Easy home-style ground beef recipe just like mom used to prepare. A side of rice and beans with warm tortillas and it's a complete meal!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Prep Time 20 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Servings 6Servings
Ingredients
2small russet potatoeswashed and diced
2-4tbspOil
1poundground chuck or sirloin
1tspsalt
1tsppepper
1tspgranulated garlic powder
1/2tspcuminor to taste
1cuponiondiced
2clovesgarlicminced
4large roma tomatoesroughly chopped
1serranochopped
1/3-1/2tspMexican oregano
2tspschicken or beef bouillon powder
2cupswater
1medium carrotpeeled and diced
1poblanodiced
1small squashcalabacita or zucchini, diced
Instructions
Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a skillet and preheat at medium for a few minutes. Add the potatoes. Spread them out evenly and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the skillet and cook for 15 minutes, stirring now and then. Remove from heat and reserve.
At the same time, preheat a large pot at medium heat for a few minutes. Add 1 pound of ground chuck or sirloin. If needed add a drizzle of oil. Season with 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder and 1/2 tsp. cumin. Using a wooden, flat edge spoon, break up the beef and mix with spices. Cook for 7-10 minutes.
To the beef, add the onion and garlic. Stir to combine and saute for 4 minutes. Mix in the carrots, poblano and squash. Add a pinch of salt. Saute for 3-4 minutes.
While vegetables are cooking, transfer the chopped tomatoes, serrano, oregano, 2 cups water and 2 tsps. of bouillon to the blender. Blend until smooth. If you don't want to use bouillon, season with salt, to taste.
Pour the blended tomatoes into the pot with beef and vegetables. Stir well to combine. When it comes up to a boil, taste for salt. Adjust if needed. Add the reserved potatoes back in. If you like your picadillo more soupy, you could add a little more broth or water combined with beef(or chicken) bouillon. Cook at a steady simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve picadillo with a side of rice, beans and warm tortillas.
Notes
If you are using this beef picadillo for filling chiles rellenos, especially, you need to add only half of the water when blending tomatoes. Let it cook until it's thick.