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Ground Beef Picadillo Burrito

Name: Ground Beef Picadillo Burrito
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; 3 cloves Garlic; 500 g Minced beef; 1 White onion; 2 Serrano chilli; 0.5 tsp Ground cumin; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 1 tsp Salt; 3 Tomatoes; 4 Large flour tortillas

45 min (15 prep + 30 cook) Easy 4 servings Norte

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 26 Mar 2026 · Updated: 3 Jun 2026

Minced beef picadillo with potato and carrot in a flour tortilla. Easy and nutritious.

About this recipe

A flour tortilla burrito filled with northern Mexican picadillo - minced beef cooked with tomato, potato, carrot, serrano chilli and cumin. Picadillo is one of the easiest and most complete guisos in Mexican cooking: protein, vegetables and carbs in a single pan, perfect for rolling in a burrito.

History & Origin

Picadillo appears in almost every Spanish-speaking kitchen around the world - from Cuba to Argentina to the Philippines - with variations that reflect each place's history and ingredients. Mexican picadillo has its own identity: no olives or raisins as in Cuba, no hard-boiled egg as in some Central American versions. Mexican picadillo is drier and more direct, built on tomato, onion, chilli and whatever vegetables were to hand. In northern Mexico, it is made with minced beef - the north is cattle country - and supplemented with potato and carrot cut into small cubes and cooked directly in the stew. What makes the northern version special is the deep frying of the tomato before the meat goes in - this concentrates the flavour - and the uncovered final cook that keeps it dry and compact, ideal for rolling into a burrito without it falling apart.

Estimated cost

£11.83

Total cost

£2.96

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

490

Calories

30g

Protein

50g

Carbohydrates

20g

Fat

Fibre

760mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 3 minutes. Add the serrano chilli and fry 1 minute more.
2
Add the diced tomatoes and cook over high heat, lightly crushing them, for 5–6 minutes until the liquid has evaporated and the tomato is well browned and concentrated.
💡 This step is crucial: the tomato must be fried, not just softened. Browning concentrates the flavour and stops the picadillo from turning watery.
3
Add the minced beef, break it up well with a spatula and cook over high heat for 8–10 minutes until well browned with no pink parts.
💡 Keep the pan uncovered: the mince should cook without steam so it stays dry and compact - perfect for burritos.
4
Add the potato and carrot cut into small 1 cm cubes, cumin, pepper and salt. Add 100 ml water, cover and cook for 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Uncover and cook off any excess liquid.
5
Warm the tortillas on a griddle. Fill with picadillo, add grated cheese if you like and roll into a burrito. Serve with red salsa, soured cream and avocado.

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Edmond Bojalil

Founder, Recetas Mexas

Mexican from Puebla, IT professional and foodie. Author of 1000+ authentic Mexican recipes adapted for home kitchens worldwide. Based in Madrid since 2018.