Puerto Rican Picadillo Recipe – fragrant, flavorful ground beef stew with olives and raisins. Makes an easy and no-fuss lazy weeknight meal or for parties served as stuffing for bell peppers, tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and empanadas. Easy and very versatile dish ready in just 20 minutes!
Even the simplest meal could turn into the most comforting dish of the day. You don’t necessarily have to slave away in the kitchen to treat your taste buds with heavenly flavors. And yes, it’s totally okay and normal to have that cooking slump once in a while.
And with that being said, I’m starting off this week with a lazy weeknight dinner that has saved me numerous times. ‘Cause, believe it or not, your family or guests wouldn’t have the slightest doubt that this recipe comes together in just 20 minutes!
It’s beyond tasty, full of warm earthy flavors with amazing additional touches!
What is Picadillo?
Picadillo is a traditional dish in Spain, in many Latin American countries and in the Philippines that is similar to hash. Its name originates from the Spanish word “picar” which means “to mince” which explains the presence of ground beef. (NOTE: Some places use ground beef and minced meat interchangeably.)
As you can see, this Picadillo recipe is a soft, fragrant and easy ground beef stew with potatoes, raisins and other regional ingredients that varies from place to place.
Puerto Rican Picadillo
For this recipe, I am adapting the Puerto Rican version of Picadillo that features olives and raisins for that extra hint of sweetness. As always, feel free to leave it out, if not desired.
This dish is pretty straightforward with a comforting, humble yet tasty end result. It’s pretty easy to whip up with no extra fuss – just how I want my dinner to be especially when I’m not in the mood to cook.😉
One of the best things about Picadillo is its versatility (and I’m always in awe). If you don’t like serving it as it is, no problem. You can do a handful of other recipes using it. You can make it as Stuffed Bell Pepper stuffings, Quesadillas, Alcapurrias, Picadillo Beef Empanadas or as fillings to tacos or to my upcoming Indian Fry Bread (stay tune). The possibilities are endless!
But if it’s a lazy kind of weeknight, go ahead and pair it simply with rice. You’ll thank yourself for doing it!
Other Picadillo Variations
There’s actually a teeny tiny thin line separating these versions from each other. But as far as the ones I’ve tried, these 3 are the most popular versions of picadillo with just minor differences that set them apart from the others.
- Cuban Picadillo – includes olives, raisins, cumin, and cinnamon for that hint of sweetness
- Mexican Picadillo – this version is spicer than the usual with the use of chili powder and green chiles plus potatoes and carrots
- Filipino Picadillo – also called as “giniling“, this version has green peas on top of carrots potatoes and raisins
Picadillo Ingredients
As for the Puerto Rican Picadillo, here’s what you’ll be needing to make this no-fuss dinner or party appetizer stuffing:
- canola oil
- onions and garlic
- cumin
- smoked paprika
- cayenne pepper
- oregano
- green or red pepper
- tomato sauce
- ground beef (you may swap it with ground turkey, chicken or pork)
- olives
- raisins
- potatoes (optional)
- green onions
- cilantro
- Sazon to taste (you may swap with beef or chicken bouillon)
What Goes with Picadillo?
There’s nothing quite the same with a plateful of picadillo and some warm plain ‘ol white rice on the side. But I’ve enjoyed serving this dish with the following, too:
- Fried Plantains or this Tostones
- East African Chapati or this Flatbread
- Fried Egg
- Black Beans and Rice
Other Tasty Recipes to Explore
How To Make Picadillo
Add about 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet followed by onions, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne and oregano. Sweat them out for about a minute.
Then add bell pepper, tomato sauce, bring to a simmer, add ground meat, potatoes (if using potatoes ) and cook for about 7-10 minutes or more, while stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add about ½ cup broth or water as needed until potatoes are soft and tender. Season with salt, chicken bouillon or sazon. Finally add olives, green onions, raisins, and cilantro, adjust for seasoning.
Remove and set aside.
