Carne picada is a classic Mexican dish made with thin slices of beef that are quickly seared and then simmered in a flavorful sauce. It’s the perfect weeknight dinner that comes together in under an hour. While you can find pre-sliced carne picada meat at many grocery stores, you can easily make this at home with regular beef. The key is slicing it thin enough to mimic that authentic carne picada texture.
I’ll walk you through the simple process of preparing thin sliced beef at home and share my favorite way to cook it for tacos burritos rice bowls. and more!
Why Go Thin?
Carne picada translates to “minced meat” or “chopped meat” in Spanish. Traditional carne picada is made by shaving chuck roast or another flavorful cut of beef into thin slices, similar to a coarse ground beef but with more distinct pieces.
The thinness is important for a few reasons:
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It allows maximum surface area for the meat to absorb all the delicious Mexican spices and seasoning.
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Thin slices cook much faster than larger cubes of beef, so you can make a quick weeknight dinner.
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You get a more tender result than you would with stew meat or cubed beef. The thin slices easily braise and become fall-apart tender.
Slicing Tips for Carne Picada Beef
While specialty markets may carry pre-sliced carne picada, you can DIY it pretty easily. Here are some tips:
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Choose a flavorful roast: Top round, bottom round, chuck roast, tri-tip, or flap meat (used for carne asada) all work well. Go for something relatively lean.
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Partially freeze: Pop the roast in the freezer for 30-60 minutes until firm but not completely frozen. This makes it easier to slice thin.
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Use a sharp knife: A good chef’s knife is my preferred tool. Work carefully and watch your fingers!
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Cut across the grain: Identify the muscle grain and slice perpendicular to it. This yields more tender results.
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Thickness: I recommend slices between 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Any thicker and it won’t have that authentic picada texture.
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Chop after slicing: Once sliced, give the meat a rough chop to break up the slices into smaller pieces if needed. Don’t overdo it though or it will turn to mush.
With a few simple tricks, you can easily end up with beautifully thin sliced beef ready to transform into carne picada. Now let’s talk about how to cook it!
Cooking Thin Sliced Beef for Carne Picada
The thinness of the meat slices means this cooks up in a flash. Here is an overview of the simple process:
Season the beef: Mix together spices like chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic, and salt. Toss the thin slices of beef in this mixture until fully coated. Let marinate for 20-30 minutes.
Quick sear: Get a skillet very hot. Working in batches, sear the meat for just 2-3 minutes per side until nicely browned.
Simmer in sauce: Cook aromatics like onion and peppers. Add tomatoes, broth, and the seared beef back to the pan. Simmer until tender, about 15-20 minutes.
And that’s it! The thin slices go from raw to fork-tender in under 30 minutes thanks to that quick sear followed by a brief braise.
Serving Suggestions
This versatile carne picada can be served so many ways:
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Tacos – Stuff into warmed corn tortillas and add your favorite toppings
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Burritos or burrito bowls – Mix with rice, beans, salsa, avocado, lettuce, etc.
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Nachos – Pile on tortilla chips and finish with cheese, jalapenos, etc.
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Enchiladas – Roll up in tortillas and cover with sauce and melted cheese
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Tostadas – Pile on crispy corn tostadas for an open-faced taco
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Salad – Toss with greens, tomatoes, corn, avocado and tortilla strips
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Rice bowls – Enjoy over cilantro lime rice with beans and fixings
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Quesadillas – Stuff into tortillas with cheese for quick quesadillas
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Breakfast – Yes, carne picada also makes a mean breakfast taco or burrito!
As you can see, searing up a batch of thin sliced beef for carne picada opens up so many dinner possibilities well beyond standard ground beef tacos. I hope you’ll give this easy homemade carne picada a try soon. Just be sure to slice that beef nice and thin for the authentic texture that makes this dish so special. ¡Buen provecho!
Frequency of Entities:
carne picada: 20
thin sliced beef: 7
thin slices: 5
cook: 4
beef: 15
slice: 8
tacos: 3
burritos: 2
Easy Carne Picada Beef for Tacos and Burrito Bowls
- ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ▢ 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ▢ 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ▢ 2 teaspoons salt
- ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ▢ 1 teaspoon paprika
- ▢ 1 teaspoon oregano
- ▢ 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ▢ 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3-pounds of ground pork or bottom round roast, cut into little chunks
- ▢ 1 large onion chopped
- ▢ 6 garlic cloves minced
- ▢ 1 red bell pepper diced
- ▢ 1 green bell pepper diced
- 20 ounces of Rotel fire-roasted diced tomatoes and green chilies 2 cans, opened but not drained
- ▢ 1 cup beef broth more as needed
- Put the cornstarch and seasonings in a small bowl and mix them well with a spoon. 2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons salt, 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder, 1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Put the ingredients in a bowl and mix them well.
- After that, sprinkle the mix over the meat and toss it to coat it.
- One tablespoon of oil should be heated over medium-high heat in a large Dutch oven or pot. 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Add some of the beef at a time and sear each side for three to five minutes. 3 pounds carne picada.
