Ground beef picadillo is an absolutely delicious dish perfect for your busy weeknights. A combination of ground beef, vegetables, and raisins give you that hint of sweetness in every spoonful. Make sure you have enough for seconds!
It's one of those dishes that will surely become a regular in your house because the ingredients are pretty much kitchen staples in any kitchen.
And if you think ground beef picadillo is hard to resist when it's just been transferred from the pan, it tastes even better the following day. Seriously.
Don't take my word for it. See (or taste) for yourself!
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Ingredients
- Oil - any vegetable oil is excellent for this ground beef picadillo recipe.
- Garlic - minced or finely sliced.
- Onion - yellow or red onion, as long as you chop it finely.
- Ground beef - sometimes called minced beef (depending on which part of the world you come from 🙂 ).
- Crushed tomatoes - just use your favorite brand.
- Stock - I strongly suggest beef stock to add more depth to your ground beef picadillo.
- Potatoes - the waxy kind, not the starchy one.
- Carrot - peeled and then diced.
- Raisins - use the brand you have on hand.
- Soy sauce - provides more salt to this beef picadillo (plus a bit of umami).
- Peas - frozen green peas are great for this recipe.
- Salt and ground black pepper - use what you have available.
Preparation
Start preparing your ground beef picadillo by heating the vegetable oil on a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is ready, add garlic and onion and cook until they soften.
Add the ground beef (photo 1).
Mix and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
Add crushed tomatoes, stock, salt, and pepper (photo 2).
Mix, cover with a lid and bring to a boil.
Adjust the heat to medium-low and simmer for twelve to fifteen minutes.
Add the potatoes, carrots, and raisins (photo 3).
Mix, place the lid back on and adjust heat to medium.
Cook your ground beef picadillo for about ten minutes, then add the soy sauce.
Cover with the lid, adjust the heat back to medium-low, and continue simmering until the vegetables are cooked.
Uncover, taste, and adjust seasoning and add the peas (photo 4).
Mix, turn the heat back to medium, cover, and cook for two more minutes.
Take the pan off the heat and transfer into plates.
Serve.
Helpful tips
- Chop the onion finely --- the aim is for them to disappear (once cooked) in your beef picadillo completely.
- Dice the carrot and potatoes in the same size and just slightly bigger than the green peas.
- While chicken or vegetable stock are good alternatives, beef stock is the best kind you can use to give more depth to the flavor of beef picadillo.
Recipe variation
- Green olives. It provides that 'salty' burst against the sweetness of the raisins and peas.
- Bell pepper. Red bell pepper can be added and chopped the same way as the potatoes and carrots.
- Tomato paste. Some use less crushed tomatoes, more stock, and then a tablespoon (or two) of tomato paste.
- Worcestershire sauce. If you have it around, add the same quantity as the soy sauce, and I promise you that you will love it. 🙂
FAQs
Steamed white rice is excellent with it.
This beef picadillo is packed with flavor, so you need a neutral dish to complement it.
Absolutely.
Transfer it in a tight, freezer-proof container as soon as it gets cold, then place it in the freezer for longer storage.
See how easy it is to make this ground beef picadillo recipe? So, try it tonight and let me know! 🙂
*Originally published in Food and Journeys.
Happy cooking!
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📖 Recipe
Ground Beef Picadillo Recipe
Equipment
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Large pan (or skillet)
- Rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, sliced finely
- 1 pound ground beef (about 500 grams), thawed
- 1 & 1/4 cups crushed tomatoes
- 1 & 1/2 cups stock
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 1/2 cup raisins, heaping
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- 1 cup green peas
- salt and pepper, to season
Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, then pour and heat vegetable oil.
- Add garlic and onion once the oil is ready and cook until it softens.
- Add ground beef.
- Mix and cook until the ground meat is no longer pink.
- Add tomato sauce, stock, salt, and pepper.
- Mix, cover with a lid and bring to a boil.
- Adjust the heat to medium-low and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes.
- Add the diced potatoes, carrots, and raisins.
- Mix, place the lid back on and adjust heat to medium.
- Cook for about 10 minutes, then add the soy sauce.
- Cover with the lid, adjust the heat back to medium-low, and continue simmering your beef picadillo until the vegetables are cooked.
- Uncover, taste, and adjust seasoning and add the peas.
- Mix, turn the heat back to medium, cover, and cook for two more minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat and transfer it into serving plates.
- Serve and enjoy your ground beef picadillo!
Notes
- Cook's Tip #1: Chop the onion finely --- the aim is for them to disappear (once cooked) in the dish.
- Cook's Tip #2: Dice the carrot and potatoes in the same size and just slightly bigger than the green peas, if possible.
- Cook's Tip #3: While chicken or vegetable stock are good alternatives, beef stock is the best kind that you can use to give more depth to the flavor of beef picadillo.
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