This Cuban Picadillo recipe is one of my family’s favorite! It’s really quick and easy to make, and if you are lucky enough to have any leftovers you can serve this Picadillo in tacos, empanada filling, baked sweet potatoes or regular potatoes, and just about anything you can think of!
Cuban Picadillo is a saucy, sweet and savory dish that pairs perfectly with a bowl of ANY kind of rice- white, brown, cauliflower rice. It’s so good! If you’ve never heard of picadillo then let’s get you up to speed before you run to the kitchen.
Cuban Picadillo can be made with ground pork or beef or sometimes both. I opted to use ground bison because I’m a huge fan! Did you know that bison meat is much more likely to be grass-fed and organic than beef? It’s true. That’s because bison live freely in the wild, not on factory farms like most of cattle do.
There is not a lot of technique involved in the making of Cuban Picadillo. As for the ingredients, I recommend not passing on the raisins and olives. It gives this dish its sweet and savory staple flavors.
Note: I made this dish ahead to serve it on our busiest night of this week. It’s easy to reheat and serve on top of rice (possibly cauliflower rice this time) with a side of salad. *Top it with chopped hard-boiled eggs to keep up with the traditional Cuban Picadillo
Cuban Picadillo
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium yellow or white onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 small red bell pepper, cored and seeded, chopped
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 pounds ground beef (90% lean) I used Bison because why not. See note on post.
- 2 small diced tomatoes (any type)
- 1/3 cup raisins
- 2 small diced tomatoes (any type)
- 1/2 cup pimento stuffed olives plus 2 tablespoons brine
- 2 hard boiled eggs, chopped (for garnish)
- 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add tomato paste, garlic, cumin, oregano, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, and cook until fragrant and tomato paste darkens in color, about 2 minutes. Add 3/4 water and let it simmer.
- Add meat and cook, stirring and breaking up chunks, until no longer pink, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir, raisins, olives, and brine. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until most of the liquid evaporates.
- Turn heat off, add chopped tomatoes and cilantro. Serve with white rice.