Richly flavored and tender, this picada slow cooker recipe will quickly turn into one of your favorite weeknight meals. Its so easy to make and is completely hands-off!.
What is Carne Picada?
In English, carne picada can mean “minced” or “ground” meat, but what I discovered at the market and what you’ll probably find is more like very thin strips – shavings, somewhere between a coarse ground beef and thin steak slices.
Since “spicy” beef is what the term “carne pica” actually refers to, let’s use that term. Typically, a flavorful cut like chuck is used to make the slices, but less expensive cuts can also be used. I first encountered Carne Picada on a chance trip to a nearby Hispanic market.
The biggest benefit of using the Carne Picada cut is that it cooks up incredibly quickly even though it comes from a low-and-slow roast like chuck, making it easy to get dinner on the table. Because of its large surface area, it has more room to absorb any creative seasonings you choose to use. Flavor, flavor, flavor.
This Carne Picada recipe is undoubtedly Mexican in origin, and it makes fantastic Carne Picada tacos, enchiladas, or even fantastic Carne Picada fajitas (though grilling them might be difficult for fajitas).
Carne Picada vs. Carne Guisada
Both picada and guisada are small pieces of beef, but guisada has larger pieces that are more akin to stew beef, slow-cooked, and swimming in a cumin-flavored gravy.
Carne Picada vs. Carne Asada
Although “Asada” will be grilled and served as a whole steak or sliced for fajitas, both of these are more similar to traditional steak. Picada will be cooked into something a little saucier. A more popular dish with a wide variety of recipes is carne asada. Avoid attempting to find a Carne Picada recipe on Food Network or other well-known food websites.
How do you make Carne Picada?
Use cumin, coriander, oregano, and the extra-special ingredient of ancho chili powder in a dry marinade for my recipe.
After about an hour, the seasoned beef is browned in batches and combined with tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos to create a really adaptable filling. This filling can be placed inside your favorite tortilla (or my homemade sopes) and eaten as-is or with your favorite taco toppings.
- Ancho is the name given to dried poblano peppers, a dark, smoky, but generally mild chili that is frequently used in fajitas or stuffed as the traditional chili relleno. The chili powder you have in your pantry is probably a mixture of spices with cayenne pepper for added heat. Ancho chili powder is simply a wonderful concentrated form of all the flavor and natural heat of the chili itself, free from any additional ingredients.
- Salt + Black Pepper: Simple S+P
- Brown Sugar: The meat doesn’t taste at all sweet after using this. It balances out the herbs, garlic, and jalapeño flavors.
- Dried Oregano: A pungent, quintessential Mexican flavor.
- Dried Cumin: Adds a wonderful herby smokey flavor.
- Dried Coriander: Add a beautiful Mexican floral note.
- Carne Picada: Thinly sliced beef.
- Garlic: Use fresh. Skip the weird tasting stuff that comes in a jar!.
- Jalapeno: The pepper’s seeds and ribs contain the majority of its heat. To regulate the heat level, take out or leave in as desired.
- Onion: Use white or yellow. White is more common in Mexican cooking.
- Canned Whole Plum Tomatoes:
- Tortillas: I prefer to serve this with corn tortillas, but if you prefer, you can use flour tortillas.
- I enjoy chopped tomatoes, sour cream, cilantro, shredded lettuce, and shredded cheese as taco toppings.
- Find it: The meat itself may be the only ingredient that is difficult to locate in this recipe, which is really so simple. A local Hispanic market is always a good bet, and I’ve even found it at Walmart, even though this particular cut isn’t necessarily a familiar one in most states.
- However, if you are unsuccessful, purchase a small chuck roast or London broil and ask your butcher to shred it for you. You can also partially freeze it at home and slice the thinnest pieces you can from it.
- Spicy: Simply omit the jalapeno if you don’t like the heat. If you do, definitely DON’T make this.
- Substitute a chopped chipotle pepper (or two, depending on how hot you like it) if you do prefer things a little spicier. The wonderful smoked jalapeno known as chipotles, which can be found in canned Adobo sauce, adds even more flavor and heat to the filling.
- Can You Freeze Carne Picada?
- This filling is so adaptable that I frequently double the amount and keep extras in the freezer for a simple taco night. It’s a great way to guarantee that you’re mixing up a pitcher of margaritas rather than cleaning the stove!
Storing + Freezing
- The carne picada will remain fresh in the refrigerator for 3–4 days.
- Can You Freeze This? I prefer to make this fresh. Because of the thinness of the meat and the large amount of surface area, I prefer not to freeze this recipe.
What To Serve With Carne Picada
- ▢ 1 tablespoon dried ancho chile powder
- ▢ 3 teaspoons salt
- ▢ 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- ▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ▢ 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- ▢ 3 teaspoons dried cumin
- ▢ 1 teaspoon dried coriander
- ▢ 2 pounds carne Picada
- ▢ 4 large cloves garlic minced
- ▢ 1 jalapeno seeded, deribbed, and minced
- ▢ 1 cup onion chopped
- One (28-ounce) can of whole plum tomatoes that have been drained and hand-crushed
- In a small bowl mix together first 7 ingredients.
- Toss meat with garlic. Sprinkle meat with spice mixture and mix to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1-hour minimum.
- 2 tablespoons of oil, a jalapeno, and onions should be added to a sizable straight-sided skillet and cooked over medium heat for 5 minutes, or until the onions start to soften. Add half of the meat mixture and cook until browned on both sides over medium-high heat. Remove to a plate and set aside. The remaining meat should be browned on both sides, adding more oil as necessary. Turn the heat to low. Add the cooked meat back to the pan. Cook covered for about 7 minutes after adding the drained tomatoes until heated through.
- Serve with warmed tortillas and desired optional toppings.
CARNE PICADA RECIPE | SO EASY AND PERFECT FOR MEAL PREP!
FAQ
Is carne picada the same as ground beef?
In Spanish, carne picada means “minced beef. This should not be confused with ground beef, or “carne molida.” The majority of carne picada recipes you’ll find call for ground beef, but for this recipe, we’re sticking with the traditional. If you want to save some time, however, ground beef can be easily substituted.
What is carne picada made of?
Carne asada is typically steak cutlets cooked on a grill, whereas carne picada is minced beef that is braised (cooked in a liquid). Carne asada literally translates to “grilled meat”.
What is Aldi carne picada?
Spanish for “finely sliced beef,” carne picada is a main ingredient in flavorful, traditional Mexican dishes. Our Carne Picada is quick, simple, and adaptable; it’s ideal for filling burritos or tacos and transforms any ordinary stew, chili, or curry into a hearty home-cooked meal. Fresh, never frozen. Hand selected and trimmed.
Can carne picada be a little pink?
All products containing ground beef should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160 °F to ensure that all potentially harmful bacteria are eliminated. After being properly cooked, ground beef can still be pink inside. The pink hue may result from a reaction between the heat from the oven and myoglobin, which turns it red or pink.