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La Piña en la Cocina

Embracing my Mexican heritage and sharing all the wonderful flavors, colors and foods I grew up with. Join me on this journey as I also learn new foods and cooking techniques. Dedicated to my parents Ramiro and Blanca.

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Home » Beef~Res » Picadillo Ranchero

Picadillo Ranchero

June 4, 20228 Comments

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Picadillo ranchero translates to ranch style ground beef. Sounds simple, right? It’s those simple ingredients and simple flavors that transport us to abuela’s cocina. No lengthy steps, prep ahead or waiting for this easy and traditional Mexican recipe.

https://animoto.com/play/wxBWPHhnTnN5AekmBjdY7g
picadillo plated with pinto beans

After Baby Food, After Sopita, There Was Picadillo!

Lol! Sounds funny, but most times that’s how it went in our family. Picadillo or ground beef dishes were my first introduction to eating meat as a toddler. I think that’s why many of us feel so much affection and nostalgia when it comes to picadillo, sopita and frijolitos (ground beef, fideo pasta and beans).

plated picadillo close up

Picadillo Ranchero, Picadillo Caldoso y Picadillo en Caldo!

Ranch style ground beef, soupy ground beef and ground beef soup! It just kind of doesn’t sound as tasty if you try to translate it in English! Nowadays, Mexican food is so popular, that the general public recognizes many words in Spanish. No translation required! I cannot emphasize enough how simple the ingredients are, but so delicious in the end. Taste even better the next day. Imagine the possibilities on the variations you can prepare! Mix in your favorite vegetables!

plated picadillo, skillet with fideo, bowl with pickled jalapeños, cookbook on table

Fideo, Beans and Picadillo Go Hand in Hand!

Whether you enjoy sopa de fideo with extra broth or sopa seca as pictured above, they are both delicious with beans and picadillo! Mom prepared beef picadillo often. My favorite picadillo con papa was my favorite, still is, and what she stuffed her chiles rellenos with! In case you didn’t know, when you see a word highlighted in blue, means there is a recipe link that you can click onto.

close up of plated picadillo, fideo, pinto beans close up
collage of roasted green chiles
collage of ground beef with spices in pot
ground cumin seed in molcajete
collage of diced onion and minced garlic
collage of tomato puree and bouillon
diced red potatoes on cutting board
sliced green chiles going into pot
picadillo ranchero on large wooden spoon
picadillo on large wooden spoon
plated picadillo with whole pinto beans in shallow bowl, fideo and jalapeños on table
picadillo plated with pinto beans

Picadillo Ranchero

A Mexican style rustic ground beef and potato soup! Pure comfort food!
4.67 from 3 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes
Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients

  • 2 large poblano peppers
  • 2 Anaheim peppers
  • 2 large jalapeño peppers
  • 1 1/2 lbs ground chuck
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp granulated garlic
  • 1 tsp cumin previously ground, or you can grind cumin seeds for more flavor
  • 1 tsp Mexican oregano, crushed
  • Avocado or olive oil, if needed
  • 1 cup white onion, diced
  • 4 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 roma tomato, roughly chopped
  • 1 serrano pepper, roughly chopped
  • 6 cups water or broth(beef or chicken)
  • 3 tsps chicken or beef bouillon powder
  • 4 red potatoes, diced
  • small handful of fresh cilantro or epazote I forgot to add it! Lol!

Instructions

  • Preheat broiler on high. Wash poblanos, Anaheim and jalapeños. Remove the stems. For easier clean up, remove the seeds from the large peppers. If you prefer less heat, you can remove seeds from jalapeños as well. Place on sheet pan about 6-8 inches under broiler for 15-20 minutes, turning over halfway through cooking time. Transfer to a plastic bag and let steam while you prep other ingredients.
  • Transfer beef to a large pot and heat to medium. I didn't think it needed any oil at this time. Season with salt, pepper, garlic, cumin and oregano. Stir well to combine and cook for 10 minutes or until beef is just brown all around.
  • To the blender, add the tomato, serrano pepper and 1 cup of water or broth. Blend on high until smooth. Set aside.
  • Add the onions and garlic to the beef and saute for 3-4 minutes.
  • Mix in the blended tomato sauce. Pour in 5 cups of water or broth of your choice. If using the bouillon powder, mix that in as it comes up to a simmer. Bring up to light boil and taste for salt and other spices. Adjust to your liking.
  • While caldo comes up to a simmer, remove the roasted chiles from plastic bag. Remove the blistered skins and slice into short strips. Set aside.
  • Once the caldo comes up to a steady boil and most of the light foam from tomatoes has evaporated, add in the diced potatoes and green chile. After 5 minutes add the cilantro. Cook just until potatoes are cooked through.
  • Ladle into shallow bowls with fresh cooked whole beans and fideo. You can garnish with avocado and queso fresco. A little squeeze of fresh lime is tasty too! Warm tortillas are a must!

Notes

If you prefer to use all poblano peppers, you can. I had 2 previously roasted Anaheim peppers in my freezer and added them to the mix. If you are in a hurry, you can substitute with canned green chiles and a can of fire roasted tomato with green chiles.
Tried this recipe?Mention @pinaenlacocina or tag #pinaenlacocina!

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Filed Under: Beef~Res, Soups~Caldos, Traditional Mexican Recipes Tagged With: Beef and Potatoes, Beef Recipes, Picadillo Caldoso, Picadillo Ranchero

Previous Post: « Jalapeños Rellenos!
Next Post: Salsa Ranchera, My Way! »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. 1Blissful12

    June 4, 2022 at 9:54 pm

    Oh gosh…this is the REAL thing. Love the ingredients! Can’t wait to make it! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Sonia

      June 5, 2022 at 7:54 pm

      Thank you!!

      Reply
  2. Rose Cosio-Clark

    June 5, 2022 at 11:33 am

    This looks amazing and I can hardly wait to try it! I’m growing all my peppers but they are still small. Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      June 5, 2022 at 5:38 pm

      Thank you Rose!!

      Reply
  3. Rose Cosio-Clark

    June 5, 2022 at 11:34 am

    This looks amazing and I can hardly wait to try it! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe!

    Reply
    • Sonia

      June 5, 2022 at 5:38 pm

      Gracias!!

      Reply
  4. Greg

    October 28, 2022 at 6:19 pm

    What is a recipe for the beans? To add to the dish?

    Reply
    • Sonia

      October 31, 2022 at 6:02 am

      The pinto beans were simply cooked in the pressure cooker for 32 minutes with onion, garlic, bay leaves and salt. Stove top method, soak beans overnight, drain and cover with plenty of water. They take 2-3 hours at a steady simmer

      Reply

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Welcome!

Hi, my name is Sonia Mendez Garcia. My parents Ramiro and Blanca Mendez moved to the United States from Monterrey, Mexico in 1963. I am first generation Mexican American born in Los Angeles, California. Cooking has always been one of my passions in life. This is my journey and I can't wait to see what the future holds. Read More…

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