Zacatecas Beef Stew

This Zacatecas-style beef stew is a quick and hearty dish you can have on the table in less than an hour. 

This stew is based on picadillo Zacatecano, a mixture of ground beef and potatoes in a tomato sauce. Most regions of Latin America have their own picadillo, from simple to complicated. This one, from the central/north state of Zacatecas, Mexico, is fairly simple but still flavorful. 

The food of Zacatecos is hearty and filling, and includes versions of birria, other stews, meat tacos, chili relleno, carne asada, enchiladas, and menudo. 

Ingredients:

Ground Beef: The ground beef is only lightly browned to develop a little flavor but mostly left uncooked before it's added it to the stew to maintain the moisture in the beef. 

Vegetables: Potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and peas. For the potatoes, I used baby Dutch yellow potatoes. They were easy to cut and they don't need to be peeled. 

For the Sauce: Tomatoes, onions, garlic, beef stock, and jalapeño. The sauce does not need to be cooked separately. It will cook along with the rest of the ingredient in the stew. 

Herbs and Spices: Cilantro, allspice, cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, and pepper. 

Thank you to Melissa's Produce for the white onions, baby Dutch potatoes, zucchini, and fresh peeled garlic. 

To Make This Stew:

First, blend the tomato sauce ingredients in a blender and set the mixture aside. 

Then, very lightly brown the ground beef and then remove it from the pan and set it aside. Then, add two tablespoons of olive oil to the pan and then cook the carrots for a few minutes, then the potatoes, and then the zucchini and herbs and spices. Add the tomato sauce, beef stock, and some water and then cover and simmer for ten minutes. 

After that, chop up the ground beef and add it to the pan, cover, and cook an additional ten minutes. Finally, add the peas, more cilantro, adjust the salt and pepper, and serve with tortillas, pickled jalapeños, and lime wedges. 

You can also serve this over rice. 

Equipment You May Need:

6 quart stainless stock pot or saucepan with a lid. 

Blender: You can use a full-sized blender or a mini one and blend the sauce in batches. 

Make-Ahead and Storage:

You can easily make this stew in advance. As with most stews, it only gets better over time. 

If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three to four days. 

"Z" is for Zeppole, Zacatecas, Zucchini, Za'atar, Ziti, and More!

To complete the 2025 Alphabet Challenge, we are sharing recipes that begin with "Z" or include ingredients or methods that that begin with "Z." 

• Culinary Cam: A Holiday Zaza or Two or Three - Cheers!
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Baked Ziti 
• Food Lust People Love: Boursin Zucchini Tart 
• Sneha’s Recipe: Grilled Zucchini Bruschetta Bites
• A Messy Kitchen: Lemon Eton Mess 
• Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Simple Zero Cream Creamy Butternut Squash Soup
• Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Zacatecas Beef Stew
• Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Zeppole 
• Mayuri’s Jikoni: Zeytin Piyazi

Last year (2024) for the letter "Z," I made Zuppa Toscana, a tasty copycat Olive Garden soup. Be sure to give it a try. 

Guess what? We'll be back next year to cook through the alphabet one more time!

Zacatecas-Style Beef Stew

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Karen Kerr

Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 50 Min

This Zacatecas-style beef stew is a quick and hearty dish you can have on the table in just less than an hour. 

Ingredients

For the Sauce

• 4 Roma tomatoes, cut into quarters and stem spot removed.
• 1/2 white onion or 5 mini white onions, peeled and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and cut into 1 inch slices

For the Stew

• 1 pound ground beef
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 carrots, peeled and cut into cubes
• 1 1/2 pounds baby Dutch yellow potatoes, cut into quarters
• 3 zucchini, ends removed and cut into 1/4 inch slices
• 1 bunch cilantro, washed and roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1 14 ounce can beef stock or broth
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/4 cups frozen peas
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and jalapeño in a blender and blend until fully pureed. Set aside.
2. Heat a 6 quart stock pot or sauce pan over medium low heat. Add the ground beef in a single block and brown both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Most of the beef should remain red. Remove the beef to a plate.
3. Add the olive oil to the pan and add the carrots. Cook, stirring regularly, for two minutes. Add the potatoes and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Add the zucchini, half of the cilantro, the herbs and spices, and cook for two minutes more.
4. Add the sauce, beef stock, and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for ten minutes. In the meantime, chop up the ground beef into small pieces.
5. Add the beef to the pan, cover, and cook 10 minutes more. Add the frozen peas and the rest of the cilantro and serve.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

543

Fat (grams)

36 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

16 g

Carbs (grams)

75 g

Fiber (grams)

45 g

Net carbs

31 g

Sugar (grams)

7 g

Protein (grams)

39 g

Cholesterol (grams)

54 mg

https://www.karenskitchenstories.com/2025/12/zacatecas-beef-stew.html

Karen's Kitchen Stories

stew, picadillo, zacatecas

main course

Mexican

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Adapted from My Slice of Mexico, Isabel Eats, and Mexico in my Kitchen.