Mexican Picadillo Ground Beef Recipe

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Homemade Picadillo

This Mexican picadillo ground beef recipe is a savory latin dish that features ground meat, potatoes and spices.  It carries tons of flavor and is a satiating and delicious meal. The picadillo meat filling is typically paired with tortilla wraps or rice and may also be used as the filling for a burrito or taco dish. This recipe is a Mexican style picadillo but there are various versions from other regions – Cuban picadillo and Puerto Rican picadillo are eaqually infamous. If you have never tried picadillo before this is something you should put on your ‘to make list’ and definitely make it with my homemade wrap tortilla recipe to get the best experience. 

This recipe is simple, easy and doesn’t take too much time to prepare.  It is an easy meal to make a large quantity of, so you can enjoy for many nights and relish in the convenience of pre-made dinner on work nights.  You may also freeze this meal and it will stay good for many months if packaged and sealed properly. Picadillo is easy to pair with a host of other sides such as beans, rice, vegetables or served with wraps. This easy picadillo recipe was made in just 35 minutes and fed us for days!

Have you ever had picadillo out at a Mexican restaurant before? This homemade picadillo is the best I have had anywhere. It is a simple picadillo recipe but packs a ton of flavor and is as satisfying as you will find. There are many different variations of picadillo, the most popular are beef picadillo, pork picadillo and turkey picadillo.  Additional ingredients that vary from place to place are: olives, raisins and the use of different spices.  If you’re looking for Mexican ground beef recipes this is the perfect recipe to make for an authentic and comforting meal.   

Cuban picadillo has green olives and sometimes raisins in it, which isn’t part of this recipe but if you love these ingredients feel free to add them to this recipe. 

You may use a few different cooking methods – there is crock pot picadillo (slow cooker picadillo), instant pot picadillo using a pressure cooker or cooking in a pot on the stove top, which is what I outline in the instructions below. Carne picadillo or ground beef picadillo isn’t easily overcooked the way that carne steak is.  Keep a cover on while cooking to help the moisture goes back into the meat which helps it to stay tender. 

Vegan picadillo can be made with a plant-based meat alternative.  My favorite way to replace meat is by using mushrooms.  Mushrooms have a meaty texture and earthiness that resembles meat.  You can use a fake meat crumble but I recommend trying a whole plant, as most fake meat products often have unfavorable ingredients and can be challenging to digest. 

This recipe serves 8-9 people. I measured this recipe to be larger on the serving size because this is truly a family-style meal and great for leftovers or even freezing for a later date.  Picadillo is also known to be a communal dish and great for potlucks and gatherings.  You can always scale the proportions down on this recipe to suit your needs.

Read on to learn how to make Mexican picadillo ground beef recipe!

Mexican picadillo ground beef recipe:

• Ground beef
• Potatoes
• Onion 
• Garlic
• Bouillon
• Dried Mexican oregano (or regular)
• Ground Ceylon cinnamon 
• Whole cinnamon sticks
• Bay leaves

Ingredient Notes:

-2 lbs of ground beef or another type of ground meat such as turkey, pork or venison

-8 small potatoes

-1 large onion, white or yellow

-5 or 6 large cloves of garlic

-1.5 Tbsp of vegetable bouillon from Better Than Bouillon company

-3/4 Tbsp dried Mexican oregano or regular oregano 

-1/2 Tbsp cinnamon, ground Ceylon

-3 bay leaves

Instructions:

1. Chop the onions and garlic.
2. Add to your pot – a Tbsp of olive oil and sauté until the onions become translucent.
3. Chop the potato into small cubes and set aside.
4. Add the ground beef to the garlic and onions and cook on medium heat.
5. When the ground beef is almost fully cooked add the potatoes, bouillon, bay leaves, oregano, cinnamon sticks and ground cinnamon.  
6. Mix and then place a cover over the pot and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
7. When the potatoes and meat are fully cooked remove from the heat and remove the whole cinnamon sticks and bay leaves for discarding. Top with fresh chopped cilantro, chopped white onion and lime wedges.
8. Serve with my fresh homemade wraps and scoop the picadillo onto the wraps.

Notes:

Picadillo with potatoes: cut the potatoes into cubes, trying to keep the cubes as consistently the same size as possible to ensure that they are cooked through at relatively the same time. 

For instant pot picadillo, follow the instructions per your pressure cooker manufacturer, for ground beef.  The cook time should be short!

Variations:

Cuban picadillo recipe: add the optional green olives or raisins. 

Puerto Rican picadillo recipe: add green olives.

Spanish picadillo recipe: add green olives, capers and raisins.

Brazilian picadillo: add vinegar and hot spice.

Filipino picadillo: add carrots, peas and green olives.

Vegetarian picadillo: mushrooms or cauliflower.

FAQ:

Can I swap out the meat for something other than meat and still have it be pound for pound in the recipe porportions? 

Yes.  For example, if you would like to use a leaner meat, you can swap out the beef to make a turkey picadillo recipe. Or swap out for another type of meat or veggie alternative.

What are the variety of lean versus higher fat content meats?

Pork picadillo- higher fat content.

Beef picadillo- medium fat content, can be found in varying levels of fat, ie lean beef or not.

Ground turkey picadillo- lean meat or low fat content.

Chicken picadillo- lean meat of low fat content.

* For a more healthy picadillo recipe I recommend going with either ground chicken or ground turkey.

What are the differences between Cuban beef picadillo and this Mexican variation?

The cuban variation has green olives and sometimes raisins.

What is picadillo sauce ?

It is a reduction of the liquids displaced out of the ingredients such as the onion, garlic, tomato juices, moisture and fat rendered from the meat, bouillon and the spices. 

Can this recipe be made as carne picadillo by adding cubed steak instead?

Yes, although I would choose a steak with a bit higher fat content and chop it pretty small.

This easy picadillo recipe will be a new favorite for you and your family.  Authentic picadillo recipes are easy to come by but this one keeps it simple while still optimizing the flavor and experience. Don’t forget to make this recipe with my homemade wraps as this definitely delivers the best eating experience.  

This is a great recipe to try if you’re a fan of warm comforting hearty stews, Mexican flavors and eating with tortillas or wraps. If you do try this picadillo taco recipe please rate it or comment below and if you made any alterations. If you want to let me in on your ideas on this recipe, I would love to hear about it!  If you would like to share or pin on Pinterest I am always thankful.  Check out my food journey on Pinterest at Molé in the Wall.

Now you know how to make Mexican picadillo ground beef recipe! I am certain you and your whole family with love this recipe and it will be one that will become a generational tradition.

If you like this recipe you may enjoy a few other favorites : Barbacoa tacos, Mexican chicken soup (caldo de pollo) and for dessert, cranberry and rosemary bread pudding!

Thanks for stopping by!

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