Picadillo (Colombian Spiced Minced Beef)

About This Recipe

Picadillo is the fundamental building block of Colombian home cooking: finely minced or chopped beef seasoned with hogao (the Colombian tomato-onion base), cumin, sazon, and cilantro, cooked until golden and slightly dry. It is not a dish in itself but the filling or topping that makes other things into meals — stuffed arepas, empanadas de pipian, rice and picadillo bowls, stuffed peppers, and the everyday lunch plate (bandeja paisa) use it as a component. The technique is simple but requires attention: the beef must be cooked in a hot pan until all moisture evaporates and the mince begins to brown and develop a slightly crisp texture rather than steaming into a grey clump. The hogao base (onion and tomato cooked to a concentrated paste) is added to the browned meat, then cumin, garlic, and fresh cilantro finish the seasoning. The result is deeply savoury, slightly spicy, flexible, and efficient — a pot of picadillo on the stove means a week of quick, satisfying meals.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 600 gbeef mince (15–20% fat)
• 2 mediumwhite onions, finely diced
• 3 mediumripe tomatoes, finely diced
• 4 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspsazon with achiote(or pinch of annatto powder)
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 2 tbspneutral oil
• 1 small bunchfresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tspsalt
• 0.5 tspground black pepper
• 1 mediumgreen capsicum (bell pepper), finely diced(optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make hogao base

   Heat oil in a large, wide pan over medium heat. Add onion and green capsicum if using. Cook 8–10 minutes until completely softened and beginning to turn golden.

2. 2

   Add tomato and garlic

   Add minced garlic and diced tomatoes. Cook 8 more minutes, stirring frequently, until tomatoes break down completely into a jammy, concentrated paste. This is the hogao base.

3. 3

   Add spices

   Stir in cumin, sazon or annatto, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook 1 minute until fragrant.

4. 4

   Brown the beef

   Increase heat to medium-high. Add beef mince, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as finely as possible. Cook without stirring for 2 minutes to allow a brown crust to form on the base, then stir and continue cooking until all pink is gone.

   Cooking the mince in a hot, wide pan without crowding ensures it browns rather than steams. Add it in batches if the pan is small.

5. 5

   Drive off moisture

   Continue cooking over medium-high heat 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the liquid released by the beef fully evaporates and the picadillo begins to sizzle and brown lightly. It should be moist but not wet.

6. 6

   Finish with cilantro

   Remove from heat. Stir in fresh cilantro. Taste and adjust salt. Use immediately as a filling or topping, or cool and refrigerate.

Variations

• •

  Picadillo con papas: add 300 g diced cooked potatoes in the last 5 minutes for a heartier filling.

• •

  Picadillo de pollo: substitute minced chicken for beef; reduce cooking time by 5 minutes.

• •

  Sweet picadillo (Cuban-influenced): add 2 tbsp raisins and a splash of white wine for a sweet-savoury version.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water or stock over medium heat.

Frequently Asked Questions