This Mexican-style beef picadillo is the kind I grew up eating. This version is a slow-simmered ground beef stew with potatoes, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and some bold spices. It’s a delicious, warming dinner idea for when you want healthy comfort food!

A large, yellow, enameled cast iron pot filled with Mexican picadillo. Next to the pot: cilantro, a kitchen towel, a wooden serving spoon, a small bowl of white onions, a small bowl of tomatoes, a plate of charred tortillas.

This recipe is…

This Mexican Picadillo is made exactly the way I enjoyed it growing up: with ground beef and perfectly tender potatoes in a rich spiced stew. The potatoes are tender, the beef so flavorful, and the spices are incredibly warming (but not too spicy). We love to enjoy this with a bowl of rice and maybe even beans or simply wrapped in a warm tortilla.

Beef picadillo is a dish made with ground beef and tomatoes. Depending on the type of picadillo you eat (Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, or Filipino), there may also be capers, green olives, rum-soaked raisins, potatoes, or green peas included. Each variation is a little bit different!

Ingredients Needed

The ingredients for Mexican beef picadillo are really simple – I’d even be willing to bet that you have a handful of them hanging out in your kitchen already. Here’s everything you’ll need:

Ingredients for Mexican Picadillo sit in a variety of bowls on a marble countertop.
  • 2 pounds of ground beef
  • 1 pound of Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 14.5 ounces of canned diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons of mild chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons of ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons of oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1½ teaspoons of fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon of black pepper
  • 2 cups of beef broth

Ingredient Modifications and Variations

  • Use a different kind of potato – can’t find Yukon gold potatoes? No problem. Use russet or red potatoes if you need to. Just be sure to chop up whatever variety you use into ½-inch cubes. 

How to Make Beef Picadillo

If you’ve only ever had beef picadillo at a restaurant, you may be intimidated to make it at home – I mean, it’s so delicious, and how in the world can something so delicious be EASY to make? If this is what you’re thinking, you’re in for a treat! Below, you’ll find the very easy, 6-step picadillo how-to.

A person's hands using a metal potato masher to cook and crumble ground beef in an enameled cast iron pot.
a small plate of picadillo spices being poured into a yellow enameled cast iron pot filled with cooked ground beef
Diced white onion being added to a yellow enameled cast iron pot filled with ground beef, chopped potatoes, diced green bell pepper, and picadillo spices.
A small bowl of apple cider vinegar being poured into a large, yellow, enameled cast iron pot filled with picadillo beef, chopped potatoes, diced green bell pepper, minced onion, diced white onion, and a can of Rotel.
A large, yellow, enameled cast iron pot filled with Mexican picadillo. Also pictured: a wooden spoon sticking out of the pot
A large, yellow, enameled cast iron pot filled with Mexican picadillo.
  1. Cook and crumble the ground beef – heat a 3-quart (or larger) pot (with a matching lid) over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the ground beef and brown for 15 minutes, or until the beef is cooked through, crumbling the beef while cooking. Drain any excess grease.
  2. Dice the veggies – while the ground beef is cooking, dice the potatoes, bell pepper, onion, and garlic.
  3. Add the veggies, seasonings, and tomatoes to the pot – add the potatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, ACV, chili powder, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the pot, and stir to combine.
  4. Add the broth – pour the broth into the pot, taste the mixture, and add more salt if desired.
  5. Simmer – bring the picadillo to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 1 hour, leaving the lid cracked.
  6. Serve and enjoy – serve the picadillo with charred tortillas and cilantro, and enjoy!

What goes with Beef Picadillo?

We chose to serve our Mexican picadillo taco-style inside of charred tortillas and topped with cilantro, but you could also serve it with a side of rice (white, brown, or Mexican) and beans (refried or charro – you pick!). It would also be really delicious scooped onto tortilla chips alongside a dollop or two of guacamole.

Picadillo being spooned into a charred flour tortilla held over the pot of picadillo
Two picadillo tacos topped with cilantro, tomato, and white onion. Also in the photo: cilantro, a pot of picadillo, tortillas, a small bowl of diced white onion, and a small bowl of diced tomatoes

How to Store and Reheat

Store any leftover picadillo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to heat it up, simply pop a serving (or 2!) in a microwave safe dish and microwave it for 1 minute, or until warm. Alternatively, add the picadillo back into a pot on the stove and heat it over medium heat until warmed through.

Can You Freeze Picadillo?

