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Mexican Picadillo Recipe

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You’re going to love today’s recipe for Mexican picadillo. It’s a simple, flavorful and cheap meal that you can serve over rice or even use as a stuffing for empanadas or gorditas

mexican picadillo over white rice on a green plate.

What is Picadillo Made of?

Picadillo is a super easy dish made of ground beef, diced potatoes, carrots and spices.

Is Picadillo Spicy?

Picadillo can be either spicy or mild. It’s totally up to you. If you look at the ingredient list down below you can see I have listed a jalapeno and two cans of El Pato hot tomato sauce.

To me it really isn’t even that spicy. However if you are especially sensitive to spicy food then I recommend substituting green bell pepper for the jalapeno. I would also suggest using regular tomato sauce instead of a hot tomato sauce.

Mexican Picadillo Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1/2 of a white onion (diced)
  • 1 garlic clove (minced)
  • 2 potatoes (diced)
  • 1 whole carrot (diced)
  • 1 jalapeno (diced) (optional)
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 2 cans of el pato hot tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup of water
  • cilantro (optional)

Mexican Picadillo Instructions

Make sure you have all the vegetables diced before you begin cooking.

It just makes things easier and faster.

Diced vegetables for Mexican picadillo

Now brown the ground beef over medium high heat in a large pot.

Once browned transfer to a large paper towel lined bowl to absorb all the grease.

But make sure to leave about 2 tablespoons worth of grease in the pot.

I used 73% lean and 27% ground beef so mine left a lot of grease.

browned ground beef

Now add the onion, garlic and jalapeno to the pot.

Saute for a few minutes over medium heat.

Then add the potatoes, carrots and spices. Stir.

vegetables for picadillo in a pot

Next add the ground beef, tomato sauce and water. Stir well.

picadillo

This is the tomato sauce that I use.

el pato hot tomato sauce

It is a hot tomato sauce.

But honestly the picadillo didn’t taste very spicy.

My kids were still able to eat it.

But if you are especially sensitive to spicy foods you can always use a regular tomato sauce.

Bring picadillo to a boil over medium high heat then cover and reduce heat to medium low.

Simmer for about 40 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender.

Garnish the cooked picadillo with chopped cilantro if desired.

Serve the picadillo over some white rice.

picadillo in a pot

Mexican Picadillo

Picadillo is a simple and comforting meal that the whole family can enjoy.The leftovers make for a great lunch the next day.

Join our Mexican and Latin American Recipes Facebook group! It’s a place where we can share all of the delicious food we make at home fore our families!

picadillo in a pot
4.36 from 14 votes
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Mexican Picadillo

Mexican picadillo is a delicious meal made from ground beef, vegetables and spices. It’s best served over white rice.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword mexican picadillo, mexican picadillo recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 6
Calories 435 kcal
Author Carissa

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs ground beef
  • 1/2 onion diced
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 potatoes diced
  • 1 whole carrot diced
  • 1 jalapeno diced
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • 2 cans el pato hot tomato sauce
  • 1/2 cup water
  • cilantro optional

Instructions

  1. Dice all vegetables before cooking.

  2. Brown the ground beef over medium high heat in a large pot.

  3. Then transfer to a large paper towel lined bowl so the grease can drain.

  4. Leave about 2 tablespoons of grease in the pot.

  5. Now add the onion, garlic and jalapeno to the pot.

  6. Saute for a few minutes over medium heat.

  7. Then add the potatoes, carrots and spices. Stir.

  8. Add the ground beef, tomato sauce and water. Stir well.

  9. Bring the picadillo to a boil over medium high heat then cover and reduce heat to medium low.

  10. Simmer for about 40 minutes or until the vegetables are fork tender.

  11. Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired.

  12. Serve over white rice.

Recipe Notes

If you use a leaner ground beef you’ll need to use a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil to brown the ground beef.

Nutrition Facts
Mexican Picadillo
Amount Per Serving
Calories 435 Calories from Fat 270
% Daily Value*
Fat 30g46%
Saturated Fat 11g69%
Cholesterol 107mg36%
Sodium 118mg5%
Potassium 735mg21%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Protein 28g56%
Vitamin A 195IU4%
Vitamin C 11.7mg14%
Calcium 57mg6%
Iron 5.8mg32%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

If you liked my Mexican picadillo recipe then you should also give Puerto Rican picadillo a try!

Here are some other dinner recipes you may enjoy

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  1. 5 stars
    The hubby and I loved it. We will make it again because of how easy it was to prepare. Thank you and keep then recipes coming.

    Reply

    • I’m so glad you all enjoyed it! It’s something I make frequently because of how simple yet delicious it is. Have a great day!

      Reply

    • 5 stars
      I have issues with garlic and onion powders so I added extra of the real deal, This turned out amazing, after grabbing diced tomatoes in error bc I couldn’t find the hot tomato sauce in the recipe, i added chili flakes, tapatio hot sauce, salsa, cayenne (out of Chili powder), left in the jalapeño seeds, and a little extra cumin. I also added a veggie bouillion instead of plain water and a yellow bell pepper. It was delicious over rice
      It’s also making for a yummy lunch leftover – I’ll be making this again for sure!

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Thank you for this recipe. I made this TWICE, and my friends loved it, to think I seldom cook. And because i really dont like chopping vegetables, i made a modification and used 2 cups of frozen vegetables for the stated vegetables. This will be my go to recipe.

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    THIS WAS SUPER GOOD! MY HUSBANDS ABULIETA MADE THIS FOR US ONE DAY and I absolutely loved it. I am so glad that I stumbled on this recipe. My grocery store did not have that particular tomato sauce, so I added some jarred jalapeños and juice. Thanks for sharing!

    Reply