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Mexican Picadillo

5 from 6 votes
Mexican Picadillo is an aromatic dish packed with complex flavors, featuring ground beef, potatoes, and veggies smothered in a rich salsa. Best of all, it's easy to make, delicious, and budget-friendly. 
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients

Salsa

  • 4 roma tomatoes, halved  
  • 2 tomatillos
  • 1/2 white onion, roughly cut 
  • 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled 
  • 1 serrano, stemmed 
  • 1/2 tsp Mexican dry oregano
  • 2 cups beef broth, low sodium

Picadillo 

Veggies

  • 1 large gold potato, medium diced 
  • 2 carrots, peeled and medium sliced
  • 1 cup frozen corn
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, cut in half
  • 1 cup frozen peas
  • Salt to taste

Top With

  • Cilantro, chopped 
  • Lime juice 

Instructions

Roast Ingredients for Salsa 

  • Preheat oven to high broil. Arrange tomatoes, tomatillos, onion, garlic, and Serrano pepper on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer. Drizzle with a small amount of oil and broil on the third top rack for about 10-15 minutes, or until charred and cooked through.
  • Once roasted, remove from the oven and let the ingredients cool slightly. Transfer them to a blender, then add the oregano and beef broth. Blend until it is completely smooth. Set the mixture aside for a moment.

Make the Picadillo 

  • Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of neutral-tasting oil, such as avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add the ground meat and use a potato masher to press it down into an even layer. Let the meat cook until the underside has browned, then break it apart into smaller pieces.
  • Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is slightly soft and translucent. Then, mix in the paprika, ground ancho chile, ground onion, ground garlic, ground cumin, ground pepper, and tomato paste. Toast the spice mixture for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant. 
  • Finally, add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften and break down.
  • Stir in the potatoes, carrots, corn, salsa, and cilantro. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a steady simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes. 
  • Add the peas and continue cooking uncovered for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to your liking and the vegetables are tender. Finally, stir in the salt. 

Serve

Course: Main
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: Ground Beef, Mexican Food, Mexican Picadillo