Mexican Picadillo
Ground beef simmered with potato, onion, and tomato in warm spices — comfort straight from the pan.
Ingredients
- 500 g Ground beef
- 2 Potatoes
- 400 g Canned tomatoes
- 1 Onion
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 1½ tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Smoked paprika
- ½ Cinnamon stick
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 250 g Rice (optional)
- 2 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
- 50 g Kalamata olives (optional)
- 30 g Raisins (optional)
Method
- Rinse the rice and cook it in twice its volume of water, covered, until tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- While the rice cooks, peel and dice the potatoes into 1.5 cm cubes. Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Heat the oil in a wide pan over medium-high. Brown the beef hard, breaking it up, until deeply coloured, about 5 minutes.
- Add the onion and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic, cumin, paprika, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves and toast for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the potatoes, tomatoes, salt, and pepper. Add a splash of water if dry, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the olives and raisins if using and cook uncovered for 2 minutes to meld.
- Discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves. Spoon over the rice and scatter the cilantro on top.
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About Mexican Picadillo
Mexican picadillo is a classic one-pan ground beef dish found across Mexico and much of Latin America, where minced meat is simmered with vegetables and warm spices into a homey, saucy braise. This version cubes potato right into the mix so it turns soft and almost creamy as it cooks, while tomato, onion, and garlic build a savory base seasoned with cumin, smoked paprika, and a cinnamon stick that lends a subtle sweet-spiced warmth. The optional raisins and olives are a traditional touch that pushes the dish toward the signature sweet-and-salty balance many regional picadillos are known for.
Browning the beef hard before the vegetables go in is what gives the dish its deep, meaty flavor rather than a boiled taste, and toasting the spices for thirty seconds before the tomatoes wakes up their aroma. The result is unfussy comfort food that comes straight from the pan, saucy enough to spoon generously and mild enough for the whole table. Rice cooks alongside it and is the natural partner, soaking up the tomato-spiced juices, though picadillo is just as at home as a filling for tacos or stuffed peppers. A scatter of cilantro at the end keeps it fresh.
Mexican Picadillo: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Mexican Picadillo?
A serving has about 721 calories — 32.2g protein, 83g carbs, 28.6g fat, 6.9g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 32.2g of protein, roughly 18% of its calories.
Is Mexican Picadillo gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Mexican Picadillo has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Do I need every ingredient to make Mexican Picadillo?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out rice, cilantro, kalamata olives — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Mexican Picadillo make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.