Picadillo is a Latin American comfort-food that is easy to make at home and perfect for a weeknight meal.


How to Make Picadillo: Homemade Mexican Picadillo Recipe

Picadillo is a beef hash popular in many Latin American countries, including Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. The word *picadillo* comes from the Spanish *picar*, or “to mince,” and as such, picadillo is typically made with ground beef. Ingredients vary by region, but picadillo usually includes roma tomatoes (or tomato sauce), raisins, onion, and peppers. Picadillo can be served as a main dish with white rice, black beans, and plantains, or as a filling for tacos, burritos, croquettes, and empanadas. 

There’s no right way to make picadillo, and the ingredients often vary by region:

1. You’ll often find capers, green olives, and white wine in __Cuban__ picadillo recipes. 
2. __Puerto Rican__ picadillo often features rum-soaked raisins and is usually a filler for fritters, like empanadas.  
3. __Mexican__-style picadillo typically includes potatoes or other veggies, such as peas.
4. In the __Philippines__, which was also a Spanish colony, picadillo is a little more brothy and is usually served over rice. 
Picadillo is a Latin American comfort-food that is easy to make at home and perfect for a weeknight meal.


Picadillo is a beef hash popular in many Latin American countries, including Mexico, Cuba, and Puerto Rico. The word picadillo comes from the Spanish picar, or “to mince,” and as such, picadillo is typically made with ground beef. Ingredients vary by region, but picadillo usually includes roma tomatoes (or tomato sauce), raisins, onion, and peppers. Picadillo can be served as a main dish with white rice, black beans, and plantains, or as a filling for tacos, burritos, croquettes, and empanadas.

What Is Picadillo?

There’s no right way to make picadillo, and the ingredients often vary by region:<ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. You’ll often find capers, green olives, and white wine in Cuban picadillo recipes. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Puerto Rican picadillo often features rum-soaked raisins and is usually a filler for fritters, like empanadas. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Mexican-style picadillo typically includes potatoes or other veggies, such as peas. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 4. In the Philippines, which was also a Spanish colony, picadillo is a little more brothy and is usually served over rice. </li></ol>

4 Regional Variations of Picadillo

Mexican Picadillo Recipe

Picadillo is a Latin American comfort-food that is easy to make at home and perfect for a weeknight meal.