Let me start off by saying that I’m pretty sure every household in Mexico has its own unique Picadillo Recipe. Perhaps your grandmother added cumin, mint, or even chipotle peppers. This is just a basic recipe for picadillo that will allow you to make your own version at home, one picadillo recipe that you can claim as your own. For many, this is also a comfort food, a hash made out of ground beef and potatoes that can be as diverse as your imagination (and your supply of ingredients) allows.
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Picadillo Recipe
Ground beef and potatoes cooked in a tomato sauce is a dish known as picadillo sencillo, or carne molida con papas. All the ingredients are usually chopped before cooking. “Chopping” in Spanish is “picar” or “cortar”, which is where the dish gets its name. Picadillo is really an easy dish to prepare, and very helpful when you’re in a hurry and have run out of ideas for what to cook for dinner. It is also a popular filling for gorditas, tacos, and other types of Mexican food that we collectively call “antojitos”. Picadillo gorditas or Tamales are a favorite in this household.
Now, let me tell you that there is another Picadillo recipe on the blog, it is a most complex one that includes raisins, capers, and green olives. However, this type of Picadillo is more common in the south part of Mexico, where these last ingredients are added to some tomato-based stews. It could be chicken or beef.
For this easy picadillo, I’m using beef bouillon, but you can use homemade beef or chicken broth to enhance the flavor of your Picadillo. Since the use of bouillon either in powder form or cube is very popular in the average Mexican kitchens. And of course, you can also make your picadillo using ground chicken or turkey meat.
I hope that you enjoy this easy version of Picadillo, and come back to tell me about your experiences with the recipe!
How to make Picadillo recipe
DIRECTIONS:
- Heat oil in a large skillet; once oil is hot add the ground meat to cook. Break up large lumps of meat using a wooden spoon to make sure all the little pieces are well cooked. Fry until brown, about 8 minutes. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- Add the onion and garlic. Stir and cook for about 1 minute, just enough to allow the onion to get transparent, then add Serrano pepper plus diced potatoes. Stir and keep cooking until potatoes are slightly tender, but still firm. This will take about 5 more minutes since you will still keep cooking them when you add the tomatoes.
- Now, add the diced tomatoes and Knorr beef bouillon to your picadillo and stir again. The tomatoes will release their juices and the beef bouillon will dissolve, adding more flavor to the mix. Place a lid on your skillet and lower the heat. Keep cooking until your potatoes are completely cooked and the tomatoes have formed a thick sauce on your picadillo.
- Finally, season your Mexican Picadillo with salt and pepper and add the chopped cilantro.
Picadillo Recipe
Of course, I hope you serve the Picadillo together with rice and warm corn tortillas. As many of our daily Mexican meals. This dish is especially good the next day. Enjoy!
Picadillo recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground beef 85/15%
- 1/3 cup white onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 serrano pepper
- 1 ½ cup diced potato about 8 ounces
- 1 lb tomatoes diced (About 2 large tomatoes)
- 1 Knorr® beef bouillon cube
- 1/3 cup chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat oil in a large skillet; once oil is hot add the ground meat to cook. Break up large lumps of meat using a wooden spoon to make sure all the little pieces are well cooked. Fry until brown, about 8 minutes.
- Add the onion and garlic. Stir and cook for about 1 minute, just enough to allow the onion to get transparent, then add Serrano pepper plus diced potatoes. Stir and keep cooking until potatoes are slightly tender, but still firm. This will take about 5 more minutes since you will still keep cooking them when you add the tomatoes.
- Now, add the diced tomatoes and Knorr beef bouillon and stir again. The tomatoes will release their juices and the beef bouillon will dissolve, adding more flavor to the picadillo. Place a lid on your skillet and lower the heat. Keep cooking the picadillo until your potatoes are completely cooked and the tomatoes have formed a thick sauce.
- Finally, season with salt and pepper and add the chopped cilantro.
- Mexican Picadillo recipe the easy version
- Serve with rice and warm corn tortillas. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Provecho
Mely,
Leave a comment and share your experience with this Mexican Picadillo recipe.
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How long would you say it would take from start to finish?
Hello Vicky,
It will take you about 30 minutes. While you cook the meat, chop the rest of the ingredients.
I made the other version of this recipe. Thanks for giving me ideas for next week meals.????
I've been wanting to make picadillo for a long time now. I've saved about three different recipes and they all sound amazing. I really liked yours. Thanks for sharing!
My daughters fav dish..we love it!
Used your recipe and added celery and carrots. It was great. Thanks for the simple recipe!
Used your recipe and added celery and carrots. It was great. Thanks for the simple recipe!
LOL sounds like dinner tonight…
When I have it at Mexican rest. tastes delicious. When i cook it myself, it tastes too meaty!!
Hello Tomas,
Maybe is the type of meat you are using. Mexican markets usually sell the ground meat with more fat content than the average American market. Maybe the restaurant where you tried it used that type of meat. Like 80/20 ground fat content.
I made this wonderful — and fast! — recipe tonight. My husband said that he wouldn’t mind if I made it more often, like every week, because it reminds him of his childhood. I say that is the best compliment of all. Thank you!
Hello Natalie,
So glad to know you like it. At home, it is always a big hit!
Very good. Very authentic.
Take out the serrano and the cilantro, and you have my mother’s”hachis parmentier”. Tastes great made with leftover roast or braised beef too.
Hi Mely, I tried this recipe tonight using lamb and it was a hit with the family. Thank you so much for all of your wonderful recipes, easy to follow directions [with pictures] and of course, this blog~<3
Wow!I like Lamb, I bet it was delicious! Thank you for coming back and sharing the tip of using lamb. Need to try it.
Do I drain the grease from the ground beef or just keep it in the pan
Hello Nathan,
Is the ground beef you are using renders too much fat, yes. Happy cooking!
I made it for dinner and it was delicious. Wouldn’t change anything in it. My husband and adult sons loved it. Reminded them when my mom used to cook for them. Thank you so much.
Hello Elia,
Those are great memories. thank you for sharing with us. Happy cooking!
The recipe was similar to my mom’s. I just needed to add cumino and oregano…my daughter loved that I made a dish her grandma used to make for me. Thanks for sharing “memories.”
My mom used one can of tomato paste and water instead of tomatoes. The papas were not so much fried, but boiled and steamed with a lid. The picadillo was soupy. Was wonderful with refritos and with homemade tortillas and salsa made with Chile hueritos. Still make it for my family, including the chile.
Hello Thomas,
That sounds really good! Thank you for sharing your mom’s picadillo recipe. Happy cooking!
Hello, making this tonight but I don’t know if I need to dissolve the beef cube first or add in solid?
Hello Joann,
You can do either way. The cube will dissolve in the sauce. You have to stir to dissolve it.
Mely, this was delicious. It inspired me to make gorditas tomorrow for the leftovers, please keep postings.
Hello Maureen,
So glad to know you like the Picadillo, it is perfect for gorditas.
Mely, I must admit you are such a great cook, I’ve been following you for a few months already and must say I love all your recipes. I’ve made a few of them and last night I made this picadillo and it was AMAZING my hunny loved it. I just want to say your doing such an amazing job, thank you for bringing these recipes to us all.
Thank you Crystal,
I bet it is your own personal touch too that brings the recipes alive!