Picadillo is a hearty and well-seasoned Cuban dish of ground meat, onions, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, and olives.
It appeals to me because it's delicious and intensely flavorful yet truly 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.
We loved staying at John's stylish Airbnb, and one day, we decided to cook one of his recipes for lunch. We picked his recipe for Picadillo because it seemed easy and delicious, and we knew we could adjust it to our low-carb diet. We enjoyed it so much that I asked John for his permission to include it here. I made it again today, and it was just as good as the first time I made it. This one is definitely a keeper!
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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. 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 Cuban Picadillo. 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.
Expert 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
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.
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. 
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.
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 the fridge, in an airtight container, 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.
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Recipe Card
Cuban Picadillo
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 - or ½ teaspoon of any other salt, including Morton
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 8 ounces canned tomato sauce
- ⅓ cup green olives - pitted, roughly chopped; 1.5 ounces
Instructions
- Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the ground beef, onion, garlic, bell pepper, salt, pepper, dried oregano, smoked paprika, 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 uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the peppers and onions are tender, for 8-10 minutes.
- Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
- You can make it spicy by adding ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Out of fresh garlic? Use a teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
- 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, even low heat if your stove runs hot, as can be the case when using an electric stovetop.
- The original recipe calls 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.
- You can increase the olives to ½ cup.
- Cuban Picadillo is traditionally served with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains. I like to serve it with cauliflower rice.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, 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.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
Allison
Delicious, easy, and just great. Thanks!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm glad you liked it, Allison! Thanks for the comment.
Gee
Oh my goodness... who knew that so few ingredients could create such a delicious meal! Made this this evening for my husband and myself. Did add a little more salt and next time, yes, there will be a next time, I might add a little more tomato sauce. For some reason there wasn't as much liquid in mine that is pictured in yours. Served it over brown rice and thoroughly enjoyed! Will have it again tomorrow night. Thank you, Vered... any recipe of yours I've tried has always been a success!
Looking forward to more ~ Gee
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm so glad this was such a success, Gee! Thank you for the comment and for your willingness to try my recipes. ❤️
Georgette
I made this for dinner tonight. Highly recommend it. Delicious!
Vered DeLeeuw
I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Georgette! Thank you for the comment.
Kathryn Turner
I made a dish very much like this when my children were young. They would not eat it with the green olives so I went with black ones and 1/2 cup raisins. They would eat this once a week for years.
Vered DeLeeuw
How interesting, Kathryn! Thank you for sharing. The version with black olives and raisins sounds delicious.
KRISTIN
This dish is delicious! The many ingredients blend very well together. I will be making this regularly.
Vered DeLeeuw
Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kristin. Thank you for taking the time to write a comment.
Evangelia Evangelou
Do you serve it with a side dish like rice or mashed potatoes,
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Evangelia,
When I divide it into four servings, I do. The original recipe by John says that in Cuba, it's usually served with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains. I eat a low-carb diet, so I use cauliflower rice.