Looking for an easy-to-make and budget-friendly dish that's full of comfort food flavors? Filipino-style Picadillo is ready in minutes and cooks in one pan plus it comes with two versions. Make it a soup or a hearty stew!
I first published this Picadillo with potatoes in April 2015, and I am re-posting it to include another delicious version of the recipe.
A few years ago, I shared my photo of picadillo with chayote on KP's Facebook page, and one reader commented, "Oh what an interesting spin on picadillo. I've never had it like this before." Then a week after, I shared my giniling na baboy recipe, and another reader commented, "We call this picadillo at home."
Growing up, I knew Filipino-style picadillo as a soup made of minced beef, tomatoes, and potatoes or chayote, so I didn't understand the reference to giniling. Naturally, I was a bit confused and had to do a little research on the etymology of the dish.
What is Picadillo
An influence of Spanish colonization, picadillo is a dish popular in the Philippines as well as other Latin countries. Its name is from the Spanish word "picar" which means "to mince."
It is traditionally made of ground or minced beef, fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce, and other ingredients abundant in the region, such as potatoes, carrots, green peas, olives, and capers.
Further readings taught me that our local picadillo has two types. One is the "soupy" version with chayote or potatoes (pictured above), and the other is a hash-like stew similar to ginilingย na baka or arroz a la cubana.
As you can see from the recipe card below, both versions are pretty similar other than decreasing the amount of water/broth, using tomato sauce, and adding carrots, olives, and raisins in the stew version.
Both ways are delicious, and choosing one or the other depends on what you're in the mood for. I like the soupy variety when the weather is cold and chilly, while the dry version is perfect for potlucks or as packed lunch to work.
Quick tip
Cut the potatoes and carrots in uniform sizes to ensure even cooking.
How to serve and store
- Picadillo is delicious as a lunch or dinner main dish with steamed rice.
- You can serve the stew version as a meaty filling for pandesal as a meaty filling or turn it into a tasty torta (egg omelet) and enjoy with banana ketchup!
- Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
More pork recipes
Ingredients
Picadillo Soup Version
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 pound ground beef
- 3 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 cups water or beef broth
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- salt and pepper to taste
Picadillo Stew Version
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 ยฝ pounds ground beef
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- ยฝ cup crushed tomatoes
- ยฝ cup water or beef broth
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons raisins
- ยฝ cup frozen green peas, thawed
- ยผ cup green olives, pitted
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Picadillo Soup Version
- In a pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until limp.
- Add ground beef and cook, breaking to pieces with the back of a spoon, until lightly browned. Drain excess fat, if any.
- Add fish sauce and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and cook, mashing with the back of a spoon until softened and release juice.
- Add water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until beef is cooked through.
- Add potatoes. Cover and continue to simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes or until tender.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Picadillo Stew Version
- In a pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add ground beef and cook, breaking to pieces with the back of a spoon, until lightly browned. Drain excess fat, if any.
- Add fish sauce and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add tomato sauce and crushed tomatoes.
- Add water and bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until beef is cooked through.
- Add potatoes, carrots, raisins. Cover and continue to simmer for about 3 to 5 minutes or until tender.
- Add green peas and olives.
- Continue to cook until sauce is reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
- Cut the potatoes and carrots in uniform sizes to ensure even cooking.
- Nutritional info is based on the stew version.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Amanda says
This is delicious! Only comment is the carrots and portables took longer than 3-5 minutes, it was more like 15-20 minutes. Thank you for this great recipe!
Cd says
My 93yo Mom from Negros Occidental made this probably every two or three weeks. It's weird but I like it and make it for my family. I'm half American.
Her version is onions, garlic, ground beef/ground turkey, chilli powder, potatoes, raisins, peas and soy sauce. She didn't use patis or tomato.
I love your website because you make it very easy to prepare these dishes for those who are curious and those who are family cooks. Keep up the good work!!
Reginald Salcedo says
Picadillo is basically the soupy version of sauteed ground beef or pork in onion, garlic and fresh tomato seasoned with ptis and freshly ground black pepper either with sayote or upo cut rectangularly. It is basically peppery in taste.
Menudo cube pork, carrot and potato.
Giniling is minced pork or beef with potato and carrot cut micro cube to match the giniling.
