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    Home / Costa Rican Kitchen / Picadillo Costarricense

    Picadillo Costarricense

    A traditional Costa Rican dish — Picadillo Costarricense is ground beef simmered with finely diced potatoes, onion, sweet pepper, and tomato until everything melds into a soft, saucy hash.

    ⏱ 15 minPrep time
    🔥 30 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 Costa Rican KitchenCategory
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    A traditional Costa Rican dish — Picadillo Costarricense is ground beef simmered with finely diced potatoes, onion, sweet pepper, and tomato until everything melds into a soft, saucy hash. It is spooned into warm corn tortillas as a ‘gallito’ — the classic Tico taco — or served alongside rice and beans. Every household has a version, often swapping in chayote, green beans, or arracache for the potato.

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    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Brown the ground beef in the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, breaking it up with a spoon, and season with salt and pepper. Remove and set aside.
    2. In the same skillet, sauté the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and tomato until soft, about five minutes.
    3. Return the beef to the pan, add the potatoes and one cup of water, and stir in the lizano-style sauce.
    4. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about fifteen minutes, until the potatoes are tender and most of the liquid has cooked down.
    5. Fold in the culantro, taste for salt, and serve heaped in warm corn tortillas or beside rice.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Cut the potatoes into small, even dice so they cook at the same rate as the beef. For picadillo de chayote, replace the potatoes with two peeled, seeded chayotes cut the same way.

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    Recipe details

    Prep15 min
    Cook30 min
    Servings4
    CategoryCosta Rican Kitchen
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

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