Filipino Picadillo

Jump to Recipe

Filipino Picadillo has ground beef, vegetables, and raisins that give that hint of sweetness in every spoonful. A delicious and popular dish from the Philippines that’s perfect for your busy weeknights. Make sure you have enough for seconds!

Beef picadillo served on top of steamed white rice, with some dried raisins on the counter.

If you cannot get enough of Filipino ground meat recipes, make sure you try tortang giniling and pork giniling stew as well!

Filipino picadillo is one of those giniling dishes that’s always a regular in our house when I was growing up — because the ingredients are pretty much kitchen staples in my mother’s kitchen.

So, what is a Filipino-style picadillo?

It’s a stew that traditionally uses ground beef as picadillo meat, cooked with tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots — plus some peas and raisins for that hint of sweetness.

Nowadays, ground pork is commonly used as picadillo meat or sometimes a mix of ground beef and pork.

But if you want to use pork, I suggest you make pork giniling with eggs instead — another excellent dish for weeknight dinner.

Either way, feel free to use whatever ground meat you have for this picadillo recipe.

And if you think it’s hard to resist when it’s just been transferred from the pan, Filipino-style picadillo tastes even better the following day.

Don’t take my word for it. See (or taste) for yourself!

IF YOU WANT MORE AUTHENTIC FILIPINO RECIPES, THEN YOU WOULD LIKE THESE POSTS!

Ingredients

Oil – vegetable oil; we never use olive oil in traditional Filipino dishes.

Garlic – minced or finely sliced.

Onion – yellow onion or red onion is great for Filipino picadillo, as long as you chop it finely.

Ground beef – sometimes called minced beef (depending on which part of the world you come from 🙂 ).

Tomato sauce – just use your favorite brand.

Stock – beef stock is excellent for this Filipino picadillo recipe.

Potatoes – the waxy kind, not the starchy one.

Carrot – peeled and then diced.

Raisins – use the brand you have on hand.

Soy sauce – provides more salt to this beef picadillo (plus a bit of umami).

Peas – frozen green peas are great for this recipe.

Salt and ground black pepper – use what you have available.

An overhead shot of a serving of Filipino Picadillo, with a bowl of white rice next to it.

Preparation

Start by heating the vegetable oil on a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Once the oil is ready, add garlic and onion and cook until they softened.

Add ground beef.

Adding ground beef into onions, as the base for making Filipino style picadillo.

Mix and cook until the meat is no longer pink.

Add tomato sauce, stock, salt, and pepper.

Pouring stock with the crushed tomatoes to form the sauce for Filipino style picadillo.

Mix, cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.

Adjust the heat to medium-low and simmer for twelve to fifteen minutes.

Add the potatoes, carrots, and raisins.

Adding raisins, and chopped potatoes and carrots in the sauce for Filipino style picadillo.

Mix, place the lid back on, and adjust heat to medium.

Cook your beef picadillo for about ten minutes, then add the soy sauce.

Cover with the lid, adjust the heat back to medium-low and continue simmering until the vegetables are cooked.

Uncover, taste, and adjust seasoning and add the peas.

Adding peas as the last step in making Filipino style picadillo.

Mix, turn the heat back to medium, cover, and cook for two more minutes.

Take the pan off the heat and transfer your Filipino picadillo into serving plates.

Serve.

A skillet with Filipino beef picadillo, ready for transferring to plates.

Helpful tips

Chop the onion finely — the aim is for them to disappear (once cooked) in your Filipino picadillo completely.

Dice the carrot and potatoes in the same size, and just slightly bigger than the green peas, if possible.

While chicken or vegetable stock are good alternatives; beef stock is the best kind that you can use to give more depth to the flavor of beef picadillo.

A bowl of rice with beef picadillo on top, a pan with the remaining picadillo in the background.

Recipe variation

Green olives. It provides that ‘salty‘ burst against the sweetness of the raisins and peas; giving an excellent contrast of flavor for your Filipino-style picadillo.

Tomato paste. Some use less tomato sauce, more stock, and then a tablespoon (or two) of tomato paste.

Bell pepper. Red bell pepper can also be added to beef picadillo, chopped the same way as the potatoes and carrot.

Worcestershire sauce. Admittedly, this is anything but traditional for making Filipino picadillo. But if you have it around, add the same quantity as the soy sauce (and at the same time), and I promise you, you will love it. 🙂

FAQs

What goes well with Filipino picadillo?

Steamed white rice is excellent with it.

Filipino-style picadillo is already packed with flavor, so you need a neutral dish to complement it.

Can I freeze it?

Absolutely.

Transfer your Filipino-style picadillo in a tight, freezer-proof container as soon as it gets cold, then place it in the freezer for longer storage.

See how easy it is to make this Filipino picadillo recipe? So, try it tonight and let me know in the comment section below! 🙂

OR YOU CAN GET IDEAS FROM THIS LIST OF DINNER RECIPES AROUND THE WORLD!

IF YOU WANT MORE GLOBAL DISHES, YOU WILL LIKE THESE RECIPES BY COUNTRY!