Quick Summary: Low carb Mexican picadillo is a one-skillet dinner of seasoned ground beef simmered with peppers, onion, green olives, and tomato sauce, with a kick of habanero. Skip the potatoes, serve it over cauliflower rice, and dinner is done. Prep: 10 min | Cook: 35 min | Serves: 6
Jump to: RECIPE | What Is Picadillo? | How to Make It Low Carb | How to Serve | FAQ
Mexican picadillo is a weeknight skillet dinner of seasoned ground beef, bell peppers, onion, and spices simmered in tomato sauce. Typical picadillo includes diced potatoes, but to make this dish low carb, I simply leave them out and serve it over cauliflower rice.
What is Picadillo?
Picadillo is a dish of finely chopped or ground meat cooked with vegetables and spices in a tomato sauce. The name comes from the Spanish verb picar, which means to chop or mince. Picadillo is cooked all over Latin America, the Spanish-speaking Caribbean, Spain, and the Philippines. The Cuban version with olives and raisins is the best known in the US.
Mexican picadillo usually includes potatoes, carrots, and peas, with chiles for heat, and it fills everything from tacos to empanadas. The version I make here takes on Mexican flavors with my enchilada spice blend and a habanero, and keeps the green olives you’ll also find in Cuban picadillo. For more on habaneros and the other chiles I cook with, see my guide to the best chile peppers for traditional Mexican cooking.
How to Make Picadillo Low Carb (new H2)
To make picadillo low carb, leave out the potatoes and raisins and serve it over cauliflower rice instead of white rice. One serving has about 15 grams of carbs, mostly from the peas, carrots, and tomato sauce. For even fewer carbs, skip the peas and carrots, or try diced chayote, a mild squash that holds its shape like potato.
The seasoning comes from my enchilada spice blend, which I sell at the St. Paul Farmers Market. If you can’t get to the market, chipotle powder works, though it’s smokier. Want to make your own smoky chile powder? Here’s how to smoke chile peppers at home.
Picadillo as a Simple Weeknight Dinner
At my parents’ house, “skillet dinners” are a weeknight staple. Skillet dinners consist of some variation of ground meat, vegetables, sauces and spices in one large skillet. Picadillo fits this bill perfectly. Some versions of picadillo have raisins and most have potatoes.
To make this dish low carb, I did not use raisins or potatoes. If you are not on a low carb diet and want to add potatoes and raisins, add them after browning the meat. Cut the potatoes small so they cook through in the simmer
How to Serve Picadillo
The most traditional way of serving picadillo is with tortillas to make picadillo tacos. Equally popular is serving it with rice and beans (try this super easy refried bean recipe to impress your dinner mates!). Instead of adding the potatoes to the picadillo, some people prefer to serve it with mashed potatoes on the side. I served this low carb Mexican picadillo with cauliflower rice.
Although my parents would likely cook the peas into the picadillo, I preferred them separate so I could eat them with another dinner later this week. If you are adding frozen peas, add them after cooking the meat. However you decide to serve it, this picadillo is sure to please!
Cuban picadillo is seasoned with cumin and oregano, includes olives, raisins, and often capers, and is served with white rice and black beans. Mexican picadillo leans on chiles and usually includes potatoes, carrots, and peas. It’s served with rice and tortillas or used as a filling for tacos and empanadas.
One seeded habanero gives noticeable heat. Use half for milder picadillo, or swap in a jalapeño. Wear gloves when you chop habaneros.
Yes. Add an extra tablespoon of oil since turkey is lean, and cook it to 165°F.
Cool it and refrigerate within 2 hours. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator or about 3 months in the freezer, and it reheats well for lunches.
Yes, as written, as long as your tomato sauce has no added sugar. For a classic slow carb plate, serve it with black beans instead of cauliflower rice. See my slow carb food li for more.
Low Carb Mexican Picadillo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds ground beef (80/20)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon enchilada blend
- 1 medium green bell pepper seeded and diced
- ½ cup yellow onion diced
- 1 habanero pepper seeded and finely chopped
- 5 ounces green olives pitted and chopped
- 12 ounces frozen mixed carrots and peas optional
- 15 ounces canned tomato sauce 8 oz
Instructions
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium high heat. Add meat and spices. Cook until browned and no longer pink, about 7 minutes (160°F). Drain excess fat if needed.
- Add green bell pepper, onion, habanero, olives and pea/carrot mix (if using). Cook, stirring occasionally until pepper is soft, and peas and carrots are warm- about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the tomato sauce and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for about 20 minutes until the tomato sauce is reduced and all the vegetables are soft. If the mixture becomes too dry, add a small amount of water. The final consistency should be similar to sloppy joes.
Notes
- You can substitute chipotle powder for the enchilada blend
- wear gloves when working with habanero
- skip peas and carrots for low carb option
- nutritional analysis does not include peas and carrots
Nutrition
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