Watch How To Make It
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id=”c5zjezuW” upload-date=”2019-04-01T04:05:00.000Z” name=”Picadillo” description=”Puerto Rican Picadillo Recipe — fragrant, flavorful ground beef stew with olives and raisins. Easy and no fuss cooking; perfect for lazy weeknight meals or for parties served as stuffing for bell peppers, tacos, burritos, enchiladas and empanadas.”]
This recipe was first published in July 2017 and has been updated with a new write up and a video.
Picadillo
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Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons (28ml-42ml) canola oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 2 teaspoons (10g) minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon (3g) cumin
- ½ -1 tablespoon (1g-2g) smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon (1g) or more cayenne pepper , adjust to taste
- 1 teaspoon (1g) or more oregano , adjust to taste
- 1 small green or red pepper
- 1 cup (225g) tomato sauce
- 1 pound (453.59g) ground beef
- 2 cups (244g) potatoes , optional
- ½ cup (125ml) broth or water
- 1 packet Sazon to taste or use beef or chicken bouillon
- ½ cup (65g) olives , chopped
- 1 green onion , diced
- ½ cup (150g) or more raisins
- 1 tablespoon (1g) or more cilantro , adjust to taste
Instructions
- Add about 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet followed by onions, garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, oregano, sweat for about a minute.
- Then add bell pepper, tomato sauce, bring to a simmer, add ground meat, potatoes (if using potatoes ) and cook for about 7-10 minutes or more, while stirring frequently to prevent burning. Add about ½ cup broth or water as needed until potatoes are soft and tender.
- Season with salt, chicken bouillon or sazon.
- Finally add olives, green onions, raisins, and cilantro, adjust for seasoning. Remove and set aside.
Tips & Notes:
- Some recipes would call for cooking first the ground beef first until it’s nicely browned. But I’d prefer sauteing garlic and onion first for an added aroma and flavor mixed into the ground beef as it is being cooked.
- You may swap ground beef with ground turkey, chicken or pork, depending on preference.
- For the olives, you may experiment with the plain or fancy one. But most people would agree that pimento-stuffed green olives work best on this dish to balance out the strong, salty flavor of olives.
- You may also substitute potatoes with chayote depending on your preference.
- Sazon is a type of seasoned salt that is widely used in Puerto Rican and Latin America cooking - consisting of spices and herbs - garlic, oregano ,cumin, paprika and annatto seeds.
- Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.
Nutrition Information:
Ron says
Heya!
This looks great – want to make! – but have a question about the ‘tomato sauce’ you use –
Do you mean tomato ketchup? Or Passata? Or one of those commercially available red pasta sauces?
Unsure – be grateful if you could clarify please 🙂
Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Ron. Passata would work perfectly. Let me know how it works out for you!
Ron says
Hey again!
I used tomato Passata -and it was delicious!
Was trying to use up stuff in fridge store-cupboard staples – didn’t have Sazon (and expect I’d have to search for it here in Brisbane, Australia! But I’m determined I will find it eventually!) – so in the meantime used Vegeta stock powder.
It was no fuss, on the table quickly – and soooooo good! Everyone enjoyed it – and think it’ll become a regular midweek/worknight meal – it’s pretty much ready by the time the rice is cooked.
Thank you!!
ImmaculateBites says
Awesome!!! I am so glad this turned out well for you. Thank you for leaving feedback. 🙂
Melidsa says
If you cannot find something, please go online and see if you can purchase it, a brand goya, is known to sell Sazon as well, I believe you can check goya.com and see if they sell to Australia! Even Amazon! Good luck!!!
LMQ says
I assume that it calls for what is labeled tomato sauce in American markets: Hunts or del Monte are the major brands. It is basically tomato puree with added salt, onions, garlic and herbs. Could also use fresh tomatoes peeled and seeded.
Melidsa says
No, you can make your own home made tomato sauce. Us Ricans dont use the brand you named . Hope this helps.
ayite miriam says
It looks amazing and yummy
imma africanbites says
Thank you. It sure did! And very versatile, too.
Ms. Felicia says
Hi good evening
How are you?
