Mexican Picadillo

Cultural Context

Picadillo takes its name from the Spanish verb picar, meaning to chop or mince, and versions are cooked throughout Latin America. In Mexican home kitchens, the dish commonly pairs ground beef with potatoes and vegetables in tomato sauce. This version follows the central-northern Mexican style described by Isabel Eats, with carrots, peas, and a fresh blended tomato sauce.

Ingredients

Main Components

• 454 g (1 lb) lean ground beef
• 1 medium russet potato, scrubbed and cut into 1 cm (⅜-inch) dice
• 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1 cm (⅜-inch) dice
• 70 g (½ cup) frozen peas
• 10 ml (2 tsp) olive oil
• ½ medium white onion, diced
• ½ tsp kosher salt

For the Tomato Sauce

• 4 small-to-medium Roma tomatoes, halved
• ½ medium white onion, roughly chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 jalapeño, stemmed and seeded for a mild sauce
• 120 ml (½ cup) low-sodium, gluten-free beef broth
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp dried Mexican oregano

For Serving

• 12 warm corn tortillas
• 15 g (¼ cup) chopped fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges

Substitutions:

• Russet potato → Yukon Gold or red potato; keep the dice the same size so it cooks on schedule.
• Jalapeño → ½ poblano for a very mild sauce, or omit it.
• Beef broth → low-sodium, gluten-free chicken broth or water; water makes a lighter sauce.

Equipment

• Blender
• Large skillet or sauté pan with lid
• Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

Preparation (Active time: 10 min)

1. Blend the sauce: Put the tomatoes, roughly chopped onion, garlic, jalapeño, broth, ½ tsp salt, cumin, coriander, and oregano in a blender. Blend until smooth, about 45 seconds. Set aside.

2. Prepare the vegetables: Dice the potato and carrot into evenly sized 1 cm (⅜-inch) pieces. Small, regular pieces are important here; larger potato chunks may still be firm when the sauce is ready.

Cooking (Active time: 10 min)

3. Soften the onion: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent.

4. Brown the beef: Add the ground beef and the remaining ½ tsp salt. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking the meat into small crumbles. Continue until no pink remains and the beef reaches 160°F (71°C). Spoon off excess fat if needed.

5. Start the vegetables: Stir in the potato and carrot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring twice, so the vegetables pick up the browned bits from the pan.

6. Simmer: Pour in the tomato sauce and stir well. Bring it to a gentle simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Stir once halfway through so the bottom does not catch.

Assembly & Finishing

7. Finish the picadillo: Uncover and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the frozen peas and cook for another 5 minutes, until the potato and carrot are fork-tender and the sauce lightly coats the beef. If the pan dries before the vegetables soften, add water 30 ml (2 tbsp) at a time.

8. Garnish and serve: Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon the picadillo into warm corn tortillas and serve with cilantro and lime wedges.

Food Safety & Storage

• Minimum safe internal temperature: Cook ground beef to 160°F (71°C), measured in several places with an instant-read thermometer.
• Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in shallow, airtight containers within 2 hours. Use within 4 days.
• Freezing: Cool promptly, portion into freezer-safe containers, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
• Reheating: Reheat in a covered skillet with a splash of water, or in the microwave, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C).

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with corn tortillas, Mexican rice, or beans.
• Spoon it into gorditas or use it as a filling for crisp tacos.
• Put the skillet on the table with cilantro, lime wedges, and warm tortillas so everyone can assemble their own plate.

Scaling Notes

Half recipe (½×): Use a 10-inch skillet. Keep the vegetable dice and simmering times unchanged; begin checking the vegetables after 12 minutes.

Double recipe (2×): Use a wide Dutch oven or divide the recipe between two skillets so the beef browns instead of steaming. The covered simmer may need 5 additional minutes.

Chef's Notes

• Sourcing: Mexican oregano has a citrusy edge that differs from Mediterranean oregano. Look for it in the Latin foods aisle or at a Mexican market.
• Make-ahead: Blend the tomato sauce and dice the carrot and onion up to 1 day ahead. Refrigerate separately; cut the potato just before cooking to prevent browning.
• Variations: Mexican picadillo changes from family to family. Some cooks leave out the peas and carrots; others make it brothier or add serrano chile.
• Common pitfalls: Keep the potato dice small and even. A crowded, narrow pan slows evaporation and can leave the finished picadillo watery.
• Nutrition note: This is a savory main dish. Using low-sodium broth and 1 tsp kosher salt for 6 servings keeps added sodium moderate; packaged broth brands vary, so check the label if sodium is a concern.

Nutrition Information (Optional)

Per serving, without tortillas: approximately 235 kcal

• Protein: 19g | Fat: 10g | Carbohydrates: 17g | Fiber: 3g
• Sodium: approximately 480mg | Saturated fat: approximately 4g | Added sugar: 0g

Sources

• Isabel Eats: Mexican Picadillo — primary adaptation; fresh tomato sauce, vegetable ratios, seasoning, and method (4.8/5 from 90 ratings at research time on 2026-09-05)
• Muy Bueno: Mexican Picadillo (Carne Molida con Papas) — Northern Mexico and El Paso context, potato-forward variation, serving ideas, and storage guidance
• The Kitchn: Mexican Picadillo — comparison source for the family-style meat, potato, carrot, and chile preparation
• Wikimedia Commons: Mexican picadillo — hero image source

---

Version History:

• v1 (2026-09-05): Initial recipe adapted by @Codex

Credits:

• Recipe development: @Codex, adapted from the sources above
• Testing: @Codex
• Verification: @Coordinator
• Photography: Gravin mant (Wikimedia user Tyrv), CC BY-SA 4.0; unchanged from the source file

---

Recipe Location: /Recipe-of-the-Week/Recipes/2026-09-05_mexican-picadillo.md Images Location: /Recipe-of-the-Week/Images/mexican-picadillo/