canned both work. Just drain canned corn first.
- Beef broth (2½ cups, low sodium): Low sodium, because the salsa and cheese are already salty. Chicken or vegetable broth works too. Just keep it low sodium.
- Salsa (½ cup): Store bought or homemade salsa. Pick mild for the kids or hot if you want a kick. Chunky or smooth, it all bakes in.
- Cheddar cheese (3 cups, shredded, divided): 1 cup goes inside so every scoop is creamy, and 2 cups go on top. Shred it yourself for the smoothest melt. Monterey Jack, Colby Jack, or a Mexican blend all work. Pepper jack if you like it spicy.
- Green onions and fresh cilantro (2 green onions, sliced, and ¼ cup cilantro, chopped): Fresh and bright on top of all that cheese. Chives work instead of green onions. Not a cilantro person? I get it, some people feel strongly about cilantro. Use parsley or skip it. I’ll never know.
How to Make Chili Rice Bake
Get the oven ready: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
Brown the beef: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the ground beef and break it up with a spoon as it cooks, until it’s browned all over. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Then stir in the garlic for 1 minute more.
Toast the spices: Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for 1 minute, until your kitchen smells like chili night. Warming the spices in the hot pan brings out a lot more flavor than stirring them in cold.
Mix it all in the dish: Scrape the beef mixture into the greased baking dish. Add the uncooked rice, diced tomatoes with their juices, kidney beans, black beans, corn, beef broth, and salsa. Stir until everything’s evenly mixed.
Add some cheese and press it down: Stir in 1 cup of the cheddar. Spread everything into an even layer. Then press down gently with the back of a spoon so the rice sits under the liquid.
Cover tight and bake: Cover the dish tightly with foil, crimping it around every edge. Bake for 35 minutes.
Stir and check the rice: Peel back the foil carefully, because the steam is hot. Give everything a gentle stir and taste a few grains of rice. They should be tender.
Top with cheese: Scatter the remaining 2 cups of cheddar over the top. Put it back in the oven uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
Rest and garnish: Let it rest for 5 minutes. I know. It smells amazing and you’re starving. But resting gives the sauce time to thicken, so it scoops instead of runs. Top with green onions and cilantro and dig in.
Toppings for Chili Rice Bake
Treat it like a bowl of chili and go wild:
- Sour cream
- Sliced avocado or guacamole
- Fresh or pickled jalapeños
- Crushed tortilla chips for crunch
- A squeeze of lime
- Hot sauce
How to Store and Reheat Chili Rice Bake
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
The rice keeps soaking up sauce as it sits, so leftovers get thicker. Reheat single servings in the microwave with a splash of broth or water. For a bigger batch, cover it with foil and warm it in a 350°F (175°C) oven until it’s hot all the way through.
What to Serve With Chili Rice Bake
Cornbread is the obvious answer, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
A crisp green salad like this arugula salad keeps things fresh next to all that cheese.
Chips and salsa on the side never hurt anybody.
More Chili and Casserole Recipes
- Tex-Mex Beef Enchilada Casserole
- Chicken Fajita Rice Casserole
- Stuffed Peppers
- The Best Chili Recipe
- White Chicken Chili
If you scrolled straight down here, hi. Welcome. The foil tip is in the notes, and yes, I’ll know if you skip it.
Chili Rice Bake
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 small onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ cups long grain white rice uncooked
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes 1 can
- 15 ounces kidney beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 15 ounces black beans 1 can, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup corn kernels
- 2½ cups beef broth low sodium
- ½ cup salsa
- 3 cups cheddar cheese shredded, divided
- 2 green onions sliced
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and grease a 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
- Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the 1 pound ground beef and cook, breaking it up, until browned. Add the diced onion and cook for 3 minutes, then stir in the 3 cloves minced garlic for 1 minute more.
- Stir in the 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper, and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
- In the greased baking dish, combine the beef mixture, 1½ cups uncooked rice, the can of diced tomatoes, kidney beans, black beans, 1 cup corn, 2½ cups beef broth, and ½ cup salsa. Stir until evenly mixed.
- Stir in 1 cup of the cheddar, then spread the mixture into an even layer and press down gently so the rice is submerged in the liquid. This is what lets it cook evenly.
- Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil, crimping it around the edges. A tight seal traps the steam that cooks the rice, and a loose cover is the main reason these bakes come out crunchy. Bake for 35 minutes.
- Remove the foil and give everything a gentle stir, checking that the rice is tender. Scatter the remaining 2 cups cheddar over the top and return to the oven uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Let the bake rest for 5 minutes, then top with the sliced green onions and ¼ cup cilantro before serving.
Tips & Notes:
- Seal the foil tight. Crimp it around every edge. Trapped steam cooks the rice, and a loose cover means crunchy rice.
- Press the rice under the liquid. Rice sitting on top won’t cook through.
- Use long grain white rice. Brown rice needs more liquid and time, and instant rice turns mushy.
- Don’t drain the tomatoes. Their juice counts toward the liquid that cooks the rice.
- Shred your own cheddar. It melts smoother than pre shredded cheese.
- Let it rest. 5 minutes gives the sauce time to thicken.
- Storage. Airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat with a splash of broth or water.
nutrition facts
Frequently Asked Questions
My rice is still a little crunchy. What do I do?
I’d add a splash of broth, cover the dish tightly with foil again, and bake it a little longer, checking every 5 minutes. Next time, crimp that foil like you mean it.
Can I assemble it ahead of time?
I’d bake it fresh. Raw rice sitting in broth overnight starts to soften, and then the bake time is anybody’s guess.
Is it spicy?
Not really. Chili powder is warm, not hot, so this is family friendly. If you want heat, use a hot salsa.
