Filipino beef picadillo - also called giniling - is a one-pan ground beef and vegetable stew that comes together in about 35 minutes and reheats beautifully the next day. Ground beef, potatoes, carrots, green peas, raisins, and green olives in a savory tomato sauce seasoned with soy sauce and fish sauce. It's the kind of dish that feeds a family on a weeknight without much fuss, tastes better as leftovers, and works equally well over rice, stuffed into pandesal, or folded into a torta for breakfast.
It's often served at Filipino gatherings alongside pork menudo, crispy lumpiang shanghai, and pancit guisado - the classic spread that shows up at every Filipino party table.
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What is Picadillo?
Picadillo (pronounced pee-kah-DEE-yo) is a traditional dish rooted in Spanish cuisine that has been widely embraced across Latin American and Filipino kitchens.
In the Philippines, it's known as giniling, meaning ground meat. It's a savory-sweet dish made with ground beef or pork, hearty vegetables, and a blend of sauces and seasonings and every household has their own delicious spin on it!
Filipino Picadillo vs. Mexican Picadillo
They share a name and a Spanish ancestor but are distinct dishes.
Mexican picadillo is seasoned with cumin, chili powder, and sometimes oregano - a warm, earthy spice profile. Depending on the region, it may include potatoes, carrots, raisins, or olives, but the spices are what define it. It's often used as a taco or empanada filling rather than served over rice.
Filipino picadillo is seasoned with soy sauce and fish sauce, giving it an umami-forward, savory-sweet flavor that's distinctly Southeast Asian despite its Spanish name. The raisins are a consistent feature across most Filipino versions, and it's almost always served over steamed white rice.
Same concept, same history, very different results in the bowl.
Ingredients
- Ground beef is the classic choice. Use an 80/20 blend for the best flavor - the fat renders into the sauce during cooking and adds richness. A leaner blend (90/10) works fine if you prefer less grease, but drain excess fat after browning the meat either way. Ground pork, a beef-pork mix, ground chicken, or ground turkey all work as substitutes
- Potatoes - waxy varieties like Yukon Gold hold their shape better during simmering than starchy russets, which tend to fall apart. Dice them into uniform pieces so they cook evenly. About 1-inch cubes is the right size.
- Carrots - diced the same size as the potatoes so they finish cooking at the same time. Uniform cuts matter more than people realize in this dish.
- Green peas - frozen works perfectly. Add them at the very end of cooking so they stay bright green rather than turning grey and mushy.
- Raisins - dark or golden raisins both work. Don't skip them.
- Green olives (Manzanilla) - the briny, slightly tangy bite of green olives cuts through the richness of the beef and adds a layer of flavor that sets Filipino picadillo apart. Roughly chopped or left whole, whichever you prefer.
- Tomato Paste and Tomatoes: They add a touch of acidity that balances out the richness of the beef.
- Onion and Garlic: The aromatic duo in Filipino cuisine.
- Sugar: Just a touch of sweetness to balance out the flavors and enhance the natural sweetness of our tomatoes and veggies. It's the secret ingredient that ties everything together beautifully.
- Beef powder or bouillon: A sprinkle of beefy goodness to amp up the flavor of our dish!
- Fish sauce - It deepens the savory flavor significantly without making the dish taste fishy.
- Oyster Sauce: For umami flavor to our dish!
Substitution and Addition
- Ground pork or chicken or turkey can replace ground beef for a lighter version.
- Swap raisins for dried cranberries if you want a tangier twist.
- Replace olives with capers for a stronger, briny flavor.
- Add bell peppers for extra crunch and color.
- For more spice, sprinkle in some chili flakes or add a chopped fresh chili.
How to Cook Filipino Beef Picadillo
- Step 1 - Pre-fry the potatoes and carrots. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced potatoes and cook until lightly golden on the outside. Remove and set aside. Add the carrots to the same pan and cook until just starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Step 2 - Sauté the aromatics. In the same pan, add a little more oil if needed. Cook the garlic over medium heat until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent.
