What is Picadillo?
Picadillo is from the Spanish word picar meaning "to mince" referring to the use of minced meat and small cuts of vegetables. It is a popular dish among Latin Americans and in the Philippines.
Ingredients are pantry friendly as it commonly includes ground beef, tomatoes, olives, and raisins. Other various veggies and spices are also added depending on the country. This recipe includes potatoes, carrots, and green peas.
Here in the Philipines, it is usually likened to Giniling, a dish of ground pork and vegetables simmered in a delicious tomato sauce. Many Filipinos also associate this dish with Arroz ala Cubana, where it is one of the main components upon serving.
Foxy Tips when making Picadillo
- To ensure quick and consistent cooking, cut your potatoes and carrots in the same size and evenly.
- You can also use ground pork instead of beef or use a mix of both. You may also try ground chicken or turkey meat for a leaner protein meal option.
- If you want to make the soupy version of this dish, simply add beef broth or more water and some greens like pechay or bok choy. You can omit the olives and raisins if you want.
- Adding raisins add a natural sweetness to this dish, if you are not a fan and want to omit it, you can add honey for extra flavor instead.
- If you like soft, plumer and less sweet raisins, soak them in warm water about 1 hour before cooking.
Make-Ahead and Meal Prepping
This is actually a great dish to include in your weekly prep meal rotation. Aside from the fact that it is easy to make, it also stores well for several days. Making a big batch of this is always a great idea, because of its versatility. You can serve it on top of steaming white rice one day, then serve in tacos or make a burrito out of it on other days! You can also use it on your nachos topped with jalapenos, salsa, cheese, and sour cream.
Storing and Reheating
Cool to room temperature before dividing it into individual portions. Use airtight containers or plastic bags to stack them up in the refrigerator or freezer. It will be good for up to a week once refrigerated but can last up to 3 months when frozen.
When it is time to consume, defrost it overnight in the fridge first before heating. Reheat in the microwave at high for 3 minutes. You can also warm it in a pan, stove-top. Adding a bit of oil and searing one side until a bit charred without stirring will give it another layer of flavor to enjoy.
Printable Recipe
Picadillo
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 pounds lean ground beef or pork or mixed
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 4 pieces ripe tomatoes seeded and chopped
- 1 medium potato cubed
- 1 medium carrot cubed
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup raisins
- ½ cup green olives or capers if big cut into halves
- ½ cup green peas
- salt
Instructions
- Heat oil over medium heat and saute garlic and onion until aromatic. Add the ground beef and break into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon. Cook until no longer pink. Add soy sauce and ground pepper and stir several times until it turns brown.
- Add the tomatoes and cook until tomatoes become soft and start to break down a bit.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, raisins, olives, and green peas and mix. Pour in water and bring to a simmer until carrots and potatoes are cooked and liquids are almost gone. Season with salt as needed.
- Transfer to a serving dish and enjoy.
Lori says
Good recipe, my first time to try to cook this recipe. The ingredients are all simple and can get easily buy to a supermarket. Thank you for sharing.
Bebs says
You are welcome, Lori.