Beef Picadillo is an old-fashioned favorite recipe that every beginner chef should master. Why? Well, picadillo can be converted and added to so many different dishes. Also, it is incredibly easy to make! And best of all, the ingredients are inexpensive and usually in your home kitchen pantry.
Easy Mealtime Prep!
Taco Tuesday is closer than you think if you have a prepared batch of Beef Picadillo in the refrigerator. Filling for Chiles Rellenos can also be made with this savory beef filling. Nachos, tostadas or chalupas are perfect candidates for a Beef Picadillo topping. Even a bowl of Mexican Style Rice is made better!
If your ground beef is still frozen, no problem! Simply place the frozen ground beef in your cooking pan and cover. The heat will thaw and cook the ground beef in no time! Move the ground beef to the side of the pan, and then brown the onions. Once the onions are well caramelized, stir together and continue with the recipe! Easy enough!
Economical and Convenient too!
You can add different vegetables to the Beef Picadillo, such as diced uncooked zucchini squash or diced bell peppers. And if company stops by, you can definitely add more potatoes to stretch this dish for more people at the table!
I highly recommend making this dish a day in advance of serving it. The flavors are so much better! Also, once it is cooked and cooled down completely, you can pop it in the freezer to serve much later. This is one of the most versatile convenient dishes that I know!
I prefer to use an 85%/15% lean to fat ground beef for best flavor. If the ground beef is too lean, the Beef Picadillo will not have enough flavor. If your ground beef seems too fatty, you can chill the picadillo after it is cooked and spoon away any unwanted fat.
Beef Picadillo
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
2 lb. ground beef (1kg)
1 large onion, chopped
1 small potato, diced
1 large carrot, diced
½ cup frozen peas (55g)
2 tomatoes, seeded and quartered
1 clove garlic
2 cups water (480ml)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
In a large Dutch oven or straight sided sauté pan, heat the ground beef until a little bit of the fat renders. Clear away a space in the center of the pan so that fat can collect. Add the onions, and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the diced potatoes, carrots, and peas.
Meanwhile in the container of a blender, add the tomatoes, garlic and water. Puree until smooth. Pour into the browned beef mixture. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.
If desired, spoon out the rendered fat before serving.
Notes
Removing the fat is easier if the Beef Picadillo is fully cooked then chilled down in the refrigerator. Make a day ahead of time for best results.
Would love to save this to Pinterest but having no success!
Thanksfor the heads up Karen! We are working on our Pinterest account! Apologies!