This Picadillo recipe is a versatile and delicious meal with endless possibilities. It combines ground beef, tomato sauce, fresh veggies, and green olives for a quick and easy meal that’s full of flavor. Enjoy Picadillo over rice or serve it up in tacos, salads, or meal prep bowls that you’ll never get tired of.
Flavors From My Childhood
Picadillo is a Latin American dish that has so many variations depending on the region and who’s cooking it. The base is ground meat in tomato sauce, and the add-ins vary like crazy, so you could use whatever veggies and spices you like.
Growing up in Brazil, we had picadillo all the time. It was one of my mom’s go-to recipes because it’s so versatile, affordable, easy, and quick to make—and we loved every version she prepared.
But just to be clear, in Brazil we don’t call it picadillo (a Spanish word that comes from picar, meaning “to mince”) like in many other Latin American countries. We simply call it what it is: refogado de carne moída com verduras, which translates to ground beef with vegetables.
Of course, since Brazil is such a large country, in other regions people probably have different names for it, such as picadinho, carne moída refogada, or even just carne moída com batata when potatoes are added.
Now I make this delicious comfort food for my family and I like to serve it with homemade pico de gallo, guacamole on top, air fryer green beans and fluffy white rice.
It’s also a fantastic filling or topping for scramble eggs, burritos, tortilla chips, nachos, and taco salad. When I have extra bell peppers on hand, I always make a picadillo version of my favorite ground turkey stuffed peppers, with lots of melty cheese on top.
Gather These Ingredients
Ground Beef: I’m using ground beef today, but this recipe works with any ground meat. I use ground turkey or ground chicken when I want a leaner version, or pork and hot chorizo when I’m craving something spicy.
Vegatebles: Onions, garlic, fresh tomatoes, bell pepper, and olives are my go-to mix for picadillo. The flavors work so well together without being overpowering. If you have other veggies on hand, like carrots, potatoes, peas, sweet potatoes, raisins or green beans, toss those in too.
Tomato sauce: It’s what makes this picadillo recipe so incredible! It’s just a simple combination of tomato sauce, beef broth, and seasonings. When I need a shortcut, I use pre-made taco seasoning, adobo and/or sazón and it works perfectly.
All ingredients and their amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How To Make The Best Picadillo Recipe
First: Sauté the onion in olive oil until it starts to soften. Then add the garlic to the same skillet and cook it for about 30 seconds before adding the tomatoes and bell peppers.
Second: Place one pound of ground beef in the skillet with the veggies and cook until it’s nice and brown. Use a wooden spoon or meat chopper to break up the meat while it cooks.
Next: Pour the tomato sauce and beef broth into the skillet before adding the seasonings. Stir everything well and let it simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Finally: Now it’s time to mix in the green olives. Let them simmer just for a couple of minutes. Then, discard the bay leaf, give the beef picadillo one last stir, and enjoy the recipe!
Olivia’s Recipe Tips
- If I’m using it as a filling, I like a thicker picadillo, but if I’m serving it over rice, I like it extra saucy. It’s very easy to adjust the consistency by letting it simmer longer to thicken or adding extra broth to thin it out.
- Be sure to taste as you go. Once the ground beef is cooked, I taste the picadillo several times to adjust the seasonings or spiciness.
- Prep and chop all the ingredients in advance to make this recipe even easier. Just toss it all into the skillet and dinner’s ready in about 20 minutes.
More Mexican-Inspired Recipes!
Picadillo Recipe – Ground Beef with Tomato Sauce & Green Olives
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup chopped onion
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small tomato diced
- ½ red bell pepper finely chopped
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- ¼ cup beef broth
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coriander
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons pitted green olives sliced
- Fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 2–3 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in the diced tomato and chopped red bell pepper. Cook for about 3–4 minutes until the veggies are soft.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet. Cook, breaking it apart with a spoon or a meat chopper, until it’s browned and fully cooked—about 5–7 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
- Stir in the tomato sauce, beef broth, cumin, coriander, bay leaves, salt, and black pepper. Mix well. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Stir in the sliced green olives and simmer for another 2 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or cilantro. Serve hot with rice, plantains, or use it as a filling for tacos or empanadas.
Notes
- If your ground beef renders a lot of fat, be sure to drain it before adding the sauce.
- Add a splash more beef broth if the meat and veggies start to dry out.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?
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