Here is a photo of my variation with ancho peppers added in. I love it! If you’ve never tried picadillo before, this is a recipe you’ll want to add to your recipe collection. Mexican Picadillo is quick and easy to make, it’s big on flavor, and you can really customize it with many other potential ingredients. Picadillo is a dish you’ll find in many different countries around the world, particularly in Latin America, where you’ll find Puerto Rican picadillo, Cuban picadillo, and many others. This is a Mexican style picadillo, and I hope you love it. Some regional versions include like carrots, olives, almonds and raisins, which is similar to Cuban style. Ground meat is used in most recipes, though chicken or seafood are interesting variations. Guajillo or ancho peppers are another variation, which add a deep, earthy flavor that I love. I sometimes include them. It is often served with rice or tortillas, though it is popular stuffed into roasted peppers or stuffed into pastries. This version is a simple one, focusing on the meat and potatoes aspect, as well as the seasonings, though you can include other ingredients as desired. Consider this a base picadillo recipe. Let’s discuss how to make picadillo, shall we? Garlic and Ground Beef. Add the garlic and add ground beef. Break up the ground beef with a wooden spoon and brown it up for 5 minutes. The meat doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through. Simmer the Picadillo. Cook, stirring occasionally at a simmer for 20 minutes to cook through and let the potatoes soften up. Check it at 15 minutes for doneness. Adjust for salt and pepper. Serve the Picadillo. Serve over cooked white rice or with warmed corn tortillas with extra peppers, spicy chili flakes and lime juice! Don’t forget your favorite hot sauce. Boom! Done! Looks wonderful, doesn’t it? I love a good picadillo. So easy to make, right? I love that. Make it with ground turkey or chicken for a lighter version of this classic comfort food. Swap the potatoes for other root vegetables, like rutabaga, yellow beats, or sweet potatoes. If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations.
Tacos. Serve it with tortillas and enjoy them taco style. Nachos. Serve it over crispy tortilla chips and top with melted cheese. Perfection! Stuffed Peppers. Try my picadillo stuffed peppers recipe. I think you’ll love it.
You can also freeze it in vacuum sealed bags or containers for 3 months or longer. That’s it! I hope you LOVE this as much as I do! SO. GOOD! Let me know if you make it. Send pics! I want to hear!! – Mike H. NOTE: This recipe was updated on 5/5/23 to include new information, photos, and video. It was originally published on 4/18/18.
