Mexican Picadillo Recipe

You’re going to love this amazing Mexican picadillo recipe.

It consists of ground beef and veggies simmered in a delicious sauce.

It’s a simple, flavorful, comforting and inexpensive meal that will have your family asking for seconds!

The best part about it is it makes enough to have leftovers the next day!

Who doesn’t love leftovers?

If you enjoy this recipe then you’ll also love picadillo soup!

Picadillo is a family favorite in my house.

My kids can be pretty picky sometimes but this recipe isn’t something they complain about.

It’s super easy therefore making it a perfect weeknight dinner option.

This is one of the ultimate comfort foods in my opinion. This and fideo loco. Which is a very similar dish but with noodles.

What is picadillo sauce made of?

This picadillo sauce is made from canned tomato sauce, water and spices.

It is simmered with ground beef and vegetables resulting in a delicious and flavorful sauce.

Some recipes will call for fresh tomatoes instead of a canned sauce.

This Mexican picadillo is a very adaptable recipe so work with what you have in your kitchen.

What do you eat picadillo with?

Picadillo is typically served with rice.

You can also serve it with warm flour or corn tortillas.

It’s also great as a filling for empanadas or gorditas.

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.

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.

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.

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

This is the tomato sauce that I use.

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 or with warm tortillas or both.

Looking for more comforting and delicious recipes? Give these a try:

• caldo de albondigas (Mexican meatball soup)
• costillas de res en salsa verde (beef ribs in green salsa)
• caldo de res (beef soup)
• potato taquitos
• creamy chipotle chicken

Mexican picadillo recipe

This picadillo recipe 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 you can share all of the delicious food you make at home for your families and get inspiration for your next cooking adventure!

I really hope you enjoyed today’s delicious recipe.

Let me know what you think of it in the comments below.

And don’t forget to leave it a rating.

Thanks for visiting, see you soon!

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