Picadillo Recipe

Picadillo is Mexico's comforting ground beef hash, seasoned with cumin and cinnamon and studded with potatoes, tomatoes and sweet raisins. It is the filling for tacos and empanadas, the topping for tostadas, and a weeknight dinner all on its own. One pan, thirty minutes, and everyone comes back for more.

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

Servings

4 servings

Calories

480

Ingredients

• 500 g ground beef
• 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 40 g raisins
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Salt and black pepper
• Chopped coriander, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan and brown the beef over high heat, breaking it up as it cooks.
2. Add the onion, garlic and green pepper and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
3. Stir in the cumin and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
4. Add the tomatoes, potatoes, raisins and bay leaf with 120 ml water.
5. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.
6. Season well, discard the bay leaf and serve scattered with coriander.

Pro tips

• Brown the beef properly before adding anything else for the best flavour.
• Cut the potatoes small so they cook through in 20 minutes.
• The raisins may seem odd, but they balance the savoury spices beautifully.
• Serve with rice, beans or warm tortillas.

Frequently asked questions