• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Flavor Mosaic logo

  • Home
  • About Me
  • Creative Recipes
    • Breakfast / Brunch
    • Main Dishes
      • Beef
      • Chicken
      • Pork
      • Seafood
      • Turkey
      • Vegetarian
      • Dinner in Under 30 Minutes
      • Slow Cooker
    • Desserts
    • Appetizers
    • Side Dishes
      • Grains
      • Legumes
      • Pasta
      • Potatoes
      • Vegetables
    • Soups / Salads
      • Green Salads
      • Pasta Salads
      • Potato Salads
      • Soup
    • Cuisine
      • American
      • Asian
      • Cajun
      • French
      • German
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican Recipes
    • Seasonal Recipes
      • Christmas
      • Cinco De Mayo
      • Easter Recipes
      • Fall Recipes
      • Game Day
      • Halloween
      • Holiday Baking
      • Holiday Leftover Recipes
      • July 4th
      • Mardi Gras
      • New Years
      • St Patrick’s Day
      • Summer
      • Thanksgiving
      • Thanksgiving Desserts
      • Thanksgiving Sides
      • Winter Recipes
    • Seasoning Mixes
  • Instant Pot Recipes
    • Instant Pot Beef Recipes
    • Instant Pot Chicken Recipes
    • Instant Pot Soups
  • Southern Recipes
  • Tex-Mex Recipes

Home » Creative Recipes » Main Dishes » Beef » Picadillo Con Papas

Vertical Overhead photo of Picadillo Con Papas (Tex-Mex style) in a black skillet on gray table with green napkin on the left side of the skillet.

Picadillo Con Papas

BY: Michele
PUBLISHED: Aug 12, 2019
UPDATED: Jan 5, 2022
17 Reviews / 4.3 Average
Jump to Recipe
Pin SaveSaved!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
Picadillo Con Papas Pin with Red label and white text above a skillet of Picadillo con papas

This Picadillo Con Papas isn’t Cuban Picadillo or Mexican Picadillo because it bursts with flavor with a spicy Tex-Mex kick that makes it perfect for tacos, empanadas, or your favorite Mexican dish.

Vertical Overhead photo of Picadillo (Tex-Mex style) in a black skillet on gray table with green napkin on the left side of the skillet.

One of the most flavorful ground beef recipes ever, it is a staple in our house. Bursting with flavor from Homemade Taco Seasoning, eat it by itself or in Ground Beef Tacos, Empanadas, or Tex-Mex Enchiladas.

Table of Contents
  • What Is Picadillo?
  • What Makes This Picadillo Con Papas Recipe Work?
  • How To Make Picadillo Con Papas
  • Tips For Perfect Picadillo
  • What To Serve With Picadillo Con Papas?
  • What Is The Difference Between Cuban Picadillo and Mexican Picadillo?
  • Recipe
  • Reviews

What Is Picadillo?

I’ve heard Picadillo described as a Cuban or Mexican Ground Beef Hash. It is true that it is ground beef cooked in a skillet with potatoes.

However, I think Picadillo is more like ground beef taco meat, except this taco meat has potatoes, and is a little saucier. It is a popular ground beef filling for Picadillo Tacos or Empanadas, and many other Mexican Food recipes.

In San Antonio, Texas, it is often used in our popular Puffy Tacos recipes, or in beef enchiladas recipes similar to my Tex-Mex Enchiladas Recipe.

What Makes This Picadillo Con Papas Recipe Work?

This Picadillo Con Papas recipe works because it is a one pot meal, made on top of the stove in a skillet. It is quick and easy to make and tastes absolutely fabulous with the spicy tomato sauce, meat and potatoes.

This version of Picadillo is a variation of the Mexican Picadillo recipe in that it adds a Tex-Mex flair by kicking up the spice a little, and leaving out the olives, raisins, and capers. Those are typically not ingredients I see in our Tex Mex recipes in Texas, such as tacos, nachos, or empanadas. So I left them out. However, if you love those ingredients, feel free to add them in.

I also cut the potatoes into small bite-sized pieces for 2 reasons. First, it is much easier to eat bite-sized potatoes instead of big hunk of potatoes.

If I add this Picadillo in hand-held foods, such as tacos or empanadas, I don’t want big chunks of potatoes. I want to keep everything bite-sized.

Secondly, the other reason I like to cut the potatoes into small pieces is that they cook faster and I can cook everything in the same skillet for a shorter period of time. Less time cooking means more time enjoying the food and time with my family.

