Creamy Ground Beef Skillet with Cauliflower Rice

Make this recipe for nights when you need to quickly get dinner on the table.

It’s a perfect option for beginner cooks or for those who don’t enjoy cooking.

The resulting dish is flavorful, filling, protein-packed, and stores perfectly for leftovers tomorrow!

💛 Why you’ll love this recipe

• Made in just one pan.
• Can be prepared and served in only 30 minutes.
• Straightforward ingredients that are relatively affordable and widely available.
• Low-carb, keto-friendly, and gluten-free.

➡️ Ingredients

⏲ How to make this ground beef skillet recipe

This is an overview of the recipe’s instructions. The full instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Cook Ground Beef: In a cast-iron skillet, heat avocado oil over medium-high heat. Then, add ground beef and cook until cooked through, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon as it cooks.
• Steam Cauliflower Rice: While the beef browns, steam the frozen cauliflower rice in the microwave according to the package instructions.
• Add Onions and Mushrooms to Skillet: Stir the onion and mushrooms into the meat and sauté for 1 minute.
• Stir in Other Ingredients with Ground Beef and Veggies: Add the cream cheese and stir until melted. Then, reduce stovetop heat to medium, add in beef broth, heavy cream, tomato paste, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, and stir. Add in steamed cauliflower rice, stir, and cook until the liquid has evaporated, about 10 minutes, stirring often. Taste test and add additional seasoning, based on your taste preferences.

• Add Shredded Cheese: Sprinkle shredded cheese on top and cook until cheese is slightly melted. After, turn on the oven broiler and broil until the cheese is golden brown, which should take about 1 minute.
• Serve: Remove skillet from oven, garnish with parsley, then serve.

👉 Ingredient substitution suggestions

• Avocado Oil: Use olive oil or any other neutral-flavored cooking oil.
• Ground Beef: Any other ground protein can be used here. You can use ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
• White Button Mushrooms: Use cremini mushrooms or any other variety of mushrooms that you prefer.
• Frozen Cauliflower Rice: If you can’t find frozen cauliflower rice, you can make your own by pulsing fresh cauliflower florets in a food processor. Note that you may need to adjust the cooking time slightly, as fresh cauliflower takes a bit longer to cook.
• Beef Broth: Substitute with vegetable broth or chicken broth.
• Heavy Whipping Cream: Replace with half-and-half, but just note the resulting dish won’t be as creamy.
• Tomato Paste: If you don’t have tomato paste, use tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes, but you will need to increase the cooking time slightly to reduce the liquid.
• Shredded Cheddar Cheese: Use any shredded cheese like mozzarella, Colby Jack, or Swiss.

✨ Variations

• Vegetarian: Substitute the ground beef with plant-based ground meat or extra mushrooms for a vegetarian version.
• Tex-Mex: Add a Tex-Mex flavor by incorporating spices like cumin, chili powder, and oregano. Add in chopped bell peppers when adding in the mushrooms and onions. Add some corn when adding in the cauliflower rice. Top the skillet with diced tomatoes, avocado slices, and a dollop of sour cream and salsa.
• Italian-Inspired: Add Italian seasoning, dried basil, and diced tomatoes. Top the skillet with fresh basil and, instead of shredded cheddar cheese on top, use grated Parmesan cheese.

〰️ How to serve

• Vegetables – Serve with cucumber onion salad or roasted vegetables.
• Bread – Pair with crusty bread or garlic bread.

💬 FAQs

📚 More ground beef recipes

• Bacon Cheeseburger Salad
• Cheesy Beef Casserole with Cauliflower Rice and Spinach
• Low-Carb Chili Con Carne
• Slow Cooker Taco Soup
• Bacon Cheeseburger Salad
• Italian Meatball Freezer Meal