Cuban Picadillo

Picadillo is a Cuban dish of well-seasoned ground beef cooked with onions, peppers, garlic, olives, and tomatoes. My low-carb version excludes the traditional raisins, but it's delicious, nonetheless.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cuban

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 15

Total Time 25

Servings servings

Calories 302kcal

Author Vered DeLeeuw

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