Costa Rican Picadillo de Papa Recipe

Get ready for meat and potatoes the Costa Rican way! This potato and shredded beef hash is a Costa Rican culinary staple and a crowd favorite.

Picadillo de Papa Costa Rica Recipe

Ingredients: 

• Costa Rican Boiled Potato Recipe
• Costa Rican Shredded Beef Recipe
• 6 warm corn tortillas
• Sour cream (optional)

Instructions:

Prepare boiled potatoes and shredded beef according to the recipes above and mix them together in a large bowl. Place 1/3 cup of your picadillo onto warm corn tortillas and serve with a dollop of sour cream on top. 

About This Costa Rican Picadillo de Papa Recipe

Costa Rica is well known for its picadillos, and with good reason! Traditionally made with diced vegetables, meat, and spices, picadillos are a beloved staple of Costa Rican cuisine. 

These tasty hashes are very versatile, and can involve whatever vegetables and meats that might be available at the time. One of the most popular picadillos is called picadillo de papa, or “potato picadillo” in English. 

In order to make this recipe, I decided to combine two old favorites: my earlier recipes for Costa Rican style boiled potatoes and shredded beef respectively. These two recipes are delicious on their own, but combined? A whole new world of flavor! 

This makes a huge batch of picadillo de papa, so you’ll have plenty of leftovers for dinners to come!

Related Recipes You’ll Love:

Ground Beef Picadillo de Chayote

Costa Rican Carrot and Green Bean Picadillo 

Picadillo de Chayote

Substitutions

When you’re preparing your sofrito for the boiled potatoes, you can swap in butter or margarine for the oil. For seasoning the boiled potatoes, plain salt can be substituted for the Maggi chicken bullion cubes. 

Though flank steak is the best option when it comes to preparing Costa Rican style shredded beef, chuck, rump, and round roasts will also work in a pinch. 

Variations

Besides a pressure cooker, the shredded beef can be prepared using both a slow cooker and a crockpot instead. You can place all of your ingredients in either one and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 6-8 hours. Though slow cookers and crockpots might take a little longer, the end result will be just as tasty!

For the boiled potatoes, feel free to add chorizo, bell peppers, or chile dulce to fill out their flavor. 

Serving Suggestions

Plate your picadillo de papa alongside some warm tortillas and top with a dollop of sour cream if desired. Costa Rican style white rice and gallo pinto make excellent side dishes for this recipe!

Of course, this is always served with Salsa Lizano!

FAQ

1. What type of bullion should I use for the boiled potatoes? – I like the Maggi variety of boullion, but sometimes it can be hard to come by. Better than Boullion is a great alternative for seasoning your potatoes, as is plain table salt. 
2. Where can I find Salsa Lizano to flavor the shredded beef? – Salsa Lizano is an exclusively Costa Rican condiment, so one of the best ways to get it is over Amazon. It can sometimes also be found at your local Walmart.
3. Where are picadillos typically eaten? – In addition to being a specialty in Central America, picadillos can also be found in the Philippines. Every country has a different rendition of a picadillo, but the vegetable-meat-and-spice base remains about the same. 

Printable Recipe

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