Yes, you can absolutely freeze picadillo! If you’re looking to stock your freezer with healthy, delicious meals, this one would be a great one to double or even triple with the intent to freeze the extra portions.

To freeze picadillo, let it cool completely, then transfer it to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw and enjoy, simply transfer the picadillo to the refrigerator overnight, then pop it into a pot on the stovetop to heat through.

How long does picadillo last in the fridge?

Leftover picadillo will stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days. 

Who invented picadillo?

That’s actually a really good question! Because this dish is so widely popular (and every culture has its own variation), it’s actually really hard to pinpoint the exact origins. It’s said that the once emperor of Mexico, Agustin de Iturbide, was served picadillo in 1821, though, so it’s been around for a VERY long time!

Beef Picadillo Recipe

4.55 — Votes 11 votes
By Cassy Joy Garcia
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 6 Servings
This Mexican-style beef picadillo is the kind I grew up eating. This version is a slow-simmered ground beef stew with potatoes, onions, tomatoes, garlic, and some bold spices. It’s a delicious, warming dinner idea for when you want healthy comfort food!

Ingredients  

  • 2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 14.5 ounce canned diced tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 tablespoon mild chili powder
  • 2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 bay leaf
  • teaspoons fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cups beef broth
  • Tortillas, for serving
  • Fresh cilantro, chopped, for serving

Instructions 

  • Heat a 3-quart (or larger) pot (with a matching lid) over medium heat on the stovetop. Add the ground beef and brown for 15 minutes, or until the beef is cooked through, crumbling the beef while cooking. Drain any excess grease.
  • While the ground beef is cooking, dice the potatoes, bell pepper, onion, and garlic.
  • Add the potatoes, bell peppers, onions, garlic, diced tomatoes, ACV, chili powder, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper to the pot, and stir to combine.
  • Pour the broth into the pot, taste the mixture, and add more salt if desired.
  • Bring the picadillo to a low boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for 1 hour, leaving the lid cracked.
  • Serve the picadillo with charred tortillas and cilantro, and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Store any leftover picadillo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to heat it up, simply pop a serving (or 2!) in a microwave safe dish and microwave it for 1 minute, or until warm. Alternatively, add the picadillo back into a pot on the stove and heat it over medium heat until warmed through.

Nutrition

Calories: 435kcal | Carbohydrates: 22.5g | Protein: 32.5g | Fat: 24.1g | Saturated Fat: 8.9g | Cholesterol: 102.8mg | Sodium: 1050.4mg | Fiber: 5.4g | Sugar: 4.2g

Additional Info

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 6 Servings
Calories: 435
Keyword: Mexican food, picadillo

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13 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I have been looking for a Picadillo recipe for a while and this one was phenomenal. I added green olives to it, but didn’t have raisins. It was sooooo delicious. Easy, one pan meal with rice or tortillas! This one is a keeper!

  2. Hi! What brand tortilla do you like to char for these? I have not had much luck w the Mission GF as they get too gummy. Whng that is your method for charring what you use? TY!

  3. so you say let it simmer for an hour question, if I cook this in a pressure cooker would I let it just cook for the time that would take to get the potatoes soft? would you have a idea of how much time to cook in a pressure cooker?

  4. 5 stars
    I didn’t have time to make tacos tonight, so I threw this stew together and left it to simmer to go shopping. When my family and I got home the whole house smelled amazing. We all enjoyed this meal as much as tacos…we topped our bowls with pico di gallo and cheese. It was amazing. Thanks.

  5. 5 stars
    This dish has become a staple in our home! We love it and we just made it for a whole group of guests this last weekend. It was a hit! Everyone wants the recipe.
    I add a little more of the spices than is called for along with paprika because I can’t help myself. Haha
    Thanks for a great recipe!

    1. That’s awesome, Mollie! We’re so glad everyone loved it!

  6. 5 stars
    This version is so much better than the version in your cook once eat all week cook book. When I made the recipe from your cookbook I kept saying it was missing something in the flavor profile but I couldn’t figure out what it was. The diced tomatoes, green bell pepper and ACV made a world of difference. Thank you!

    1. So glad you love this recipe, Heather! Thank you for the feedback!

    1. Not silly!! Instead of putting the lid all the way on the pot, leave it open just a bit! I hope that helps.

  7. We have loved the version of this that is in Cook Once Eat All Week- truly a family go-to at this point!

    I’ve wondered… what is the main differences between this sauce and an enchilada sauce? From time to time I’ve wanted to shortcut and use a canned sauce instead of making one.