How To Make Picadillo Con Papas

Make The Taco Seasoning. If you don’t have taco seasoning on hand, I recommend making a batch of my Homemade Taco Seasoning before you start this Picadillo Con Papas recipe. It is very easy to make. You most likely have the ingredients in your pantry. However, you could also use store-bought taco seasoning as well. Either one would work in this recipe.

Homemade Taco Seasoning
  1. Gather the remaining ingredients. This includes ground beef, diced potatoes, chopped onion, chopped garlic, chopped green peppers, canned diced tomatoes and chilies, tomato sauce, chopped cilantro or green onions, and the prepared taco seasoning, and salt, pepper, and cumin.
  2. Brown the ground beef. In a skillet over medium heat, add oil and add the ground beef. Stir the ground beef to break it up and to cook it until it is no longer pink. 
  3. Add chopped onions to the ground beef. In the same skillet as the ground beef, add the chopped onions.
  4. Stir the onions and browned ground beef until the onions are softened.
  5. Add diced potatoes to the ground beef and onions. Stir in the diced potatoes. It is very important that the potatoes are cut into very small pieces so they will cook with the ground beef. If you use thicker potato chunks you may have to start cooking the potatoes before you brown the ground beef. Personally, I like to dice the potatoes so the pieces are about the same as the chopped onions.
  6. Add the Flavor. Add the diced tomatoes and chiles (with liquid), tomato sauce, and add the taco seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir, cover, and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro or chopped green onions before serving.

See the collage photo below for step by step photos that correspond with each step of the instructions above.

Picadillo Con Papas Numbered Step By By Instructions Photo Collage

When the Picadillo Con Papas has finished cooking then it will be like saucy taco meat with potatoes, tomatoes and I like to garnish with chopped cilantro just before serving.

Overhead photo of finished Picadillo Con Papas recipe in black skillet

Tips For Perfect Picadillo

  1. Use a quality Taco Seasoning. You want to use a quality taco seasoning made with high quality ingredients. If using store bought, try one without too many additives and preservatives, or that is mostly salt. My recommendation is to make my Homemade Taco Seasoning, so you can avoid the chemicals and preservatives, and so you can customize the seasoning to your taste preference.
  2. Cut the Potatoes Into Small Pieces. This is where size matters, at least when it comes to potatoes. The larger the pieces of potatoes, the longer they will take to cook. In order to have the potatoes fully cooked in this recipe, you can going to need to cut the potatoes into very small pieces. How Small? About the same size as the chopped onions, or about the same size as if you were chopping the potatoes to make a breakfast hash, like I did in my Breakfast Potatoes recipe.

What To Serve With Picadillo Con Papas?

  1. Rice. A popular way to serve Picadillo Con Papas is to serve it with rice. An easy option is to serve it with white rice, but to make a Tex-Mex meal, I like to serve it with my Homemade Mexican Rice, or for a low carb version, Mexican Cauliflower Rice. This makes a hearty Tex Mex meal that can be served with Mexican Cabbage Slaw and Charro Beans.
  2. Tortillas. Serve the Picadillo Con Papas in either flour or corn tortillas to make outstanding tacos. The meat is so flavorful that few toppings are needed, but you can easily top with your favorite taco toppings.
  3. Pico De Gallo. A chunky salsa made with fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapeños, and lime juice makes a perfect taco topping or side dish for the Picadillo Con Papas.
  4. Guacamole. I love fresh guacamole served either on top of the tacos or on the side with tortilla chips to round out your Mexican or Tex Mex meal.
  5. Queso. This Cheesy Chorizo Jalapeno Dip makes a great appetizer to serve with the Picadillo Con Papas to round out your Mexican meal.
  6. Use As A Filling. This Picadillo can be used as a filling for many Mexican and Tex Mex dishes, such as empanadas, tacos, quesadillas, Chile Rellenos, and more. In my hometown of San Antonio, Picadillo is often used as a filling for Puffy Tacos, a recipe that I plan to publish in the near future. So be sure to sign up to receive my emails and then you will be notified when new recipes are published.
Vertical photo of corn tortillas filled with Picadillo (Tex-Mex Style) on a white plate.

What Is The Difference Between Cuban Picadillo and Mexican Picadillo?

Each country seems to have its own meat and potatoes dish. The most popular Picadillo recipes are Cuban Picadillo and Mexican Picadillo. What is the difference? Both commonly include ground beef, tomatoes or tomato sauce, and onions, garlic, and peppers.  Typically, Cuban Picadillo includes ingredients such as raisins, capers, or olives. However, Mexican Picadillo varies by region. Some regions add lime to the ground beef. Some may add sugar or honey.

