Cuban beef picadillo is a one-pot comfort food that cooks in 30 minutes! The versatile dish is easy to make and absolutely delicious! Eat the meal as is or use the ground beef mixture as a filling for casseroles, picadillo soup, and empanadas.
What is Beef Picadillo?
Versions of picadillo are found all over the Philippines, Caribbean, and Latin America (no doubt thanks to trade routes). These variations differ from region to region and even family to family.
Classic Cuban picadillo calls for briny green olives, capers, and red wine. Other variations, like Mexican picadillo con papas, lean heavily on potatoes and peas. Some recipes use fresh tomatoes or tomato paste, and some are tomato-free. Hard-boiled eggs are commonly added to picadillo in Peru and the Dominican Republic. Filipino picadillo is more brothy and is served over rice, whereas Puerto Rican picadillo is known for the sweet addition of raisins.
While spices and ingredients may vary, all picadillo recipes have one thing in common—ground or minced beef. Picadillo, pronounced [pi-kuh-di-yo], comes from the Spanish word ‘picar,’ which means ‘to mince or chop’ in English.
What is Cuban Picadillo Made of?
This flavorful beef picadillo recipe is a perfect way to use up the ground beef in your freezer! Made with mostly pantry staples, it comes together in just 30 minutes. Here’s what you’ll need to get started.
- Tomato Paste: A spoonful of tomato paste intensifies the flavor and deepens the color of the dish.
- Sofrito: Prepare a quick homemade sofrito using diced yellow onions, red bell pepper, and fresh garlic cloves. Skip the prep work and purchase store-bought sofrito to avoid all the chopping.
- Ground Beef: The literal translation of picadillo is minced. 1-2 pounds of ground beef feeds my family of six with leftovers.
- Tomatoes: Include a can of petite diced tomatoes or chop three fresh Roma tomatoes.
- Chicken Broth: Simmer the ground beef with chicken broth for extra flavor.
- Red Wine: Balance the dish with a splash of red cooking wine, or use more chicken broth if you want to leave it out.
- Spices: Season with sazon seasoning blend, ground cumin, dried oregano, kosher salt, and coarse black pepper.
- Potatoes: Cuban beef picadillo doesn’t typically include potatoes. I choose to add them to make the dish a hearty one-pot meal. Cut one large russet potato or two smaller Yukon gold potatoes into 1-inch pieces to ensure even cooking.
Additions and Substitutions
I love how versatile this easy picadillo recipe is. Feel free to adjust the ingredients to suit your taste and make it your own.
- Swap the protein. You can use ground turkey, chicken, or pork to make the recipe. Some Cuban homestyle recipes call for a mix of ground beef and chorizo for even more flavor.
- Sweeten the dish. Add a little sugar, honey, or raisins for a touch of sweetness.
How to Make Beef Picadillo
The full recipe with measurements is in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Warm oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until they soften and become translucent, for about 10 minutes. Then, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
Step 2: Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a meat chopper until minced. Cook until brown and heated through. Then, nestle the potatoes into the mixture.
Step 3: Stir in the sazon, cumin powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Continue cooking for another minute.
Step 4: Deglaze the pan with diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and red cooking wine. Add a bay leaf, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, add the olives, and cook for 5 minutes.
Expert Tips
- Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- If using lean ground beef, consider adding more oil or chicken broth if the mixture appears dry. The desired texture for picadillo is a nice glaze.
If you enjoy Cuban beef picadillo, try more dinner recipes from Jamil Ghar!
Serving Suggestions
The best way to serve the Cuban picadillo recipe is with fresh flour tortillas, corn tortillas, or tostadas, but here are more ideas of what to pair with the dish:
- Grains: Yellow Rice, White Rice, Cilantro-Lime Rice, Quinoa, Brown Rice
- Beans: Moro, Black Beans, Pinto Beans, Refried Beans
- Appetizers: Air Fried Plantains
What To Do With Leftovers
- Refrigerate: Store the leftover ground beef and potatoes in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze: Let the dish cool and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Beef picadillo freezes for 2-3 months.
- Reheat: Warm the leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Repurpose: Use the ground beef as filling for casseroles, empanadas, quesadillas, and tacos. You can remove the potatoes and use the ground beef mixture for papa rellenas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Prepare the easy dish in advance, leftover picadillo tastes even better the next day! Like aloo keema or ground beef lettuce wraps, this dish is perfect for meal prep or a freezer meal to save for a rainy day.
More Easy Ground Beef Recipes:
Beef Picadillo
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet sazon seasoning
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 can (14-ounce) petite diced tomatoes
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup red cooking wine
- 1 medium russet potato, washed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1-2 dried bay leaves
- 1 cup green olives, plus one tablespoon olive brine
- Warm oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until they soften and become translucent, for about 10 minutes. Then, stir in the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the ground beef, breaking it up with a meat chopper until minced. Cook until brown and heated through. Then, nestle the potatoes into the mixture.
- Stir in the sazon, cumin powder, oregano, salt, and black pepper. Continue cooking for another minute.
- Deglaze the pan with diced tomatoes, chicken broth, and red cooking wine. Add a bay leaf, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the lid, add the olives, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- If using lean ground beef, consider adding more oil or chicken broth if the mixture appears dry. The desired texture for picadillo is a nice glaze.
Alejandro
Friday 26th of May 2023
Absolutely love this Beef Picadillo! The tomato-based sauce brings all the ingredients together perfectly. Quick and easy to make, it's my go-to for a comforting and satisfying meal. Great for leftovers too!
Tressa Jamil
Saturday 27th of May 2023
I couldn't agree more. I love to make this meal when I need leftovers for a few days. It's a great recipe to meal prep for sure.
Carlos Diaz
Friday 26th of May 2023
This Beef Picadillo recipe took me straight back to my Cuban roots! The seasoned ground beef, potatoes, and olives were so flavorful. A must-try!
Tressa Jamil
Friday 26th of May 2023
Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful feedback on the Beef Picadillo recipe! I am happy you enjoyed it.