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This picadillo recipe is an easy, warm, and comforting Mexican dish made from ground beef, potatoes, and vegetables cooked in a flavorful tomato-based sauce. Great in tacos, gorditas, or served with rice and beans!
On nights when I’m unsure what to make for dinner, this picadillo recipe comes to the rescue!
What Is Picadillo?
Picadillo is a Latin American dish made from ground beef, potatoes, and a tomato sauce mixture. Every country and region has its own unique variation on the meal (for example, the very popular Cuban picadillo is made with olives and raisins), but today I’m going to share the way my family has always made it!
For context, my family is from the central/northern part of Mexico in the state of Zacatecas.
Ingredients in Picadillo
- Meat: Ground beef is what is traditionally used, but you could also use ground chicken or turkey if you prefer.
- Vegetables: You’ll need carrots, frozen peas, potatoes, onions, and tomatoes.
- Pepper: I used a jalapeño for a milder spice level, but you could also use a serrano pepper for more heat.
- Seasonings: I used a mix of dried Mexican oregano, kosher salt, ground cumin, and garlic.
How to Make Picadillo
Make the sauce. Add tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeño pepper, oregano, cumin, salt, and some water to a large blender, then puree until smooth and set aside.
Cook the meat and veggies. Cook the ground beef in a large skillet with some diced onions until the meat is lightly browned. Add the diced potatoes, diced carrots, and cook for 5 minutes, then add the blended tomato sauce mixture, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
Thicken and serve. Uncover, cook for another 5 minutes, then stir in the frozen peas. It’s ready when the potatoes and carrots are tender and soft!
Recipe Tips
- Don’t be afraid of salt. The salt helps bring out the flavors of the tomato sauce mixture and makes the meat and potatoes one big happy family.
- Taste as you go. Add another jalapeño or more salt in the sauce if needed. The spice level of jalapeños can vary from not spicy to extremely fiery, so take a small bite and test it out.
- If the meat starts to dry out during the cooking process, add ¼ cup of water to keep it moist and continue cooking.
Serving Suggestions
I recently served this beef picadillo with some leftover cilantro lime rice I had in the fridge, but there are plenty of other ways to eat it. Here are a few suggestions:
Variations
- Give it a healthy twist by substituting ground turkey or chicken for ground beef.
- Use sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes to add a subtle sweetness.
- Try green beans in place of peas to switch things up!
Storage
Leftover picadillo can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
You can also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat from either method, simply toss it in a pan and heat it!
More Easy Dinners
Mexican Picadillo
Ingredients
- 4 small-medium Roma tomatoes, halved
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 jalapeño pepper stemmed*
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 1 medium russet potato, diced
- 1 large carrot, diced
- ½ cup frozen peas
Instructions
- In a blender, combine the tomatoes, ½ of the diced onion, water, garlic, jalapeño pepper, ½ teaspoon of the kosher salt, Mexican oregano, cumin, and water. Blend until completely smooth.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining ½ of the diced onion and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened.
- Add the ground beef and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook for 6 minutes, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Drain and discard any excess grease if necessary.
- Stir in the potatoes and carrots and cook for 5 more minutes. Pour in the pureed tomato mixture and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.
- Uncover and cook for 5 more minutes. Stir in the frozen peas and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. If the meat starts to get dry, add in ¼ cup of water and continue cooking.
- Taste and season with more salt as needed.
Video
Notes
- Jalapeño: You can remove the seeds if you don’t want it spicy, or you can completely omit the jalapeño for no spice at all.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photos by Erin Jensen of The Wooden Skillet.
Hello! First time trying this and I must have don’t something wrong because it’s VERY juicy lol any tips on what I might have done wrong ?
Hi Stevie! It may have needed to cook a little longer uncovered to fully thicken. Next time I would leave it simmering uncovered for a longer period of time.
I literally have made this ten times now. It’s so good on tostadas! So easy and so 🤤 delicious
This was so delish! I was going to add olives but forgot! I used one jalapeño and the heat from it was perfect! I added a little bit more salt too! Thank you for sharing. It is a keeper!
easy, great flavor and plenty of room to sub anything else you want. Great way to use ground beef. show me more!
I haven’t commented often on your recipes, but I want to say to everyone reading this that my Mexican Recipe collection is now almost totally from “isabel eats”. Any time I decide to try a new Mexican dish, I immediately go to your website. I find the recipes simple to follow and universally delicious. Using easy to find ingredients and writing logical complete instructions along with complementary images makes the whole process a pleasante experience. I just want to say, “¡Muchas gracias!”
Hi Dean! Thank you so much for the compliment! We’re glad you enjoy our recipes.
Do you drain the juices from the ground beef?
Hi Mary! For this recipe you don’t. It helps cook the rest of the vegetables.
This is delicious!!! I had quite a few mini plum tomatoes and a jalepeno from my garden and was wondering what to make. I saw this in IG and knew I had to make it! I served it with corn tortillas as little tacos and they were just fantastic. So easy, too! I was out of frozen peas and carrots so I used a few canned peas (color is not vibrant but it’s what I had), some corn, and potatoes. I will definitely make this again!
Hi Angie! Thank you for sharing! This is my favorite meal to make when I feel like I have nothing in the pantry or am stuck in a rut.
This is my first time making picadillo. My husband loves the nachos at a local Mexican restaurant and they are not your usual Tex Mex style. I believe it is a picadillo, hence googling it and coming across your recipe. Giving it a go for a big platter of nachos. Thanks!
Love this recipe. If you are ambitious, make this recipe and stuff it into Isabel’s chili relleno recipe. Absolutely delicious!!
Made this tonight for dinner and loved it! The family was very impressed. It comes together quickly and is seasoned wonderfully to boot . Will definitely be making this again and I think I’ll use Serrano peppers next instead of Jalapeños for a bit more kick . I do like my peppers . Another excellent recipe Isabel and thank you so much for sharing it with us !
Hi Greg! That sounds like a great idea! I love picadillo when it’s spicy too. Thanks for sharing!
I forgot my manners the other night bragging about your wonderful recipe and went brain dead on saying your Daughter Olivia is beautiful and congratulations to Mommy and Daddy ! You really did well Isabel , I’m so happy for you . Time does fly so I would say cherish this because they grow so fast . My oldest is 38 and youngest is 30 . Wow !