This Latin American-inspired picadillo recipe has been one of my family’s favorite meals for years and it’s at the top of my list of simple go-to weeknight meals.
Warm, savory, tangy, sweet, and perfectly spiced, every bite transports my tastebuds to Cuba, where this dish is popular. I serve it alongside rice and plantain chips for a flavorful dinner my girls always look forward to.
Recipe Highlights
- Simple to prepare: My stovetop picadillo recipe comes together in a single skillet with 20 minutes of prep time and a total time of just 40 minutes.
- Hearty and filling: A serving packs 35 grams of protein, making it easy to meet my daily protein goals. I consider it to be a healthy comfort food that is also low in total fat and provides 3 grams of fiber per serving.
- Meal prep-friendly: Leftovers store and reheat well for lunches throughout the week.
Standout Ingredients
This isn’t the full list of ingredients, but rather the main things to gather:
- Ground beef – I use 90-93% lean, quality ground beef. I like creating ground beef recipes because they’re nutritious and budget-friendly. In addition to being a good source protein, ground beef contains a lot of essential nutrients, including zinc and iron
- Green olives – I use green olives along with some of the brine (juice) from the jar for an authentic-tasting picadillo recipe
- Capers – these complement the salty flavor of the olives
- Raisins – traditional picadillo contains raisins, which provides a sweetness to help balance the salty and savory flavors. My family loves them in this dish, but you can omit them if you aren’t a fan
Find the ingredient list with exact measurements in the recipe card below.
“I’ve made this recipe probably a dozen times but this time I used half ground beef and half chorizo, and it was even better! Will definitely be doing that more often. I love that I can get two meals out of one recipe.” ~ Reader Katelyn G.
Ways To Serve
Most often, I serve this beef picadillo over Instant Pot white rice or cauliflower rice along with lime wedges and chopped fresh cilantro. I sometimes add sides of plantain chips or fried plantains and roasted green beans.
My kids use the leftover ground meat mixture in tortillas for tacos or quesadillas, stuffed in buns for a different version of sloppy joes, and even as a filling for empanadas. I’ve also served it over baked Russet potatoes along with some roasted veggies and sliced jalapeños.
For the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition analysis, listing calories (kcal), protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, sodium, cholesterol, and more per serving.
Storage Method
Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Or, freeze them for up to 6 months. To freeze, I place the leftover meat in a freezer-safe sealable bag and lay it flat in my freezer. Once frozen, I can store it vertically to take up less space.
Thaw the frozen picadillo in the fridge overnight. Then, reheat the meat in a skillet over medium heat along with a few tablespoons of water to soften it up again.
Frequently Asked Questions
It comes from the Spanish word picar, which means “to mince”
Puerto Rican or Cuban picadillo typically includes ingredients like olives, raisins, and capers while popular versions of picadillo made in Mexico or Spanish picadillo usually incorporate diced potatoes and paprika, and tend to be spicier. Some versions are simply made with ground beef, yellow onions, bell peppers, and tomato sauce.
Yes, you can swap in ground turkey for the ground beef.
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Picadillo Recipe
This easy picadillo recipe is a flavorful one-skillet meal that comes together quickly and is ready to eat in just 40 minutes. Comforting, savory, and sweet, it’s a delicious protein to serve with rice and roasted veggies.
Ingredients
- 2 lb. lean ground beef
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 medium red or green bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 14-ounce can tomato sauce
- ¾ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cup green olives, pitted and drained + 2 tablespoons juice from jar
- 2 tablespoons capers, drained
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ to ½ teaspoon fine salt (to taste)
- Optional for serving: cooked rice or steamed cauliflower rice, chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges, fried plantains or plantain chips, and roasted green beans
Instructions
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add ground beef, bell pepper, and onions. (NOTE: I find that I don’t need to use any olive oil when I use a nonstick or enamel-coated cast iron skillet, but you may need to add 2-3 teaspoons of oil if using a skillet without a nonstick surface).
- Saute the beef and veggies, breaking them up with a spatula, until the onions start to soften and beef is browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the minced cloves garlic and saute for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
- To the ground beef mixture, add in the tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, green olives, capers, golden raisins, and black pepper.
- Bring to a low simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove the bay leaf. Taste and season with the salt. (NOTE: You may not need to add any salt, depending on preference).
- If desired, serve over cooked rice or steamed cauliflower rice with a lime wedge and garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
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Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1/6th of the meat mixture
- Calories: 265
- Fat: 6 g
- (Sat Fat: 3 g)
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Carbohydrate: 19 g
- (Fiber: 3 g
- Sugar: 14 g)
- Protein: 35 g
- Cholesterol: 91 mg
Dietary
Recipe Changelog
- March 2025: We previously published a version of this recipe that was made in a slower cooker instead of on the stovetop. It called for regular raisins instead of golden raisins. Download the previous version here.
The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.
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How many tomatoes should we add per step one in the instructions? This recipe looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it. Thank you for sharing it with us!
Hi Aleona,
I’m sorry, I mistyped ‘tomatoes’ for ‘onions’. That should read “Add ground beef and onions to the pan”. I’ve updated that so it’s correct now. Thanks for the catch and enjoy!
I’m not a fan of raisins in food (it’s a texture thing…I don’t mind them on their own). Any suggestions for a substitute that will still lend sweetness? Thanks! Excited to try the recipe out!
Hi Caroline, you could add some unsweetened dates or dried prunes. You would have to chop them into little pieces but they would also add a nice sweet touch. Enjoy!
Hi !!! Thank you for this delicious and tasty recipe // I substitute the beef for lean turkey 👍🏻
Awesome Anna! Great to hear you enjoyed it!
Could I make this the day before and then just reheat the next day, possibly adding the capers, raisins and olives at that time?
Hi Patricia,
You can definitely make this the day before. I’d suggest adding the capers, olives and raisins the day before though so all of the flavors have a chance to mingle. I personally think this dish is best the next day for that very reason. Enjoy!
This is my favorite recipe! I have had picadillo from several different Cuban restaurants, but this one is better, in my opinion. So good!
Oh, my! Thank you! We love hearing that – we’re so glad you enjoyed our version.