- Step 3 - Brown the ground beef. Add the ground beef to the pan, breaking it up with a spatula or wooden spoon as it cooks. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until no longer pink and lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Drain excess fat if using an 80/20 blend.
- Step 4 - Add tomato paste. Push the beef to the sides of the pan and add the tomato paste to the center. Let it cook for about 1 minute, stirring it in the center, until it darkens slightly. This step cooks off the raw tomato flavor and deepens the color of the sauce. Then stir everything together.
- Step 5 - Add liquids and seasonings. Add the diced fresh tomatoes, fish sauce, oyster sauce, beef powder, and sugar. Stir to combine. Add enough water to just cover everything - about ½ to 1 cup depending on your pan size. Bring to a boil.
- Step 6 - Simmer with vegetables. Add the raisins, green olives, and the pre-fried potatoes and carrots back into the pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the potatoes and carrots are completely tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Step 7 - Add peas and adjust. Add the frozen green peas and stir through. Cook for just 1-2 minutes until heated through - no longer or they'll lose their color. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add soy sauce if it needs salt, a pinch more sugar if it needs balance, a splash more water if the sauce is too thick.
- Step 8 - Serve. Serve hot over steamed white rice. Garnish with chopped green onions if desired.
Variation
- Pork giniling - substitute ground pork for ground beef. Slightly richer and fattier, with a more delicate flavor. This is the version many Filipino families make as often as the beef version.
- Beef and pork mix - use half ground beef and half ground pork. Adds depth from the beef and richness from the pork. A Family Feast uses this combination.
- Soupier picadillo - add more water or beef broth during simmering to make a looser, brothier version. Some Filipino households prefer it this way, especially served with pandesal for dipping. Kawaling Pinoy offers this as a second version of the dish.
- Picadillo with bell peppers - add diced red or green bell pepper with the onions and garlic. Adds sweetness and color without changing the flavor profile significantly.
- Spicy picadillo - add sliced siling labuyo (bird's eye chili) or a pinch of chili flakes with the aromatics. The heat works well against the sweetness of the raisins.
- Picadillo with hard-boiled eggs - some versions add halved hard-boiled eggs during the last few minutes of cooking, similar to Filipino menudo. Adds protein and makes the dish more substantial.
What to Serve With Picadillo and How to Use Leftovers
Steamed white rice is the standard. The savory-sweet sauce is built for rice.
Pandesal - stuff a generous spoonful of picadillo inside a warm pandesal roll for a quick lunch or breakfast. The sauce soaks into the bread and it's one of the best things you can do with leftovers.
Torta (egg omelet) - mix leftover picadillo into beaten eggs and fry as a flat omelet. Serve with rice and banana ketchup. This is a classic Filipino breakfast transformation for leftover giniling.
Empanada filling - picadillo is one of the most traditional Filipino empanada fillings. The savory-sweet filling with raisins and olives works perfectly inside fried or baked pastry.
Fried rice - stir leftover picadillo through day-old rice in a hot pan for a quick giniling fried rice. Add a fried egg on top.
Rose's Tips
- Cut potatoes and carrots the same size. Uniform cuts mean everything finishes cooking at the same time. Uneven pieces mean some are mushy while others are still hard.
- Don't skip the fish sauce. It's just a tablespoon but it's the ingredient that makes this taste definitively Filipino rather than generic beef stew. The fishiness cooks out completely - what stays is pure savory depth.
- This tastes better the next day. Like adobo, menudo, and caldereta, Filipino picadillo improves significantly after a night in the fridge.
- 80/20 ground beef for flavor, drain the fat. The fat from 80/20 beef enriches the sauce as it renders, but drain the excess after browning so the finished dish isn't greasy.
- Add peas last. Frozen peas need only 1-2 minutes to heat through. Add them any earlier and they turn from bright green to an unappetizing grey.