Arroz ala Cubana is with fried saba and fried egg sunny side up with steamed or fried rice.
Menudo, Giniling and Arroz ala Cuban had similar ingredients but their difference is on the cut of meat, vegetables and garnishing.
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you for sharing!
Foteini Karagianni says
That also reminds me of a greek food! It's "kimas" and we put it on spaggeti instead of normal tomato sauce.
I love the potato alternative in that, as I live for potatoes xD
Thanks for sharing! โฅ
xoxo MonsterFrogaki
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you Foteini!
Antonio Aguado says
The stew version was known as "Arroz a la Cubana" in our family, and was served with fried bananas, and a fried egg on a mound of steamed rice. There was no water involved, just the juice from the tomatos served for moisture, and I remember Mom adding peas. The rice was formed into mounds by shaping in a cup with olive oil.
Lalaine says
Thank for sharing your food memories. I am going to try that olive oil trick.
Suzane says
I do the stew version but will definitely give the soup version a try. Thanks, Lalaine!
Lalaine says
Enjoy, Suzane ๐
Emme says
Looks like menudo!.. Yum yum!
Lalaine says
Yes, it's very similar to menudo. ๐
Jim McLain says
Fish sauce? This would be a very regional addition to a basically Mexican or Spanish dish. I am reminded of when I was stationed in Japan and the McDonalds franchises would put soy and/or fish sauce on the burgers and the Tokyo Pizza Hut had mostly fish pizzas. Perhaps identifying this as Filipino picadillo would be clearer.
Cynthia Cruz says
The "Picadillo" i have been cooking since i learned how to cook consist of ground beef, cube cut potatos, onion, garlic, minced ginger, patis and ground black pepper to taste with water just like soup. Almost the same procedure wih your Picadillo but without tomatoe. My "Picadillo" is like a ground beef tinola version.
Lalaine Manalo says
That sounds interesting, Cynthia!
Anne says
Hi there,
I was wondering what would be the measurements if its for a lot of people?
Like a Tray size maybe?
Thank you.
Anne
Lalaine Manalo says
You can adjust the amounts in the recipe card and it will automatically calculate it for you ๐
Janie says
What's does the fish sauce do for the recipe?
Lalaine Manalo says
Adds saltiness and umami flavor. You can substitute salt if you like.
Katz says
My family cooks it 2 different ways - your recipe and my mom's "red picadillo" which is basically with carrots, peas and instead of beef broth, it's cooked with tomato paste. I like the former with rice and the latter in a pamdesal or dinner roll. Both pretty yummy. Some add raisins to the red picadillo but it was never my thing.
Peachy C. Fuentes says
Hi David, please email me your different recipes for picadillo. Thank you very much. - Peachy
David says
The word "Picadillo" comes from "Picada" as in "carne picada" or chopped meat. In Mexico at least, Picadillo is used for the dish that uses ground meat to make a dish (other than meatballs (albondigas) or burgers or meatloaf). The dish itself can be quite soupy or quite dry, it matters not (for the name). It might have just potatoes and tomatoes, or dozens of things in it. You could walk into ten houses in the same street and ask them for their Picadillo recipe and you will receive ten different recipes. If you would like to try a very weird dry picadillo (has mustard, maggi sauce, worchestershire sauce) shoot me an e-mail and I'll give you the specifics.
Lalaine says
Thank you for the information, David. I'll surely email you for the recipe as it sounds very intriguing.
Mary says
Need all recipes, please
Ruby says
Made this last night ๐ It was great and tasty but I think I would've needed more than 2 cups of water/broth. Also I think I'll still call this giniling as my boyfriend and I have never heard of the dish picadillo before.
Lalaine says
Hello Ruby
I like mine more on the soupy side but please, yes, adjust the amount of liquid to best fit your taste. I believe some regions in the Philippines call this picadillo which basically means "chopped meat". ๐
Shirley says
What do you eat with picadillo?
Thank you,
Shirley
Lalaine says
Hi Shirly,
I like to eat the picadillo with steamed rice. ๐
Rachel says
I usually make rice and maybe beans to go with it...either, or. Depending on how soupy or dry I make it, I've even made nachos and burritos with it.
Lalaine says
Thanks for the tip!