I love to try dishes from time to time
And ran across this one picture looks
Great I’m planning on making this the weekend can this be made ahead of time and frozen if so how long can it be kept in the freezer
Pamela says
Hi Imma, your website is a food lover’s paradise. Your recipes are easy to follow and the outcomes are delicious. Thanks for showing us all how to make and eat delicious food from Africa!
imma africanbites says
Thank you for all the wonderful words, Pamela. 🙂 Happy to have you here in my online kitchen.
Lia Meza says
Hi! Great recipe! Just one comment though, Picadillo was not originally from Spain. I’m Mexican and I lived in Spain for many many years in different places and they had never heard of it
Immaculate Bites says
Thank you for sharing, Lia! If I remember correctly, this is mostly known in Latin America and the Philippines? Either way, this is a delicious cuisine 😀
O says
In Spain, I believe it’s called carne molida
Marc says
Can’t wait to try this recipe. My wife doesn’t eat red meat, but will eat seafood. Do you think I can substitute with shrimp? I’m thinking of using this as a filling for piononos. What do you think? Thanks!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Marc,
Shrimp will work just fine here. Do let me know how it works out for you. Thanks
LexC says
I forgot to mention that I substituted ground turkey! Next time I make this I will use ground beef.
imma africanbites says
Thanks for sharing that tip, LexC. 🙂
LexC says
This was really good! I did add corn along with poblano and greens peppers to the mix. I heated some white corn tortillas and we ate them as tacos with sargeanto 4 mexican cheeseblend and sour cream. I will make it as typed here next time with rice. Love your site Thanks for the recipes!
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks for the feedback! Happy to hear it worked out well for you.
Cindy says
THIS IS SO TASTEY, SERVED AS A TOSTADO. YUMMY!
imma africanbites says
Thank you, Cindy! That sure sounds great!
Ginger says
Hello, I am preparing to make your Picadillo recipe and noticed under the step #2. half way down after where it says while stirring frequently to prevent burning is a typo. Not sure what was meant to be said?
imma africanbites says
Thanks for bringing that up, Ginger! Updated the instructions for clarification.
Pamela Enriquez-Courts says
Oh my this was delicious! I used ground chicken instead of ground beef and all the spices and flavorings really gave the chicken a boost of flavor. The olives and raisins were wonderful. Thanks so much for posting this wonderful recipe. I looked at many others one, but this one looked the most promising and did NOT disappoint!
imma africanbites says
Woot Woot!! Thank for sharing your feedback, Pamela! Glad it turned out well for you. 🙂
Titus says
Made a big batch for my girlfriend and family.
It turned out delicious.
The only thing I can say negative is the ingredients of you don’t have them can make this expensive to make the 1st time.
Also I couldn’t find Sazon in just it’s pure form.
My choices were seasoned with tomato and basil or seasoned with cilantro. (Not sure if that is normal or not)
It chose me with the 3lbs of ground beef about $47.00 to make a batch that fed 7 people.
Going to try it again with plemento olives.
Just plan you couldn’t make out the flavor.
I added pepper flakes to bring the heat up.
Was going to go mexi with green chilies but it would be green chili….
Otherwise it was very delicious and even better the next and following day…
imma africanbites says
Thanks for sharing some good nuggets in there, Titus. It’s indeed great the next day.
Dunori says
I made it this past weekend and it was fantastic! I missed the cilantro which I’m sure would’ve been a great touch BUY I did have not only the potatoes, but some avocado and plantains on the side. Everyone loved it. Thank you!
Warren Wilson says
The Picadillo was pretty good! I cut back on the paprika and next time I’ll use a bit of scotch bonnet pepper instead of the cayenne. By the way, you forgot to list garlic in your ingredients list. Thanks for your many recipes.
ImmaculateBites says
Sazon is a type of seasoned salt that is widely used in puerto rican and Latin America cooking – consisting of spices and herbs – garlic, oregano ,cumin, paprika and annatto seeds
esther says
imam I think you have omitted potatoes
ImmaculateBites says
Thanks Esther! Recipe updated .
Susan says
Either I am deeply confused, or potatoes are not included in the, despite the references to them in your commentary Help?
ImmaculateBites says
You are not Susan. This version is made without potatoes. Have updated the recipe to include potatoes , for those that would like to some in. Thanks !