If you like this recipe or make this recipe,  be sure to leave a comment, rate the recipe, and follow us on:

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | BlogLovin | Instagram

Recipe

Vertical Overhead photo of Picadillo Con Papas (Tex-Mex style) in a black skillet on gray table with green napkin on the left side of the skillet.
Print Pin Save Saved! Share via Text
4.30 from 17 votes

Picadillo Con Papas

This Picadillo Con Papas isn’t Cuban Picadillo or Mexican Picadillo because it bursts with flavor with a spicy Tex-Mex kick that makes it perfect for tacos, empanadas, or your favorite Mexican dish.
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex
Keyword Picadillo, Picadillo Con Papas, Taco Meat
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes minutes
Servings 4
Calories 229kcal
Author Michele @ Flavor Mosaic

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ground beef
  • 1/2 onion, diced
  • 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 medium russet potato, chopped
  • 1 (10.5-ounce can) Diced Tomatoes and chilies (like RO*TEL)
  • 1 (8-ounce can) tomato sauce
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons taco seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • Chopped cilantro or green onions for garnish
Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions 

  • Brown the ground beef. In a skillet over medium heat, add oil and add the ground beef. Stir the ground beef to break it up and to cook it until it is no longer pink. Drain excess fat.
  • Add chopped onions to the ground beef. In the same skillet as the ground beef, add the chopped onions and bell pepper.
  • Stir the onions, bell peppers, and browned ground beef until the onions are softened. Add the minced garlic and stir for about a minute.
  • Add diced potatoes to the ground beef and onions. Stir in the diced potatoes. It is very important that the potatoes are cut into very small pieces so they will cook with the ground beef. If you use thicker potato chunks you may have to start cooking the potatoes before you brown the ground beef. Personally, I like to dice the potatoes so the pieces are about the same as the chopped onions.
  • Add the Flavor. Add the diced tomatoes and chiles (with liquid), tomato sauce, and add the taco seasoning, cumin, salt, and pepper, and stir.
  • Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. Garnish with chopped cilantro or chopped green onions before serving.

Video

Notes

  1. Taco Seasoning: For taco seasoning, you can use either store-bought packets or make your own Homemade Taco Seasoning.
  2. Cut the potatoes into small bite-sized pieces that are about the same sized as the chopped onions. They need to be cut very small in order to cook in the time allotted for this recipe.
  3. If you use larger pieces of potatoes in the recipe, then start cooking the potatoes first before you start cooking the ground beef. Add 2 Tablespoons oil, add the potatoes, cover, and cook for 5 minutes, or until potatoes are slightly browned. Remove the potatoes from the skillet and place in a bowl and cover with foil or paper town. Then continue with the recipe as written above.

Nutrition

Calories: 229kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 186mg | Potassium: 548mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 243IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 4mg

Filed Under: Beef, Cinco De Mayo, Dinner Recipes, Main Dishes, Mexican Recipes Tagged With: ground beef, Picadillo, Picadillo Con Papas, potatoes, Taco meat

DISCLOSURE: Flavor Mosaic is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. Please note: This blog may contain affiliate links to products I use and love. I earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you, to help with blog expenses when you make a purchase through an affiliate link. Thank you for your support!

Reader Interactions

Michele F - Owner / Founder / Creator / Blogger at Flavor Mosaic
Michele

Hi, I’m Michele Feuerborn, wife, and dog Mom, with 20+ years experience as a home cook. I’m the Founder of Flavor Mosaic, as well as the author and content creator. I share fast, easy, flavorful recipes with bold flavors, featuring Instant Pot and Air Fryer recipes and Italian, Southern and Mexican cuisines.  Contact: [email protected].

Comments

  1. Mary says

    April 8, 2020 at 11:44 pm

    I used charizo for half the meat. Yummy

    Reply
    • Michele says

      April 9, 2020 at 9:50 am

      Hi Mary,

      That was a great idea. I’m going to have to try that. Thanks for sharing.

      Michele

      Reply
  2. Marie says

    July 1, 2020 at 4:26 pm

    What do you do with the garlic ? Do drain the ground beef ?

    Reply
    • Michele says

      July 1, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      Hi Marie,

      Thanks for your questions. I have updated the recipe instructions for clarification. Yes, drain excess fat from the ground beef in step 1. Add the minced garlic in step 3 with the onions, peppers, and ground beef after the onions are softened.

      Let me know if you have any other questions.

      Thanks,

      Michele

      Reply
  3. Bri says

    August 2, 2020 at 7:52 am

    About how many empanadas would this recipe make??

    Reply
  4. Krista says

    September 27, 2020 at 7:35 pm

    I’ve made this recipe twice now. We love it!! Followed exactly

    Reply
  5. Brenda Young says

    January 16, 2022 at 9:34 am

    Sooooo YUMMY!!!

