The Best Carne Picada Recipe | Prepped In 10 Minutes

This carne picada is fall-apart tender and incredibly rich in flavor. The recipe comes together with simple, easy-to-find ingredients and can be made on the stovetop, slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot. Not to mention, it's an amazing addition to standout tacos, quesadillas, and burrito bowls!

The Best Carne Picada

If you've ever had really good Tex-Mex - or Mexican food - then you already know the backbone to any delicious taco, burrito, or rice bowl is ultra-tender and flavorful meat. And that's where this easy carne picada recipe comes in.

Carne picada literally translates to minced meat, so whenever I'm craving something super meaty, hearty, and flavorful to mix with a variety of things, I make this recipe. I mean, it's crazy versatile, just so flavorful, and filled with the perfect balance of spices, so everyone at the table can enjoy it.

But, of course, you can always add cayenne pepper, chili powder, adobo sauce, or hot sauce for more heat! Then you can eat it with this cauliflower rice and some sour cream to balance out the spice.

Anyway, what I really love about this carne picada recipe is how easy it is to put together. It only takes about 15-20 minutes of active cooking time, then the rest is just leaving the meat to slow cook until tender and juicy.

It kind of reminds me of this carne asada. So, if you like tender meat, you'll definitely want to give that a try next.

Ingredients

Again, all the ingredients for this easy carne picada are simple grocery store finds.

Also, if you have a local farmers market, you should be able to pick all of them up from there too.

Anyway, here's everything you'll need to make this carne picada beef:

• 2 pounds Bottom Round Roast, cubed (or chuck roast)
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• ½ cup Celery, chopped
• ½ cup Carrots, chopped
• ½ cup Red Onion, chopped
• 1 ½ cup Canned Crushed Tomatoes 
• 2 Thyme Sprigs
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 2 cups Beef Stock

But, if you want to go the extra mile and prepare carne picada tacos, you can grab some crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese, diced tomatoes, thinly sliced red onions, and fresh cilantro, plus your other favorite taco toppings. Oh, and don't forget the corn tortillas, or you can make these low carb tortillas for to put the meat in for one of the best carne picada recipes ever!

By the way, if you're grabbing a round roast from the store, pick up another pound so you can make this bottom round roast recipe next.

How To Make Carne Picada

So, you can make this carne picada beef in about 1 - 2 hours on the stovetop, depending on how tender you want the meat to be.

And you can also finish it in the slow cooker if you want to prepare it hours in advance.

By the way, just so you know,  this recipe makes enough for 4 generous servings, but you can always double or triple the recipe for more people.

Now, let's get into the recipe and make some carne picada!

Step 1: Sear the Beef

First, heat a dutch oven or heavy bottom pot to medium high heat.

Then, while waiting for the pot to heat up, you'll want to turn the bottom round roast or chuck roast into chopped beef and season it with salt and pepper.

Next, you can add the olive oil to the dutch oven, followed by the minced beef.

Now sear the carne picada meat for a few minutes on each side, turning the pieces until they're golden brown on all sides, then remove them from the pot.

Step 2: Make the Stewing Liquid

Next, you can add the celery, carrots, and red onion to the same pot. Cook the vegetables for about 10 minutes, occasionally stirring, until they soften.

Now, you'll want to add the minced meat back to the pot and stir, mixing it with all the vegetables.

Then you can add the crushed tomatoes, followed by the thyme, bay leaves, and beef stock. Stir to combine, making sure to scrape up any of the browned bits at the bottom of the pan.

Step 3: Simmer and Serve

Once everything's in the pot, lower the temperature to medium heat.

Now, cover the Dutch oven and cook for about 1 hour, or until the meat is fork-tender. By the way, if you start to notice it getting too dry or if the liquid decreases, you can add a bit more stock or water as needed.

Once the beef is nice and soft, it's ready to serve! If you're serving carne picada tacos, simply put the meat in the tortilla of your choice, and enjoy this delicious Mexican food.

Step 3A: Slow Cooker carne picada

If you want to adapt this recipe to make slow cooker carne picada, follow the stovetop instructions listed above.

Then, after combining the beef, vegetables, herbs, and liquid, transfer everything to the slow cooker and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

How to Store Leftover Carne Picada

So, as you know, this recipe for carne picada meat will make about 4 large servings - perfect for a weeknight dinner or meal prep.

If you end up having leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge to store about 3-5 days.

How To Reheat Carne Picada

To reheat the carne picada, the best way is to put it back in a large pot on the stovetop over low heat.

Then, warm it up for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently until it reaches your desired temperature. Also, just so you know, you can add some water - or stock - to the pot to keep the meat from drying out.

Carne Picada Recipes FAQs

What is carne picada made of?

Carne picada is usually made from a tougher cut of beef, such as chuck or bottom round roast. This allows the meat to cook in a seasoned tomato-based sauce over a long period of time so it turns out ultra tender.

What is the difference between carne asada and carne picada?

Carne asada means "grilled meat" while carne picada means "minced meat". While both are Mexican dishes made of beef, carne asada refers to beef steaks cooked on a grill while carne picada usually refers to chopped beef braised in a tomato-based sauce. Oh, and if you like carne asada, you can order it to make one of these Chipotle keto bowls.

Is carne picada the same as stew meat?

Carne picada is typically made of stew meat, usually chuck steak or bottom round roast. This might explain why in some grocery stores you'll find pre-chopped stew meat labeled as carne picada. It's the same thing as stew meat and you can use it for other recipes, but make sure it's cut to the same size you need.

Wrapping It Up

Well, that's how to make carne picada!

This simple and versatile recipe is a must-have for taco nights, or anytime you just want a warm and comforting tender beef recipe for dinner. It's become one of my favorite weeknight meals.

Seriously, it's easy to make, doesn't take a lot of effort, and tastes absolutely amazing.

Anyway, I hope you like this easy carne picada recipe as much as I do.

If you make it, be sure to let me know in the comments what you think. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Also, check out my Youtube channel and Instagram page for more recipes. I post new recipes on them weekly.

More Dinner Recipes

If you liked this recipe - and want to try some more dinner recipes like this one - I have a ton on the blog that I think you'll like.

Here are some more of my favorite weeknight meals: 

• Cast iron steak
• Blackened chicken
  
• Pan seared halibut
• Air fryer turkey tenderloin
• Mexican chorizo
• Healthy ground turkey

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