Mexican Picadillo + VIDEO

Picadillo is a classic Mexican recipe that delivers big bold flavors and is comforting on chilly nights. Made with ground beef, potatoes, and a Northern twist.

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Mexican picadillo served on a white plate next to Mexican rice and fresh cilantro.

Mexican Picadillo is the ultimate comfort food and perfect for weeknight dinners!

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Everyone has their own version of making this popular dish.

It even varies from family to family, but this is the way my family makes it in Durango, Mexico.

Bursting with flavor and filled with fond memories.

Table of Contents

1 🥩 Ingredients
2 🌶️ How to Rehydrate Chile Pasado
3 🥫 How to Make the Tomato Sauce
4 👩🏼‍🍳 Cooking Beef
5 🙋🏻‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
6 🍴 Sides
7 😋 HUNGRY FOR MORE?
8 Mexican Picadillo

🥩 Ingredients

Lean Ground Beef – Swap out for ground turkey, ground chicken, or ground pork.
Chile Pasado – Can’t find it? Use either 2 roasted poblano peppers or 2 roasted chilaca.
Potato – Dice the potato into small pieces so it can cook faster.
Substitute corn oil for olive oil.
Tomatoes and jalapeno are needed to make a spicy tomato sauce.
Water – Please see recipe card below for exact measurements.
Onion and garlic add great flavor to this (and just about any) dish.
Salt can be substituted with chicken bouillon or beef bouillon.
Black Pepper adds a subtle sharpness.
Cumin and Mexican oregano are both earthy and deep spices.

Here, I’m calling this recipe “Picadillo estilo Durango.”

However, some people in the Northern states might refer to it as “Picadillo Ranchero” or “Picadillo Norteño.”

A great way to make this a more complete meal is to add veggies like green beans or carrots. Or add frozen peas at the end of the cooking. Adjust this basic recipe to make it your own.

🌶️ How to Rehydrate Chile Pasado

Chile pasado rehydrated and chopped into small pieces.

Pour hot water over the chile pasado and let sit for 20 minutes. OR, boil in hot water and let stand for 5 minutes with the lid on.
Remove the stems and seeds. Chop into small pieces.

Chile pasado is not a type of chile. It’s a type of drying method commonly used in Durango and Chihuahua.

Typically, we use poblano peppers and chilacas to make chile pasado. If you can’t find it, use roasted poblano pepper.

🥫 How to Make the Tomato Sauce

Tomatoes and jalapeno cooking in a pot and blending in a blender.

Boil two fresh tomatoes and a jalapeno over medium heat.
Blend until smooth.

Remove the skins and the stem on the jalapeno before blending.

This recipe is not too spicy. Level 5 to 6. But if you like it spicier, use more jalapeño peppers or serrano pepper in the tomato sauce or rehydrate more chile pasado. Or if you can’t handle spice at all, substitute the chiles with green bell pepper.

👩🏼‍🍳 Cooking Beef

Ground beef is cooking in a black skillet on a stovetop, with chopped onions and seasonings freshly added on top but not yet mixed in—classic beginnings for Mexican Picadillo. Steam rises from the hot food.

Heat the oil in a large skillet.
Cook ground meat until brown on medium-high heat.
Add onion, garlic, teaspoon cumin, oregano, salt and pepper.

Let the ground beef brown before proceeding to the next step.

Fun fact: Some countries in Latin America make empanadas with this dish.

Potatoes and tomato sauce being added to a large skillet with ground beef.

Add diced potatoes to the beef mixture. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add the rehydrated chile pasado and tomato sauce.
Stir with a wooden spoon to combine. Simmer for 10 minutes on medium-low heat, or until potatoes have a fork tender texture.

These are only about 1-inch squared potatoes and don’t take a long time to cook. The smaller the potatoes, the faster they cook.

It might look juicy here, but it cooks down after 10 minutes.

For a juicier beef picadillo, add 1 cup of beef broth with the tomato sauce. For an even thicker consistency, add a tablespoon of tomato paste.

A white plate with Mexican rice and a flavorful Mexican Picadillo Recipe featuring ground beef stew with potatoes and nopales, garnished with cilantro. The plate rests on a wooden surface beside a wicker basket lid.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called picadillo?

Picadillo was invented in Spain and was later adopted by Latin American countries. Ground beef is always used in this recipe because it comes from the Spanish word picar which means “to mince.”

How do I store it?

Store leftover picadillo mexicano in an airtight container and place in the fridge for 3-4 days. Potatoes do not store well in the freezer. Remove and place the ground beef in a plastic bag, removing as much air as possible. Store in the freezer in a freezer bag for up to 4 months.

How do I reheat it?

Serve on a plate and reheat in a microwave for 1 ½ to 2 minutes.
OR, reheat in a large pan for 5 minutes on medium high heat. You might need to add some beef broth depending on the amount that’s being reheated.
OR, if frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then reheat in a pot with 1 cup of beef broth for 5-7 minutes.

Mexican picadillo served on a white plate next to Mexican rice and chile pasado.

🍴 Sides

Mexican Picadillo (estilo Durango) is pure comfort food and perfect for the whole family. Serve as tacos or as a filling for enchiladas. This traditional dish delivers richness, depth, flavor, and spice. Buen provecho!