What is Beef Picadillo?
Picadillo, pronounced [pi-kuh-di-yo], is a traditional dish in the Philippines, Caribbean, and Latin America. While the spices and some ingredients vary by region, the building blocks are the same. The savory ground beef dish combines hearty potatoes and salty green olives simmered in a rich, spiced tomato sauce.
For another variation, try our Mexican picadillo con papas.
What You Need to Make this Recipe
- Olive Oil: Saute the onions, bell pepper, and garlic in olive oil.
- Sofrito: I prepare a quick homemade sofrito made with onions, bell pepper, and garlic. You can also purchase store-bought sofrito to avoid all the chopping.
- Tomato Paste: Adding a spoonful of tomato paste intensifies the flavor and deepens the color of the dish.
- Ground Beef: Picadillo means minced in English, so take your time mincing the beef. You can do this with a spatula, but I recommend using a meat chopper. I use ground beef for this recipe, but you can replace it with chicken or turkey.
- Tomatoes: I use a can of diced tomatoes, but you can use three Roma tomatoes.
- Chicken Broth: For added flavor, include chicken broth for the ground beef to absorb as it simmers.
- Red Cooking Wine: I use red cooking wine to boost the flavor, but you can replace it with more chicken broth.
- Spices: Flavor the Cuban beef picadillo with sazon, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, and black pepper.
- Potatoes: Potatoes aren’t a traditional ingredient in Cuban beef picadillo, but I like to add them to make it a complete meal. Use one large potato or two smaller potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces.
Additions and Substitutions
I love how customizable the Cuban beef picadillo is. Here are some suggestions to customize ingredients based on your family’s taste.
- Use ground pork, turkey, chicken, or a plant-based alternative. Many Cuban homestyle recipes also include chorizo, along with ground beef. Adding hard-boiled eggs is a common practice in Peru and the Dominican Republic.
- Some regional recipes prioritize a sweeter flavor by stirring sugar, honey, or raisins into the ground beef mixture.
- Try salty capers in place of green olives.
How to Make Cuban 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 the onions 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 the bay leaves, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Then, remove the lid and add the olives. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
Expert Tips
- We make homemade sofrito using traditional Cuban ingredients to create the foundation for the dish.
- Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces to ensure they cook at the same rate.
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Serving Suggestions
- Rice: Yellow Rice, White Rice, Cilantro-Lime Rice, Quinoa, Brown Rice
- Beans: Moro, Black Refried Beans
- Appetizers: Air Fried Plantains
What to Do With the Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
- Freeze – Let the dish cool and transfer leftovers to a freezer-safe container or bag. Beef picadillo freezes for up to 3 months.
- Reheat – Warm the leftovers on the stovetop or in the microwave.
- Repurpose – Use the leftovers to fill casseroles, empanadas, quesadillas, or tacos. You can also remove the potatoes and add the filling to papa rellenos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is picadillo called in English?
Picadillo [pronounced: pi-kuh-di-yo] comes from the Spanish word ‘picar,’ which means ‘to mince.’
What is Cuban picadillo made of?
This one-pot meal typically contains ground meat (most commonly beef), tomatoes or tomato sauce, ground cumin, raisins, and olives. Other ingredients included in the dish will vary from home to home, as most Cuban homes have a treasured picadillo recipe.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Picadillo can easily be made in advance, and it is perfect for meal prep or as a freezer meal.
Easy Cuban Beef Picadillo
- Saute Pan or Skillet
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 white onion, finely diced
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 packet sazon seasoning, coriander and annatto
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes, 14-ounce
- 1 cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup red cooking wine
- 2 potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 large potato or 2 small potatoes)
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 cup green olives with pimento,
- 1 tablespoon green olive brine
- Warm oil in a saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, red bell pepper, and garlic. Cook until the onions 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 the bay leaves, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Then, remove the lid and add the olives. Continue cooking for 5 minutes.
- We make homemade sofrito using traditional Cuban ingredients to create the foundation for the dish.
- Cut the potatoes into 1-inch pieces to ensure they cook at the same rate.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
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.