    Reply
    • Michele says

      January 16, 2022 at 12:02 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
  6. Kathy Poidomani says

    February 16, 2022 at 7:30 pm

    I’m Kathy and I’m from Corpus Christi & I LOVE Tex-Mex/Mexican food. I’m also a flute player & like you I played in high school, college and did some performing afterwards. I learned most of my Mexican food recipes from my Hispanic friends over the years in CC. Your recipe sounded more like how I made picadillo but even better! So it’s cooking now & I should’ve cut my papa’s smaller, like you suggested! But I know it will be delicious because it smells awesome! Thanks Michelle & keep playing music & cooking.

    Reply
    • Michele says

      February 16, 2022 at 10:25 pm

      Hi Kathy,

      It’s nice to meet a fellow flautist! 🙂 I hope you liked the picadillo. Stick around and try some more recipes. We have over 700 you can try.

      Thanks,

      Michele

      Reply
  7. Angela says

    June 25, 2022 at 3:10 pm

    Your recipe looks great and I want to try it. But I have gone through many recipes and I can’t find one that says you can use frozen potatoes. I am somewhat elderly and like the fastest way possible to get out of the kitchen. Would frozen O’brien potatoes work in this recipe? I was thinking that maybe if they were thawed and cooked a little first as you suggest for bigger diced potatoes this might work. Any help? Thank you.

    Reply
    • Stephanie says

      December 15, 2022 at 9:00 pm

      Angela, there’s really no reason why frozen cubed potatoes shouldn’t work. I’d thaw them (although that’s just my preference) before adding.

      Reply
  8. Christie says

    October 4, 2022 at 6:18 pm

    Made this recipe twice now in the past three weeks…major hit! I added carrots and an assortment of bell peppers for hidden veggies for picky eaters. Thank you for the recipe!

    Reply
    • Michele says

      October 7, 2022 at 9:06 pm

      Hi Christie,

      I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for letting me know.

      Michele

      Reply
  9. Theresa says

    July 11, 2023 at 12:37 pm

    Could you use this recipe and roll up as enchiladas?

    Reply
    • Michele says

      July 11, 2023 at 1:18 pm

      Hi Theresa,

      Yes, absolutely! It would be delicious in enchiladas or tacos.

      Thanks,

      Michele

      Reply
  10. Janet says

    August 27, 2023 at 6:14 pm

    Thanks for a quick picadillo fix! Being a native South Texan currently in Illinois, I of course doubled the amount of cumino. Had some roasted sweet corn left over and it was really a nice addition. I didn’t make rice today, so I did the old fallback and ate it on tortilla chips! Keep up those great recipes!

    Reply
    • Michele says

      August 29, 2023 at 9:25 pm

      Hi Janet,

      I’m glad you found the recipe and liked it. The addition of the corn was a great idea.

      Thanks,
      Michele

      Reply
  11. AnneH says

    April 5, 2024 at 4:30 pm

    I loved this recipe and made a couple tacos with it right away. I like a little more chile in it so I put half a can of Ortega roasted diced chilies. I meant to hit it with some lime juice, but my taco seasoning was Kinder’s and it had lime so I didn’t even notice, it was so flavorful. It’s so much saucier and appealing than plain taco meat.

    Reply
    • Michele says

      April 5, 2024 at 4:34 pm

      Hi Anne,

      I’m so glad you liked it and were able to tweak it slightly to your taste. Thanks for the kind comment.

      Thanks,

      Michele

      Reply
4.30 from 17 votes (12 ratings without comment)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Michele F - Owner / Founder / Creator / Blogger at Flavor Mosaic

Hi, I’m Michele, a home cook with 20+ years experience. I created Flavor Mosaic as a place to share our favorite fast, easy, and flavorful creative recipes with bold flavors, including Southern, Mexican, Tex-Mex, and Instant Pot recipes.
Read More…

Follow Me

Follow FlavorMosaic on Facebook Follow @FlavorMosaic on Instagram Follow FlavorMosaic on Pinterest Follow @FlavorMosaic on Twitter Subscribe to FlavorMosaic's RSS Feed

Search Flavor Mosaic

Logos of websites that have featured recipes from FlavorMosaic.com

Newest Recipes

  • Mexican Street Corn Potato Salad
  • Easy Canned Peach Pie Recipe
  • Guava and Cheese Empanadas
  • Taco Stuffed Shells Recipe
Copyright © 2013-2025 Flavor Mosaic · All Rights Reserved. FLAVOR MOSAIC™ IS A TRADEMARK OF MICHELE FEUERBORN · Privacy Policy

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.