Cuban Picadillo Recipe (Ready in 25 Minutes)

Name: Cuban Picadillo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 pound ground beef (85/15); 1 onion (chopped; 6 ounces); 1 tablespoon garlic (minced); 1 green bell pepper (chopped; 4 ounces); 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt; 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 8 ounces canned tomato sauce; 1/3 cup green olives (pitted, roughly chopped; 1.5 ounces)

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Cuban picadillo is a hearty and well-seasoned dish of ground meat, onions, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, and olives. It appeals to me because it's delicious and intensely flavorful yet easy to make - it's ready in about 25 minutes.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I had the pleasure of staying at John Verlinden's Airbnb in Brookline, Massachusetts. John is a published cookbook author, and his cookbook, To Cook Is To Love, celebrates Cuban cooking and his mother-in-law, Aida. This flavorful Cuban picadillo recipe, published here with John's permission, is inspired by one of his recipes.

Ingredients

The short list of ingredients is one of the things that drew me to this recipe. Here's an overview. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.

Ground beef: The original recipe calls for ground beef, but the first time I made it, I used ground lamb, and it was delicious!
Vegetables and aromatics: Onion, garlic, and green bell pepper.
To season: Salt, pepper, dried oregano, and ground cumin. I like to add smoked paprika, too.
Canned tomato sauce: Adds flavor and liquids to the dish.
Green olives: This is the secret ingredient! Their savoriness and saltiness greatly elevate this dish.

Variations

As mentioned above, you can substitute ground lamb for the ground beef. You can also use ground turkey or chicken thighs. I don't recommend using ground turkey or chicken breast, as those are too lean.
After making the recipe for the first time, I started adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika. I like the smoky flavor it adds.
You can make it spicy by adding ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
Out of fresh garlic? Use a teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
You can increase the olives to ½ cup.
To lower the carbs further, omit the tomato sauce and add ¼ cup of water or beef broth instead. The photo below shows a version made without tomato sauce (and with red onions - this is a very flexible recipe). It's drier but still delicious. Using water instead of tomato sauce should lower the carbs per serving from 9 to 6 grams.

Instructions

Here's an overview of the steps needed to make this recipe. The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below.

Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, onion, garlic, bell pepper, salt, pepper, dried oregano, smoked paprika (if using), and cumin. Brown the beef and vegetables, stirring often and breaking the meat into smaller pieces, for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce and olives. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers and onions are tender, for about 8-10 minutes.

Serve immediately.

Featured Comment

Oh my goodness... who knew that so few ingredients could create such a delicious meal! Made this this evening for my husband and myself. I added a little more salt and next time, yes, there will be a next time, I might add a little more tomato sauce. Served it over brown rice and thoroughly enjoyed it! Will have it again tomorrow night. - Gee
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Recipe Tip

After the initial step of browning the meat, your goal during the second step of simmering the meat and veggies in tomato sauce is to meld all the flavors together and soften the peppers and onions.

To achieve this, make sure you cook over medium-low heat, or even low heat if your stove runs hot, as can be the case when using an electric stovetop.

Recipe FAQs

Should I drain the beef after browning?

I don't drain the ground beef after browning it. The fat is delicious and adds flavor to the dish. It also keeps the Picadillo from being too dry.

What skillet should I use?

See the photo below - At John's place, I used a nonstick 12-inch skillet. Back home, I used a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. Both worked beautifully. The Picadillo was ready slightly faster (eight minutes compared to ten) when I used a cast-iron skillet, which has better heat retention.

I thought Picadillo typically contains raisins?

The original recipe does call for raisins. You can add ¼ cup of them when you add the olives. This version has 17 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber.

Serving Suggestions

My husband and I like to split this dish between the two of us and call it a meal. I split it between two plates and serve it with a spoon (as shown in the photo below) to make sure we can eat the yummy sauce.

Two plates of Picadillo, served with spoons.

If you'd like to divide this recipe into four servings, you'll need to add a bed for the Picadillo or a side dish. Delicious options include cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, zucchini noodles, and sauteed spinach.

Storing Leftovers

You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat them covered in the microwave. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then reheat them covered in the microwave.