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This carne picada recipe is ultra easy made with a southwest inspired tomato sauce and peppers, with a slight smoky spicy flavor - perfect for making carne picada tacos! Make it on the stovetop, or in the slow cooker or Instant Pot (instructions for all!).
What I love about this easy carne picada recipe is the versatility! Not only can you use it to make carne picada tacos, you can make burritos, burrito bowls, rice bowls, enchiladas or even beef fajitas!
Made with flavorful (and inexpensive) chuck roast (like these tacos de barbacoa), this recipe is beefy, spicy, slightly smoky and ULTRA easy to make! Top it with your favorite taco toppings and you've got favorite weeknight meals that everyone will love!
While this isn't an authentic Mexican recipe (it's more like Tex-Mex), we like to pair it with Mexican favorites like this Mexican rice, fresh tomato salsa, and roasted jalapenos. For more serving options, use the table of contents to jump down and check them out!
You might also like this tacos de pollo or tacos de camaron recipes!
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What is Carne Picada?
Carne picada is a tex mex recipe made with chopped up chuck roast. It is made by searing the chopped beef and then simmering it with peppers, onions, tomatoes and seasonings. It's usually spicy and can sometimes be found pre-minced at Hispanic markets.
It's often used to make carne picada tacos, carne picada fajitas, carne picada bowls or even a carne picada quesadilla!
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Carne Picada vs. Carne Asada
The 2 main differences in carne asada and carne picada is the way the meat is cut, and the way it is seasoned and cooked. Carne picada is made by braising small, chopped up pieces of chuck roast, while carne asada is thin strips of marinated, grilled beef. The cut of beef can be the same, though carne asada can be made with different cuts of beef.
Picada has a saucier texture, while asada is basically grilled meat sliced and served on tacos or in burritos. Carne asada is often marinated as well, while carne picada is not always.
Why This Recipe Works
- It's an easy recipe to make and comes together in one pot in about an hour.
- The ingredients are easy to find at your local grocery store.
- It's very versatile and can be used to make tacos, fajitas, bowls, enchiladas, quesadillas or burritos.
- It makes great leftovers - I think the flavor is even better the second day!
Ingredients
The full list of ingredients and amounts is included in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
The main ingredients is carne picada meat, which can be found in some Hispanic markets. That said, if you can't find it, just buy a chuck roast or stew meat (from chuck) and chop it into small pieces of beef. This is what I do.
Poblano Pepper: A poblano pepper is a mild pepper (usually - sometimes there is a hot one in the batch) originating in Mexico. It is also know as a pasilla pepper in the US, and the dried version is known as an ancho chili. If you can't find poblano peppers, you can substitute Anaheim peppers.
Onion & Garlic: White or yellow onion works just fine, and always use fresh garlic! The jarred kind has a different flavor than the fresh. You can substitute garlic powder if you need to - just use ¼ teaspoon as substitute.
Chipotle Pepper: A chipotle pepper is a smoked, dried jalapeno, often packed in adobo sauce, with a slightly sweet, but spicy flavor. Use the ones packed in adobo sauce for this recipe.
Jalapeno Pepper(s): They can range from mild to hot depending on the pepper. You can remove the seeds and the ribs of the pepper as that is where a lot of the heat id held.
Diced Tomatoes: Just a can of diced tomatoes - I use salt free so I can control the salt in the dish, but use whatever you can.
Seasonings and Spices: To season the carne picada meat, we use toasted, ground fresh cumin (substitute pre-ground if needed), dried oregano, salt, black pepper and beef broth.
You can serve it on tortillas, sopes, chips etc., with salsa, onions, Mexican crema, crumbled Cotija cheese, onions and limes. I included some additional serving options below the recipe instructions.
How to Cook Carne Picada
Heat the avocado oil in a large Dutch oven or a large skillet with high sides over medium-high heat and brown the beef in 3-4 batches, ensuring you don't overcrowd the pot. **the beef should be lightly browned and caramelized on the outside.
Remove the beef and set aside.
Add the garlic and onion and cook until they soften, about 3-5 minutes.
Add the jalapeno and poblano peppers and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Add the cumin, black pepper and oregano and cook 1-2 minutes, ensuring the spices don't burn.
Add the remaining ingredients - tomatoes, chipotle pepper, salt and beef broth and bring to a simmer.
Turn the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer on low heat for 1 hour. Add additional beef broth if pot becomes too dry.
Remove from heat and serve on tortillas with toppings (scroll down to see serving options) to make carne picada tacos.
Slow Cooker Option
You can also make slow cooker carne picada by browning the meat first in a skillet, then transfer beef with all the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker.
Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6-8 hours. The results may be a little soupier, so I recommend reducing the beef broth to ¼ cup.
Instant Pot Option
Brown the beef in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Drain any excess grease then add all ingredients (except beef broth) to the Instant Pot.
Pressure cook on high for 25 minutes, letting the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
Release any remaining pressure and turn the Instant Pot to the sauté mode. Simmer for 10 minutes until thickened as needed.
