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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: 3 Tomatoes; 1 White onion; 4 Large flour tortillas; 3 cloves Garlic; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 2 Serrano chile; 1 tsp Salt; 500 g Ground beef; 2 tbsp Vegetable oil; 0.5 tsp Ground cumin

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

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: Mar 26, 2026 · Updated: May 12, 2026

Ground 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 - ground beef cooked with tomato, potato, carrot, serrano chile 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, chile and whatever vegetables were to hand. In northern Mexico, it is made with ground 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

$12.00

Total cost

$3.00

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on US supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

490

Calories

30g

Protein

50g

Carbohydrates

20g

Fat

Fiber

760mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry for 3 minutes. Add the serrano chile 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 ground 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 ground beef 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, sour cream and avocado.