Today I’m going to show you how to make fideo loco. Fideo loco is a delicious meal consisting of vermicelli noodles, ground beef and pinto beans simmered in a delicious tomato broth. It’s a comforting, filling and inexpensive meal that’s perfect during the colder months. It’s something both kids and adults will enjoy!
I’m really excited to show you all how to make this recipe.
It’s basically an elevated sopa de fideo.
It’s one of our favorites as it’s delicious and easy to whip up.
If it were up to my husband I would be making it every week.
Ingredients needed
This recipe is super simple and is made with common ingredients. You probably already have most or many of them in your kitchen right now.
All you need to make this recipe are:
- pinto beans
- vermicelli noodles
- ground beef
- gold potatoes
- roma tomatoes
- white onion
- garlic cloves
- bay leaf
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- ground cumin
- chicken bouillon
- salt
- pepper
- vegetable oil
- water
I like to make my own pinto beans but you can use canned beans as well.
If you decide to use canned pinto beans you will need to up the amount of water in this recipe.
How to make fideo loco
Start by prepping the potatoes. Peel and dice them. You want them small so that they will cook quickly.
Put the potatoes in a bowl and cover with water. This will prevent the potatoes from browning. Set them aside for later use.
Next let’s make the tomato broth. Cut the tomatoes in half and put them in the blender along with 1/4 piece of an onion, garlic cloves, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and one cup of water. Blend until smooth. This will take about a minute.
Set aside the tomato broth for later use.
These are the noodles I use. They are thinner than the fideo noodles. But they work just as good.
If you can’t find these or fideo noodles you can also use thin spaghetti noodles.
Just break them into shorter pieces.
Heat up a tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium low heat.
Test to see if the oil is hot enough by adding one noodle to the skillet if it starts sizzling then it’s ready.
Go ahead and add the whole bag of noodles.
Slowly toast the noodles until they turn a golden brown color. Make sure to stir them frequently to prevent them from burning. This will take about seven minutes.
Transfer the noodles to a plate.
Now add the ground beef to the skillet and cook over medium heat. Crumble the ground beef with a spatula and cook until completely browned.
Once the ground beef has browned drain the water from the bowl of potatoes and add them to the skillet.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Next add the vermicelli noodles, bay leaf, blended tomato broth, plus 3 1/2 more cups of water to the skillet and stir.
(If you’re using canned pinto beans this is where you will add them. Drain them first. You’ll also need to add a couple more cups of water if using canned beans.)
Taste the broth and add more salt or chicken bouillon if needed.
Bring the fideo loco to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to medium low and cover.
Cook for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
This is what it should look like when finished.
It doesn’t come out very soupy but I like to add my homemade beans and broth to my individual bowl of fideo loco and that’s what will make it soupy..
The homemade bean broth combined with the tomato broth from the fideo is absolutely delicious!
I highly recommend you make your own beans instead of using canned beans in this recipe.
Looking for more delicious recipes? Try these:
Tip and tricks
- If you don’t have roma tomatoes you can use canned tomato sauce
- If using canned beans drain them before adding to the skillet.
- Keep the diced potatoes in water until it’s time to use them to prevent browning.
- If you can’t find vermicelli or fideo noodles you can use thin spaghetti noodles. Just break them into smaller pieces.
Fideo loco
We like to garnish our fideo loco with chopped cilantro and queso fresco.
My husband also likes some warm corn tortillas on the side.
Sliced avocado, fresh squeezed lime juice and some habanero salsa are some other delicious ways to enjoy this yummy meal.
However you decide to eat it it’s sure to be amazing!
This meal is perfect for busy weeknights as it’s easy, quick and crazy delicious!
If you give this recipe a try please let me know what you think of it in the comments below.
Thanks for visiting, see you soon!
Fideo Loco Recipe
Fideo loco is a dish consisting of noodles, ground beef and potatoes simmered in a delicious tomato broth.
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked pinto beans plus the broth
- 7 oz vermicelli noodles
- 1 lb ground beef
- 3 gold potatoes
- 3 roma tomatoes
- 1/4 piece of a white onion
- 2 garlic cloves peeled
- 1 bay leaf
- 3/4 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 3 tsp chicken bouillon
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tbs vegetable oil
- 4 1/2 cups water
Instructions
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Peel and dice the potatoes. Then place them in a bowl and cover with water. Set aside for later use.
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Cut the tomatoes in half and put them in a blender along with the piece of onion, garlic cloves, chicken bouillon, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and one cup of water. Blend until smooth. Set the salsa aside for later use.
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Heat up the oil in a skillet over medium low heat. Once the oil is hot add the noodles. Toast the noodles until they become a golden brown color. This will take about 7 minutes. Make sure to stir them around constantly to prevent them from burning. Transfer the noodles to a plate.
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Add the ground beef to the skillet and cook over medium heat. Crumble with a spatula and cook until completely browned.
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Drain the water from the potatoes and add them to the ground beef. Season with salt and pepper.
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Next add the vermicelli noodles, bay leaf, blended tomato broth 3 1/2 more cups of water and stir. (If using canned beans drain them first then add them to the skillet along with a couple more cups of water.)
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Taste the broth and add more salt or chicken bouillon if needed. Bring the fideo loco to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to medium low and cover. Cook for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
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Serve the fideo loco in a bowl along with fresh cooked pinto beans and its broth.
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Garnish with chopped cilantro and queso fresco. Enjoy!
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- You can use canned tomato sauce in place of the roma tomatoes.
- You can use canned pinto beans instead of homemade.
- Keep the diced potatoes covered in water until ready to use to prevent browning.
- If you can’t find vermicelli or fideo noodles use thin spaghetti noodles broken into smaller pieces.