Expert Tips
- If you prefer a less spicy dish, you can omit the chipotle pepper, reduce or omit the jalapenos, and if you do use jalapenos, cut out the ribs and remove the seeds to reduce the heat.
- For a spicier dish, you can add a touch of ground chili powder, or more jalapenos and/or chipotle peppers
- Check the pot periodically, and if it gets too dry add additional beef broth (only ½ cup at a time).
- Adjust the salt to taste at the end. The type of beef broth and diced tomatoes may affect the overall salt content, so adjust to your liking.
- For a slightly sweet, tangy option, replace some or all of the beef stock with orange juice.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce for extra umami flavor.
- For the best results, brown the beef in batches to make sure it caramelizes.
- Add chopped fire-roasted tomatoes to the pot when cooking.
Servings Options
- I love carne picada beef served on flour tortillas (or corn tortillas) as tacos, but you can also serve as a burrito, quesadillas, nachos, Mexican pizza or sopes. Try these favorite toppings:
- Fresh lime juice
- Cotija cheese or queso fresco
- Chopped roasted jalapenos
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Mexican crema or sour cream
- Tomato salsa, green salsa or mango salsa
- Diced onion (red or white) OR pico de gallo
- Avocado sauce
- Serve it over this Instant Pot Mexican rice or Instant Pot cilantro lime rice to make a burrito bowl.
- Serve it with a fried egg on top and these air fryer breakfast potatoes for an easy breakfast.
- Serve it alongside these sides or appetizers:
Frequently Asked Questions
Carne picada, while made out of the same cut in many cases, is cut into larger beef than ground beef. It has a meatier, chewier texture than ground beef.
Carne picada is basically the same thing as stew meat made from chuck roast/steak, just chopped into smaller pieces for braising.
Braising the small pieces of meat in a small amount of liquid and seasonings allows the beef to get nice and tender.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat beef in the microwave or a skillet and serve however you like.
Can you freeze carne picada? Technically you can freeze it, but the texture comes out a little mushy so I recommend enjoying it fresh if you can! If you do freeze it, thaw it in the fridge overnight, then reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet.
If you love this recipe, please leave a star rating and a comment below and let us know your favorite thing about it. We'd also love to connect on Instagram! Follow us at @went_here_8_this for awesome recipes and all sorts of fun food stuff 🙂
Recipe
Easy Beef Carne Picada Recipe for Carne Picada Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chuck roast picada if you can find it, cut into bite sized pieces
- Tortillas for serving
- Salsa for serving
- Crema for serving
- Fresh chopped cilantro for serving
- Cotija cheese for serving
- Diced onion for serving
- Fresh limes for serving
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ½ onion chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 poblano peppers seed removed and chopped
- 1 jalapeno diced
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce minced
- 1-15 ounce can diced tomatoes drained
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin seeds toasted and ground (substitute ground cumin)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup beef broth
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat and brown the beef in 3-4 batches, ensuring you don't overcrowd the pot. **the beef should be lightly browned and caramelized on the outside.
- Remove the beef and set aside.
- Add the garlic and onion and cook until they soften, about 3-5 minutes.
- Add the jalapeno and poblano peppers and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the cumin, black pepper and oregano and cook 1-2 minutes, ensuring the spices don't burn.
- Add the remaining ingredients - tomatoes, chipotle pepper, salt and beef broth and bring to a simmer.
- Turn the heat to low, cover the pot and simmer 1 hour. Add additional beef broth if pot becomes too dry.
- Remove from heat and serve on tortillas with toppings.
Slow Cooker Instructions:
- Brown the meat first in a skillet, then adding it with all the remaining ingredients in the slow cooker.
- Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6-8 hours. The results may be a little soupier, so I recommend reducing the beef broth to ¼ cup.
Instant Pot Instructions:
- Brown the beef in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting. Drain any excess grease then add all ingredients (except beef broth) to the Instant Pot.
- Pressure cook on high for 25 minutes, letting the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Release any remaining pressure and turn the Instant Pot to the sauté mode. Simmer for 10 minutes until thickened as needed.
Expert Tips:
- If you prefer a less spicy dish, you can omit the chipotle pepper, reduce or omit the jalapenos, and if you do use jalapenos, cut out the ribs and remove the seeds to reduce the heat.
- For a spicier dish, you can add a touch of ground chili powder, or more jalapenos and/or chipotle peppers
- Check the pot periodically, and if it gets too dry add additional beef broth (only ½ cup at a time).
- Adjust the salt to taste at the end. The type of beef broth and diced tomatoes may affect the overall salt content, so adjust to your liking.
- For a slightly sweet, tangy option, replace some or all of the beef stock with orange juice.
- Add 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce for extra umami flavor.
- For the best results, brown the beef in batches to make sure it caramelizes.
- Add chopped fire-roasted tomatoes to the pot when cooking.
Nutrition
sarah
Absolutely loved how his came out. It was so easy to make and the kids really liked it. Definitely going on the rotation 🙂
Danielle
Happy to hear it!