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
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.
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!
Provecho
Mely,
Leave a comment and share your experience with this Mexican Picadillo recipe.
Picadillo recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 lb ground beef 85/15%
- ⅓ 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
- ⅓ 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!
justin halliday
I add cumin too! It’s a very solid recipe! You can play with the amounts a bit and get a great result, I add better than bullion roast beef and everyone loves it
Courtney
Picadillo tasted amazing, thank you for sharing the recipe.