{"id":264432,"date":"2025-05-30T22:54:27","date_gmt":"2025-05-30T22:54:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/recipes\/category-a-b\/budget-food\/authentic-mexican-picadillo-recipe-easy-healthy-budget-friendly-cheapskate-cook\/"},"modified":"2025-05-30T22:54:27","modified_gmt":"2025-05-30T22:54:27","slug":"authentic-mexican-picadillo-recipe-easy-healthy-budget-friendly-cheapskate-cook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=264432","title":{"rendered":"Authentic Mexican Picadillo Recipe (Easy, Healthy & Budget-Friendly) \u2022 Cheapskate Cook"},"content":{"rendered":"


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This easy, healthy Mexican picadillo recipe is budget-friendly, allergy-friendly, and perfect for quick weeknight dinners.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Authentic<\/figure>\n

This post contains affiliate links. You can view my full <\/span><\/i>disclosure policy here<\/span><\/i><\/a>.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Looking for a simple, affordable dinner that\u2019s full of flavor, real-food ingredients, and comes together quickly? This authentic Mexican Picadillo recipe<\/strong> is a classic dish that checks all the boxes: hearty, healthy, frugal, allergy-friendly, and kid-approved.<\/p>\n

In this post, I\u2019ll show you how to make traditional Mexican Picadillo<\/strong>, how to serve it in multiple budget-friendly ways, and how to adapt it to fit special diets like gluten-free, dairy-free, Whole30, and low-carb.<\/p>\n

What Is Mexican Picadillo?<\/h2>\n

Mexican Picadillo<\/strong> is a traditional ground beef hash or stew made with potatoes, tomatoes, and a blend of savory spices. It\u2019s often served with rice, tortillas, or used as a filling for tacos, empanadas, and even stuffed peppers.<\/p>\n

The word picadillo<\/em> comes from the Spanish word picar<\/em>, meaning \u201cto mince\u201d or \u201cto chop,\u201d which is exactly what this dish involves\u2014finely chopped ingredients cooked together in a flavorful skillet meal.<\/p>\n

Picadillo recipes vary, with some versions including olives, raisins, and capers. I like this version because it has the most budget-friendly ingredients!<\/p>\n

\"Mexican<\/figure>\n

Why You\u2019ll Love This Picadillo Recipe<\/h2>\n
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  • \u2705 Budget-friendly<\/strong>: Made with ground beef, potatoes, and pantry staples<\/li>\n
  • \u2705 Real food ingredients<\/strong>: No processed shortcuts, just whole, nourishing foods<\/li>\n
  • \u2705 Versatile<\/strong>: Serve it a dozen different ways to keep meals interesting<\/li>\n
  • \u2705 Meal prep-friendly<\/strong>: Make ahead and freeze for quick dinners<\/li>\n
  • \u2705 Food allergy adaptable<\/strong>: Naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, and Whole30-approved!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
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    Ingredients<\/h3>\n\n
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    • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1 lb ground beef\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
    • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t4 large potatoes, diced\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
    • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1\/2 onion, diced\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
    • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t2 cloves garlic, minced\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
    • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t3 tsps cumin\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
    • \n\t\t\t\t\t\tTwo (8-oz) cans tomato sauce*\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
    • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t3 cups water or vegetable broth\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
    • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1 tsp salt, to taste\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
    • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1\/4 tsp pepper, to taste\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Optional:<\/h4>\n
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      • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1 jalape\u00f1o, seeded and diced (adjust based on your spice tolerance)\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1 bell pepper, diced\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1-2 celery stalks, diced\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1-2 carrots, diced\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1-2 zucchini or summer squash, diced\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1-2 cups riced cauliflower (fresh or frozen)\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1-cups spinach, chopped (fresh or frozen)\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1-2 cups peas (fresh or frozen)\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1\/2 cup green olives, sliced\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
      • \n\t\t\t\t\t\t1\/2 cup raisins\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Toppings:<\/h4>\n
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        • \n\t\t\t\t\t\tCilantro, chopped\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n
        • \n\t\t\t\t\t\tGreen onion, chopped\t\t\t\t\t<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n
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          Instructions<\/h3>\n
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            Making picadillo is very simple, and I’m giving you 3 different ways to try it!<\/p>\n

            Stovetop Directions<\/h4>\n
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            1. Brown the Meat: <\/strong>In a large pot over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink.\u00a0<\/li>\n
            2. Saut\u00e9 the aromatics: <\/strong>Add the onion, garlic, seasonings, and any optional vegetables and ingredients, stirring until the onion is translucent. <\/li>\n
            3. Add the potatoes & liquid<\/strong>: Stir in the tomato sauce, potatoes, and just enough water to cover the potatoes.<\/li>\n
            4. Simmer:<\/strong>\u00a0Give it a good stir and simmer, uncovered, on medium-low heat until potatoes are tender and liquid has reduced, approximately 30-45 minutes (depending on how reduced you want the liquid.)<\/li>\n
            5. Serve warm with your favorite toppings!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Crockpot Directions (Slow Cooker Option)<\/h4>\n
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              1. In a large pan over medium heat, brown the ground beef until no longer pink.\u00a0<\/li>\n
              2. Put the meat and the rest of the ingredients (including any optional vegetables or ingredients) in your slow cooker, adding just enough water to cover the potatoes. Give it all a good stir.<\/li>\n
              3. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH for 4 hours.<\/li>\n
              4. Serve warm with toppings.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                Instant Pot Directions (Pressure Cooker Option)<\/h4>\n
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                1. Use the saut\u00e9 function to brown the ground beef until no longer pink.\u00a0<\/li>\n
                2. Add the onion, garlic, seasonings, and any optional vegetables and ingredients, stirring until the onion is translucent.<\/li>\n
                3. Stir in the tomato sauce, potatoes, and just enough water to cover the stew (at least 1 cup).<\/li>\n
                4. Seal the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 3 minutes.<\/li>\n
                5. Use quick-release or natural-release, then give it all a good stir. <\/li>\n
                6. Serve with toppings and enjoy!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/ol><\/div>\n
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                  Notes<\/h3>\n
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                  *Substitute Tomato Sauce<\/h4>\n
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                  • Whisk one 6-oz can tomato paste with 1 cup water<\/strong> to make 2 cups tomato sauce (I like using tomato paste because it’s less expensive and has less added ingredients than tomato sauce.)<\/li>\n
                  • Use one 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes<\/strong> instead of the tomato sauce and 1 cup of the broth or water. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    Serve Picadillo With:<\/h4>\n
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                    • \ud83c\udf2e In\u00a0corn tortillas<\/strong>\u00a0or flour tortillas as tacos<\/li>\n
                    • \ud83c\udf5a Over a bed of\u00a0steamed rice, quinoa,<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0cauliflower rice<\/strong><\/li>\n
                    • \ud83e\udd54 Stuffed into\u00a0baked potatoes<\/strong>\u00a0or sweet potatoes<\/li>\n
                    • \ud83e\uded1 Stuffed into bell peppers <\/strong>and baked for 30 minutes<\/li>\n<\/ul><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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