- Then remove and place on plate. If you need to, add one more tablespoon of oil and sear the rest of the meat in batches.
- Once all the meat is done, turn down the heat to medium and add the garlic and diced onions. Cook for two to three minutes, until the onions start to soften.
- Then add the chopped bell peppers and cook for three to four more minutes. 1 red bell pepper, 1 green bell pepper.
- Put the cooked steak back in the pot. Then add the tomatoes and beef broth, and stir everything together. 20 ounces of Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies cooked over a fire, 1 cup of beef broth
- Bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat to low and let the steak cook for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then, until it’s tender. If the soup cooks down too much, add ¼ cup more beef broth.
- It can be served in a bowl with rice and beans or in tortillas. Top it off with chopped cilantro. Add your choice of toppings, such as sour cream, cheese, salsa, diced avocado or guacamole, jalapenos, or anything else you like.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make this Recipe
You can make this easy dish that everyone loves in less than an hour. Just get the meat and spices ready.
Step 1: Combine the cornstarch and spices in a small bowl. Grab a fork or small whisk and stir to combine completely. Put some of the mixture on top of the “carne picada” to season it, then toss it around to cover every piece.
Step 2: Place a Dutch oven or pot over medium-high heat. Sear the beef in batches for three to five minutes. Stir to make sure both sides of the meat are browning.
Transfer beef to a plate while you continue with the remaining batches.
3. Once the meat is done, turn down the heat to medium and cook the garlic and diced onion for two to three minutes, until the onions start to sweat. Then, add the diced bell peppers to sauté for another 3-4 minutes.
Step 4: Put the sausage meat, tomatoes, and beef broth back into the pot after it has been cooked. Use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot. This will give the chopped meat even more flavor.
Step 5: Bring everything to a boil and then reduce it to a simmer. Leave it uncovered for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender. If the liquid cooks down more than you’d like, add an extra ¼ cup of broth.
Step 6: Serve in a bowl with black beans and rice and chopped cilantro on top, or use it to fill warm corn or flour tortillas for taco night!
You can put any of your favorite things on top, like guacamole, fresh cilantro, sour cream, cotija cheese, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa, diced tomatoes, avocado, or chips. Then, finish with a squirt of lime juice. Enjoy!.
- If you work in batches, you’ll only cook half of the seasoned meat at a time, or even less, depending on how big your pot is. This keeps the pot from getting too crowded so the meat browns evenly on all sides.
- If the meat is thicker, simmer for an extra 10 to 20 minutes.
- Adjust the seasonings to taste. For more flavor, add more spice mix or more spices. You decide! .
- To add a little more sauce, add an extra ¼ to 1/2 cup of beef broth.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir it into the sauce at the end if you want to make it thicker. Put the lid on the pot and wait 5 to 10 minutes. It should get thicker.
Refrigerate: Keep leftovers stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
Freeze: This carne picada also freezes well for up to 3 months. Store portions of it in freezer bags or a freezer-safe container. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, thaw it in the fridge overnight.
Reheat: You can reheat small amounts of it in the microwave or large amounts on low heat on the stove. If it’s frozen, be sure to thaw it overnight first.
No, they’re not! Picada beef is made from tender beef that has been cut into small pieces, while ground beef is beef that has been put through a grinder.
Both are made with tasty meat covered in tasty spices, but carne asada isn’t cut up and doesn’t simmer in a broth. The strips of beef are usually grilled and then used in fajitas. Carne picada, as we have mentioned, is small strips of tender braised beef in a tomato-pepper sauce.
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CARNE PICADA RECIPE | SO EASY AND PERFECT FOR MEAL PREP!
FAQ
How to cook thin cuts of beef?
What is the difference between carne asada and carne picada?
How do you cook a Carne Picada?
Simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If needed, add some of the reserved tomato juice (from the diced tomatoes) to make the beef more saucy. Spoon the warm Carne Picada into corn or flour tortillas, or over rice, with your favorite Mexican food toppings. Beef for Carne Picada is most often steak that is cut into small pieces (minced).
How do you cook Carne Picada in a slow cooker?
To make Slow Cooker carne picada, complete steps 1-4 as written. Transfer everything from the skillet to the slow cooker and add the tomatoes and beef broth. Place the lid on the cooker and braise away! This slow cooker recipe takes about 3 hours on high or 5 hours on low heat. Picado Steak makes an amazing filler.
What do you eat with a Carne Picada?
Carne Picada is one of our favorite family-meal recipes with tender beef, fire-roasted tomatoes, poblano pepper, and spices it makes incredible tacos or as a main dish with rice. Awesome for meal prep! Brown beef. Heat oil in a large, deep frying pan that is big enough to hold the meat.
What is Carne Picada Tex-Mex?
Carne Picada is a Tex-Mex recipe filled with tender braised beef, tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and bold seasonings. Similar to Steak Picado, this carne picada recipe, can be enjoyed with Mexican rice and beans or tucked into warm flour tortillas and topped with your favorite taco toppings.