Mediterranean Ground Beef and Rice
Updated Feb 27, 2026
One-Pot Ground Beef and Rice with basmati rice, chickpeas, and warm Middle Eastern spices. Easy stovetop dinner with simple pantry ingredients.
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One Pot Ground Beef and Rice MEDITERRANEAN style!
This ground beef and rice recipe is like my Mediterranean version of rice and beans. It’s a staple recipe that I grew up having for dinner, and now I often make it for my family when I just can’t be creative in the kitchen and want something simple. My kids devour it so quickly, and I love that it’s well-balanced.
The base of this ground beef and rice recipe is hashweh, which is an Arabic word meaning stuffing. It’s made up of ground beef, onions, and spices, and is often used with or without rice for stuffed eggplant, stuffed squash, or stuffed grape leaves. Here, I’m using it as the ground beef portion of this beef and rice recipe, and I cook it all in one pot, yes, even the rice!
Happy Cooking!
– Yumna
Ground Beef and Rice Ingredients
- Ground beef: Lean ground beef keeps the dish from getting greasy. If you use a higher fat percentage, drain off the excess after browning. Ground lamb is a good substitute if you want something richer.
- Olive oil and onion: I cook the onions and beef together so the onions soften while the beef browns.
- Basmati rice: I rinse it well until the water runs mostly clear so the grains stay separate. I have not tested this recipe with other types of rice, and because the rice is cooked in the same pot, I don’t recommend switching it out. If you do want to use a different rice, I’d cook it first in a and then mix it in with the cooked ground beef.
- Spices: 7 Spice, cinnamon, salt and black pepper. The 7 Spice is the main flavor here, with cinnamon adding extra warmth. If you don’t have 7 Spice, use this for 1 tablespoon: ¾ teaspoon allspice, ¾ teaspoon coriander, ¾ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon cloves, ¼ teaspoon nutmeg, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Taste the beef mixture before adding the rice and adjust the salt if needed.
- Chickpeas: Rinse and drain them well so they don’t add extra liquid. You can leave them out or swap in cooked lentils.
- Finishing touches: Fresh parsley and toasted pine nuts. I add these right before serving. Slivered almonds are an easy substitute for pine nuts. See my tips on how to toast pine nuts.
How to Make Ground Beef and Rice
Recipe Video Tutorial
Please note that I’ve recently updated the ingredients in this ground beef and rice recipe to use cinnamon and less rice and water. The recipe video below is the original recipe, which is still good to follow, and you can still find it in the recipe card notes below!
Ground Beef and Rice Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 tablespoon 7 Spice
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon black
- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed and drained
- 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas rinsed and drained
- 1 ½ cups water
- Fresh chopped parsley for serving
- Toasted pine nuts for serving
Instructions
- In a large pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and ground beef and season with 7 Spice, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cook for about 8 minutes, until the onions are soft and the ground beef is browned.
- Add the rice and chickpeas and stir to combine.
- Pour the water on top and mix all the ingredients together. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes. Remove from heat but keep covered, and allow the steam to continue cooking the rice for 5-10 more minutes.
- Uncover the pot, fluff the rice, sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve warm.
Equipment
Notes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
1 teaspoon 7 Spice
1 ½ teaspoons salt divided
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 15-ounce can chickpeas rinsed and drained
2 cups basmati rice rinsed
3 ½ cups chicken broth
Fresh parsley for serving
Nutrition
Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.
Recipe Tips
- Use a wooden spatula to break up the ground beef as you’re cooking. This will help them brown easier and cook faster to add more flavor to the dish.
- Don’t use short grain rice. Long grain rice has a firmer texture as well as less starch. If you use short grain rice it can become sticky rather than separating once it is cooked and the dish will become clumpy.
- Allow the rice to steam before fluffing it. The rice will absorb any extra liquid in the pot and it helps to let the grains separate. I always recommend at least 5-10 minutes of resting time off the heat.
Serving Ideas
- Mediterranean Salads: Fattoush Salad, Tabbouleh Salad, Lebanese Cabbage Salad
- Sauce: Plain Yogurt (this is how my kids eat it!), Cucumber Yogurt Sauce, Greek Yogurt Sauce
Comments
I tried your ground beef with basmati and chickpeas tonight and my kids went for seconds!🙏
Love that it was a hit with the whole family! I know how hard it can be to make kids happy at the dinner table!
I make this recipe at least once a week. It’s a great dish if you don’t feel like cooking a bit elaborate meal, but it still delivers on flavour and satisfaction! Depending on how much I want to cook, sometimes I’ll make it like deconstructed kousa by adding in chopped zucchini and tomatoes. Other times I’ll add some raw vegetables on the side like sliced cucumbers and grape tomatoes. Always served with a side of hummus and greek yogurt. 🙂
Yum, I love all of your variations and pairings!! Thanks so much, Kristina!
This is very easy to make and came out very tasty. I also used your 7-spice recipe. Next time I will add more chickpeas or more meat so it’s higher protein.
Yay, so happy you liked it!! Love the idea of adding more protein. Yum! Thanks, Sherry!
Made this recipe for our family tonight. It was very delicious. I also added mushrooms. Definitely making it again!
Yum! Love the addition of mushrooms. So happy you all liked it!!
I have this recipe saved and plan to make it very soon. My question is what if I want to use brown rice instead? How is that changing reflected in the recipe? Thank you.
Hi there! You can use a long grain brown rice but you may have to increase the cooking time. I recommend checking the rice’s package to help you adjust the timing.
Made this recipe just as it’s written and it’s so very good. Used chicken bone broth for more protein. Thank you for the incredible recipe. So easy and so yummy.
Yay, so happy you loved it!! Thank you!
My sister made this for us a few years ago and shared this recipe with me. It is soo easy and always comes out absolutely delicious, this is on repeat at our house.
Aww, I love that! Thank you, Faye!!
Question about the rice, your instructions say reduce heat to low and then simmer. Do you mean lower the heat and let simmer? Low on my stove is not quite a simmer. Do you mean simmer or turn to low? Thanks for the recipe, I made it but couldn’t get the rice quite right. It was still delicious but I want to make it as you instructed. Thank you!
Yes, I mean reduce to a simmer. Low is a simmer on my stove. Sorry for the confusion!
This recipe is very good and have been making it on a regular basis. My family loves it too
Aww thank you, Sandra! So happy your family loves it!!
The best. As is. Easy and delicious. Every single time. I like to eat it in a piece of romaine lettuce as a lettuce wrap …. with a generous amount of fresh parsley and feta of course! Yumna, you’re the best! ❤️ your biggest fans from Dearborn!
Yum, love that!! Romaine lettuce wraps sound so good. So happy you love the recipe! Thank you, Stephanie!!
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