Mexican Picadillo. This dinner recipe is simple to make and requires few ingredients. Ground beef and potatoes are simmered in a tomato sauce. For a complete meal, serve this dish with some rice and warm fresh tortillas.
What is Beef Picadillo?
I have the perfect dinner for you if you want comfort food but don’t want to eat the same old classics. One of my go-to recipes is beef picadillo when I want something hearty and filling but with little preparation or cooking time. This is Latin American comfort food at it’s core.
Numerous countries in Latin America rely heavily on picadillo, which is pronounced pi-kuh-di-yo. It is a straightforward dish made from seasoned ground beef, a variety of vegetables, and occasionally starches like potatoes. One of the best things about this picadillo recipe is how adaptable it is depending on your tastes. I like to make it with olives, but you can add anything you like.
The best thing about picadillo is that you can eat a big bowl of it as is or use it as a filling for tacos or empanadas!
Now that you’re prepared to begin, gather the following supplies first:
- Olive Oil: Or your favorite cooking oil (canola, etc.).
- Onion: I used 1 medium white onion, diced.
- Ground beef: If you prefer, you can use extra lean or reduced fat ground beef. You can even use ground turkey or chicken, though that isn’t customary.
- An aromatic mixture of vegetables and herbs frequently used in Latin American cuisine is called a sofrito.
- I seasoned the food with adobo, sazon, cumin powder, ground oregano, salt, and fresh black pepper.
- Garlic: Make sure it’s finely minced. You could also use garlic paste instead.
- Tomato Sauce: I prefer to use plain tomato sauces, but it’s ultimately up to you, so try whichever store brand you like.
- Green Olives: With pimento. Can also use capers!
- Cilantro: This is an optional garnish.
How to Make Beef Picadillo
Here’s the recipe for beef picadillo: After browning the ground beef and seasoning it, let it simmer in the tomato sauce for a little while, and you’re basically done. Get ready for your kitchen to smell ah-mazing!.
Prepare the onion Add the onion and ground beef. Cook the beef, breaking it up as you go, stirring frequently, until the meat is evenly browned and the onions are soft.
Drain the excess liquid or grease from the pan and add the sofrito, adobo, sazon, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper after adding the seasonings.
Garlic Addition: After stirring and cooking for another minute or so, add the garlic and cook it for another two minutes, or until it starts to smell good.
Tomato Sauce: Add the tomato sauce and stir after lowering the heat to low-medium. Once the sauce has reached a low simmer, remove it from the heat and add the olives.
Serve over rice, if desired, and enjoy. Garnish with cilantro.
Simple dinners are the best. I love spending time in the kitchen, don’t get me wrong, but sometimes you just need to get food on the table. Here are some suggestions to help you do that:
- Avoid overcooking the ground beef because it will continue to cook as you combine the other ingredients and season it. The ground beef will continue to cook as you season it and add the garlic.
- If you don’t have ground beef, that’s okay; this recipe also works with ground turkey and ground chicken.
- Add vegetables: To make this meal even more filling, include fresh tomatoes, peas, carrots, peppers, potatoes, etc.
You might prepare your beef picadillo slightly differently depending on where you are from. Although the recipe for picadillo is common throughout Latin cultures, everyone prepares it slightly differently.
We have a mix of styles in our home because Jorge is Puerto Rican and spent most of his childhood in Florida while I am from Texas and have a strong Mexican and Tex-Mex influence.
What our picadillo in our home looks like is described in the recipe below. Everyone makes picadillo the way their Abuela made it, but as I’ve learned, everyone’s will look a little different depending on what flavors you like and where your family is from.
Below are some of the common additions to Picadillo:
- In many cultures, raisins are frequently added to picadillo to give it a sweeter flavor. Jorge does not enjoy the sweet surprise provided by the raisins.
- Potatoes: Add potatoes if you want a heartier meal.
- Capers are occasionally used in place of, or in addition to, the olives in pimentos.
- Hard Boiled Egg: a common addition in the Dominican Republic!
- Certain parts of Mexico like their picadillo a little bit sweeter, so they add sugar or honey to it.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
In the refrigerator, this picadillo can be kept for up to a week in an airtight container. When you’re ready to reheat it, you can either microwave it for a few seconds or let it simmer in a pan on low until it reaches the desired temperature.
Can You Freeze Picadillo?
Yes, you can freeze picadillo as long as you store it in an airtight container and consume it within three months. For quick dinners straight from the freezer, I almost always make a triple batch.
What Goes with Beef Picadillo?
What should you serve with all this delicious beef picadillo, you ask? Here are my suggestions:
- Serving picadillo over a plain bed of Spanish or white rice is also delicious. Or go crazy and serve it with the traditional Arroz con Gandules from Puerto Rico.
- Burritos or tacos: Beef picadillo makes an excellent burrito or taco filling!
- I also have a great recipe for homemade Easy Empanada Dough, so if you like picadillo in tacos, you’ll love it as the filling for buttery Beef Empanadas too!
- Beans: Serve with a side of black or refried beans!
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- ¼ cup sofrito
- 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
- 1 packet sazon seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon dried, ground oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons finely minced garlic or garlic paste
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 cup green olives with pimento
- cilantro, optional garnish
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and ground beef. Cook the beef, breaking it up as you go, stirring frequently, until the meat is evenly browned and the onions are soft.
- After removing excess liquid or grease from the pan, season the food with salt, pepper, sofrito, adobo, sazon, cumin, and oregano.
- Add the stirring and continue to cook for another minute or so, then add the garlic and continue cooking for another two minutes, or until the garlic is fragrant.
- Low-medium heat should be used, then add the tomato sauce and stir. Once the sauce has reached a low simmer, remove it from the heat and add the olives.
- Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro, if desired.
More Latin american recipes
Looking for more Latin American recipes to try?
My Family’s Cuban Picadillo Recipe!
FAQ
What’s the difference between picadillo and ground beef?
Both frequently consist of peppers, onions, garlic, and tomato sauce as well as ground beef. Typically, ingredients like raisins, capers, or olives are used in Cuban Picadillo. However, Mexican Picadillo varies by region. Some regions add lime to the ground beef.
What does picadillo mean in Mexican food?
ˌpikəˈdilō, Sp pēkäˈdēyō plural -s. a fiery Latin American stew or hash of meat and vegetables, frequently with raisins and olives, that is frequently used as a filling (such as for tacos) or served with rice and beans
Why is it called picadillo?
What is known is that the Spanish verb picar, which means “to chop,” is the source of the word picadillo. That makes sense given that minced or finely ground beef is a common ingredient.
What is picadillo tacos made of?
Mexican Picadillo is a dish that can be prepared in a variety of ways. The base consists of ground beef, tomatoes, and potatoes. The recipe may differ depending on where you live, for example, you might add carrots or different kinds of peppers, like jalapenos.