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Beef picadillo on a plate black beans.

Easy Cuban Beef Picadillo

Tressa Jamil
Cuban beef picadillo is the ultimate comfort food and it's ready in 30 minutes. The tasty one-pan meal is versatile and delivers a ton of flavor! 
5 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Cuban
Servings 6 Servings
Calories 271 kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
  
  • 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
Instructions
 
  • 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.
Notes
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.
Nutrition Disclosure:
  • The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 271 kcal | Carbohydrates: 19 g | Protein: 18 g | Fat: 14 g | Sodium: 1025 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 5 g
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and follow @thejamilghar or tag #thejamilghar on Instagram!