Chickpea Picadillo

By Rick A. Martínez

Published April 23, 2025

  • Bryan Gardner for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
40 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Rating
5(803)
Comments
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This plant-based take on a Mexican picadillo trades the traditional ground meat for a deeply savory mix of mushrooms, tofu and chickpeas, simmered with tangy tomatillos, poblano and scallions until everything melds into a rich, comforting hash. A box grater gives the tofu a ground meat-like texture that crisps beautifully in the pan, while the tomatillos add a tart freshness that keeps each bite lively and light. This weeknight-friendly dish is flavorful and deeply satisfying — especially when served alongside rice and beans or made into tacos or burritos. Make a double batch and freeze the leftovers: This is the kind of comfort food whose flavor gets better with time.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  • 8 ounces mushrooms (such as cremini), chopped

  • 12 ounces extra-firm tofu, grated on the large holes of a box grater

  • 5 large scallions, chopped, green and white parts separated

  • 1 medium poblano chile, seeds removed, chopped

  • 1 to 2 jalapeños, chopped (use 1 seeded jalapeño for a milder dish, 2 with seeds for medium heat)

  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

  • 6 ounces tomatillos (about 3), husked, rinsed and chopped

  • Salt

  • 1½ cups vegetable or mushroom stock 

  • 1 (15-ounce) can chickpeas, undrained

  • ¼ cup chopped cilantro leaves and tender stems

  • Rice and beans, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

43 grams carbs; 3 milligrams cholesterol; 495 calories; 17 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 29 grams fat; 10 grams fiber; 1066 milligrams sodium; 21 grams protein; 11 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large well-seasoned cast-iron or nonstick skillet over high. Cook mushrooms, tossing occasionally, until browned on all sides, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.

  2. Step 2

    Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the same skillet and cook tofu, tossing occasionally, until any liquid has evaporated and the edges are browned (tofu should look like shredded and browned egg whites), 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to the bowl with the mushrooms.

  3. Step 3

    Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the same skillet and add the scallion whites, poblano, jalapeño, garlic, tomatillos and salt and cook, tossing occasionally, until the scallions are just starting to brown and the tomatillos begin to break down, about 5 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Reduce heat to medium-high and return the mushrooms and tofu, along with any juices, to the pan. Stir in the vegetable stock and the chickpeas along with their liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring and scraping up browned bits, until all the vegetables are tender and most of the liquid has evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Season with more salt if needed.

  5. Step 5

    Mix in cilantro and scallion greens just before serving. Serve with rice and beans.

Tip

  • Picadillo (without cilantro or scallion greens) can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave or in a small saucepan, covered, on low.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
803 user ratings
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Comments

Brian

Freeze the tofu first, then grate it. Not only does this make grating easier, freezing will draw out some of the water, and a drier tofu will absorb more of the sauce in the pan. You'll also get more of a ground meat texture by grating frozen tofu.

Stacy

To be annoying: if you use super firm tofu, not extra firm, there’s no need to freeze or press out liquid before grating. It’s truly a wonderful, protein- packed version of tofu and so easy to use. Just a thought.

HeyBCool

This is terrific. Instead of grating the tofu, I used a fork and broke it up until it resembled the consistency of ground beef. I air fried the crumbled tofu while I prepped and sautéd the mushrooms, which was a time/effort saver. Better than Bullion roasted garlic base was a great alternative to the broth. I’ll be making this again.

Cécile

Had no tofu. Used steamed quinoa instead. Declared a success by non vegetarian teens.

Nina

Added swiss chard to up the veggies. Also used a combo of farmers market mushrooms and brown cremini. Delish!

Zarana

Are they a bit smaller than typical American dried chickpeas? Sounds like you may have Indian "kala chana" which translates as "black chickpeas." You can soak and then prepare them as you would regular chickpeas. They take longer to cook, and are a bit earthier and meatier than regular. I think they'd pick up the flavors in this recipe well. PS: There are many fancy, saucy Indian preparations for these, but my favorite was to use them is to cook them until tender in my Instant Pot. Let cool, take out a portion, add a bit of olive or avocado oil, lots of cayenne and salt and enjoy (with some plain yogurt if you like). To get a little fancier, heat the oil first and pop whole cumin seeds, then add the cayenne and salt, stir, then add chickpeas. I freeze the unseasoned portion coated with a touch of oil to use anytime. @The guy who cooks Tia's food

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