Picadillo de Papa

Picadillo de Papa (Costa Rican Beef and Potato Hash)

A comforting Costa Rican weekday staple, Picadillo de Papa is a savory hash of finely diced potatoes, ground beef, onions, and sweet pepper, often served with white rice. It's the kind of one-pan dish that turns pantry staples into a deeply satisfying meal.

Prep

15 min

Cook

35 min

Total

50 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •500 g (1 lb 2 oz) ground beef, 80/20 lean-to-fat preferred
• •450 g (1 lb) russet potatoes (about 2 medium), or Yukon Gold; peeled
• •1 large white onion, finely diced
• •1 medium red bell pepper, or sweet pepper; finely diced
• •2 cloves garlic, minced
• •2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• •1 tsp ground cumin
• •1 tsp dry oregano, preferably Costa Rican or Mexican
• •1 tsp salt, or to taste
• •0.5 tsp (½ tsp) black pepper
• •2 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish
• •300 g (1⅓ cups (dry)) long-grain white rice, for serving; cooked separately

Steps

1. 1 Cook the rice: rinse 300 g rice until water runs clear, combine with 600 ml water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, cover, reduce to low, and simmer 15–18 minutes until tender. Fluff and keep covered.
2. 2 Dice the potatoes very small (about 5 mm / ¼ inch cubes) so they cook through in the same time as the beef. Soak in cold water 5 minutes, then drain well to remove excess starch.
3. 3 Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and bell pepper and sauté 4–5 minutes until softened and lightly golden at the edges.
4. 4 Add the garlic, cumin, and oregano; stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
5. 5 Add the ground beef. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook 6–8 minutes until no pink remains. The beef is safely cooked once it reaches an internal temperature of 71 °C / 160 °F and the juices run clear.
6. 6 Add the diced potatoes, salt, and black pepper. Stir well to combine, then spread the mixture evenly across the pan.
7. 7 Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife. If the pan looks dry, add 2–3 Tbsp water and cover again.
8. 8 Taste and adjust salt. Uncover and cook 1–2 minutes more if any liquid remains; the picadillo should be moist but not soupy.
9. 9 Stir in the cilantro off the heat. Serve hot over a mound of white rice, with a side ofLizano sauce if available.