- Taste before serving. Filipino picadillo is a balance of salty, savory, and sweet. Taste the sauce before plating and adjust - more soy sauce for salt, more sugar for sweetness, a splash of water if it's too intense.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken as it chills - this is normal and actually improves the flavor.
Reheat gently on the stove over medium-low heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Microwave works for speed.
Picadillo freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat slowly. The potatoes will be slightly softer after freezing but the flavor holds well.
Recipe FAQs
They're the same dish. Giniling is the Filipino word for ground meat and refers to any dish made with it. Picadillo is the Spanish-derived name for this specific preparation. Both names are used in Filipino households and mean the same thing in this context.
Some Filipino families use "menudo" to refer to this dish when made with ground beef rather than stew meat. This is a source of confusion because Filipino menudo (a tomato-based stew with pork or beef chunks, liver, and vegetables) and Mexican menudo (a tripe soup) are both completely different dishes. If a Filipino recipe calls for ground beef with potatoes, carrots, and peas in tomato sauce, it's picadillo or giniling regardless of what name is used.
It's a Spanish colonial food tradition that came with the dish and stayed. The raisins balance the saltiness of the soy sauce and fish sauce and add a subtle sweetness and textural contrast. They're one of the defining features of the Filipino version - don't skip them.
Yes. Ground pork is actually used as often as ground beef in Filipino households. It produces a slightly richer, more delicate result. A 50/50 beef-pork mix is also a popular option.
Yes - and it's better for it. Picadillo improves significantly overnight as the flavors develop and deepen. Make it the day before, refrigerate, and reheat gently before serving.
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Easy Filipino Beef Picadillo (Giniling)
Equipment
- 1 wok, skillet or pan
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon neutral oil avocado oil or olive oil
- ½ cup onion chopped
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ pound giniling or ground beef or pork/ chicken/ turkey
- 2 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 tomatoes cubed
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon beef powder
- ¼ cup oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 medium potato cubed
- 1 medium carrots cubed
- 1 cup frozen sweet green peas
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup raisin
- ½ cup green olives
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat neutral oil (avocado oil or olive oil) in a large skillet over medium heat.2 tablespoon neutral oil
- Add chopped potatoes to the skillet. Fry until they are golden brown and cooked through. Once done, remove them from the skillet and set them aside.2 medium potato
- In the same skillet, add chopped carrots. Fry until they are golden brown and cooked through. Once done, remove them from the skillet and set them aside.1 medium carrots
- In the same skillet with the remaining oil, add chopped onion and minced garlic. Sauté until the onions are translucent and fragrant.5 cloves garlic, ½ cup onion
- Add giniling or ground beef to the skillet. Cook, breaking it apart with a spoon, until the beef is browned and cooked through.1 ½ pound giniling or ground beef
- Stir in tomato paste, tomatoes, water, beef powder, fish sauce and oyster sauce to the skillet. Stir well to combine. Let it cook for 5 minutes to enhance the flavor.2 tablespoon tomato paste, 2 tomatoes, 1 cup water, 1 tablespoon beef powder, ¼ cup oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- Add frozen sweet green peas, sugar, raisins, and green olives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.1 cup frozen sweet green peas, 1 teaspoon sugar, ½ cup raisin, ½ cup green olives, salt and pepper
- Return the fried potatoes and carrots to the skillet. Mix them with the beef mixture.
- Continue to cook the mixture for another 5-7 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have melded together.
- Serve the Filipino Picadillo hot over steamed rice.
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Notes
- Fry the potatoes and carrots separately before adding them back in — this keeps them from getting mushy and gives them a nice golden texture
- Cut potatoes and carrots into small, even cubes so they cook evenly and quickly
- Add the frozen peas last to keep their bright green color and avoid overcooking
- Don't skip the raisins — they add a subtle sweetness that balances the savory beef beautifully
- This dish tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop overnight
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days
- Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating
- Reheat in a pan over medium heat or microwave until warmed through
- Best served hot over steamed white rice or garlic fried rice
- Pair with a fried egg on top for a heartier meal
- Great alongside pandesal for scooping up the sauce
