This one-pan taco skillet was born from one of my favorite days, Sunday Must-Go Meals. Must-Go is a term that my mom actually coined and is full of nostalgia from me. It was born from my summer days as a youngin’ spending weekends at the cabin. On Sundays, we would clean out the fridge, and make a feast. It was called “Must Go” as in, “everything in the fridge must go”, before we left for back home. Today, the term lives on – through this one-pan taco skillet.

I used items and ingredients that I often have in my pantry, fridge, and freezer to create something simple, delicious, and healthy. This is one of my most re-created recipes from my blog and is a crowd-pleaser every single time.

A taco skillet isn’t really anything revolutionary, as it’s simply just a different way of eating nachos – but feels fancier when you’re in the mood to whip up something simple, yet upscale. It’s a great dinner for a family (kids love this too!), or a great option for meal prepping for the week as it makes for great leftovers.

Helpful suggestions for meal prepping your one-pan taco skillet

• Mix the meat, taco seasoning, and corn, beans, and cheese and leave the homemade pico de gallo on the side along.
• Add the crushed chips, lettuce, spicy sour cream, and avocado before serving. The chips and lettuce would get soggy and we all know the avocado would brown within minutes.
• Portion out the meat mixture into Tupperware to have in the fridge for the week and have your later addition’s ready to put on top after heating.

What if I don’t like spicy foods?

Well first of all, grow up. Joking, but not really. A mild, tasteful amount of heat adds a lot of flavor and depth to a dish. BUT, I do understand that some people are more sensitive to heat than others. If you’re one of *those* people, feel free to omit the jalapeños entirely. You could also not use hot sauce in the sour cream mixture. In that case, opt for a Mexican Crema, which is a drippier consistency than a regular sour cream and will give you that same drizzle texture. You can find this at most grocery stores.

Will my chips get soggy?

Sort of? But like, in a good way? If you’re not into the semi-soggy chip thing which is FAIR, you can leave them out until right before eating and just crush them on top of your dish if that CRUNCH is more your vibe. But like I previously said, if you’re meal prepping this dish or saving some for leftovers, I would avoid adding chips until service to avoid them getting VERY soggy.

Other fun topping ideas + additions:

• Spanish rice (add cooked rice to the meat mixture)
• Pickled onions (this is one of those ingredients that I think is a good addition to just about *anything*.
• Switch up the meat option! A shredded chicken would be delicious in this! Or steak if steak tacos / nachos is more your thing.
• Make it vegetarian by using crumbled tofu as your protein source, or just up the amount of beans in there for a little bit more protein.

Let me know if you make this recipe and leave a comment if you do! ENJOY, MY FRIENDS.

One-Pan Taco Skillet

megan sheley

A one-pan, Mexican-inspired dish that comes together so quickly. Bursting with a variety of flavors and spice, this is a great dish for dinner for the whole family, or a great option for meal-prepping for the week. Using up some pantry and fridge staples, this is a great meal to include for a fridge clean-out.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb. ground turkey or beef
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes 
• 1 packet spicy taco seasoning 
• 1/2 cup black beans
• 1/2 cup fire roasted corn
• 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 3 handfuls tortilla chips to crush on top
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1/4 cup red onion
• 1/4 cup cilantro
• 1 cup shredded lettuce
• 1/2 jalapeño, diced
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2-3 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp hot sauces
• 1 avocado optional

Instructions

 

• On the stove, heat up a large skillet for a few minutes on medium heat. Add in your ground turkey or beef and cook fully through (strain fat if needed).
• Add in 1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes and 1 packet of taco seasoning, mix well.
• Add in strained and rinsed black beans and corn and mix again. Top with shredded cheese. Cover your pan and set heat to low until cheese is melted.
• In the mean time, chop your cherry tomatoes, red onion and cilantro and mix in a small bowl, add a pinch of salt and set aside.
• In a small dish, mix sour cream, water, and hot sauce to make a drippy, spicy sour cream. Set aside.
• Thinly slice 1/2 your jalapeño into thin rounds. Once your cheese is melted on your dish, remove from heat. Top with crushed tortilla chips, shredded lettuce, pico de Gallo, jalapeños, and then drizzle with sour cream and top with avocado if you’d like! Enjoy!