Get ready for your new favorite dinner! This easy Picadillo Recipe is quick and flavorful. A traditional Latin American dish similar to a hash, it’s made with ground beef, tomatoes, raisins, potatoes and other ingredients that vary by region. Super simple and kid friendly!

picadillo in a skillet with a silver spoon.


This month totally flew by and that’s just an indicator of how busy our days are starting to become. Even though winter is creeping up on us, slowly but surely, there’s not shortage of activity here. And dinners have been like a drive-by affair grabbing whatever we can just to fill our bellies.

I always have ground beef in the freezer so I can whip up easy dinners that taste amazing any day of the week. This Easy Picadillo Recipe is one of our favorites. It’s a mash up of sweet and savory flavor that you just can’t get enough of. 

This Picadillo Beef has been added to my arsenal of easy ground beef recipes I can have on the table in about 30 minutes. And bonus points, it’s a low carb ground beef recipe that doesn’t taste like I’m missing anything at all but still feels like the ultimate comfort food!

Ingredients

  • Ground Beef – I like to use lean ground beef like an 80/20 so you still have flavor and the ground meat stays juicy. You can substitute the beef with ground turkey, ground pork or ground chicken.
  • Vegetables – Sweet onion, like a vidalia, red bell pepper and canned tomatoes add flavor without overpowering the dish.
  • Spices – Garlic, cumin, oreganon, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, kosher salt and black pepper are like a cornucopia for your taste buds adding authentic flavor to the dish.
  • White Wine – While not traditional, I like the sweetness added with the wine. Try to choose a dry white wine like Pinot Grigio. You can skip it or substitute with apple juice, beef broth or beef stock.
  • Raisins – A traditional addition, sweet raisins plump up and provide contrast to the savory flavors.
  • Olives – Green olives pop with briney goodness.
  • Potatoes – I like to use Yukon gold Potatoes but a russet potato or red potato is a good substitute.

For the full ingredients list and instructions, see the recipe card below.

Cuban Picadillo on a plate with a fork and rice.

What is Picadillo?

Picadillo is a recipe similar to hash with diced potatoes that’s traditionally served in Latin American countries, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. You can really add anything you want to your recipe but this Picadillo is made of lean ground beef, raisins, olives, potatoes, tomatoes and spices to make it saucy and packed with flavor.

It’s, generally, not spicy at all but you can add cayenne or spicy peppers for a little extra heat.

There are so many variations of beef Picadillo depending on what region the recipe originated from. This Cuban Picadillo is like a ground beef hash with tomatoes, raisins, potatoes and spices that make it one of the most flavorful ground beef recipes you’ll ever eat. 

Mexican Picadillo is similar to this recipe but varies in the way that it’s prepared and some of the spices that are added. What I love most about any Picadillo recipe is that leftovers can be transformed into quesadillas, tacos or as a filling for stuffed peppers and empanadas!

I’ve even tried a Spanish Picadillo recipe but the only difference with that dish was the absence of potatoes. I don’t know what’s right or wrong, it reminds me of how Bolognese recipe can vary from family to family so you do it however you wish. I know a lot of people don’t add raisins but that’s my favorite part.

cuban Picadillo in a skillet with a lime.

How To Make Picadillo

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
  2. Add the ground beef and cook over medium-high heat breaking up with a fork until crumbled.
  3. Cook the ground beef until browned and no longer pink in the center.
  4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ground beef to a bowl and set aside.
  5. Drain off all but two tablespoons of fat and add the onion to the pan. Reduce the temperature to medium heat.
  6. Cook the onion for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the bell pepper and cook for 2 more minutes.
  7. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, cumin and oregano. Cook for 1 additional minute.
  8. Add the tomato paste stirring to combine. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until the tomato paste begins to deepen in color.
  9. Add the ground beef back to the pan. Stir in the wine and cook for 1 minute.
  10. Stir the tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, raisins, green olives, capers, brine and potatoes into the ground beef mixture.
  11. Cover, reduce heat and cook until potatoes are fork tender, approximately 12 minutes.
  12. Uncover and remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
  13. Serve with rice, if desired.

See how easy that is? And the best part about this easy ground beef recipe is it’s even better when made in advance! You can make a big batch on the weekend to repurpose into your weekly meal planning. 

picadillo on a plate with rice and a wooden spoon.

What To Serve With Picadillo

Even though this is a Cuban-style picadillo recipe, I still like to serve it with sides that lean more Mexican.

  • Super easy Chipotle Copy Cat Cilantro Lime Rice! Top of the list!!
  • Serve with a bowl of Tortilla Chips to eat like a dip!
  • Roll up in a tortilla for easy Beef Enchiladas
  • Fill a hard taco shell for a great taco filling twist on the usual Taco Meat and top with cheese.
  • It’s fabulous on top of a pile of white rice like Jasmine Rice.
  • Serve in flour tortillas topped with sour cream, sprinkle with fresh cilantro and finish with hot sauce.

You could easily adapt this recipe for the Crock Pot or Instant Pot with a few modifications. Simply brown the ground beef and saute your vegetables then transfer everything to the Slow Cooker or Instant Pot. Cook in the slow cooker on high for 4 hours or set the Instant Pot to manual and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Super EASY!

Close up of picadillo on a plate.

How To Freeze Picadillo

Since you can double the recipe for Cuban Picadillo easily, I love to freeze leftovers for quick weeknight dinners when I only have time to heat something in the microwave.

Transfer your leftover Picadillo to a freezer-safe container and freeze in the freezer for up to 6 months. You can also store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Picadillo on a plate with rice and a wood spoon and a bowl of rice in the backgound.

More Easy Ground Beef Recipes

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cuban Picadillo in a skillet with a lime.

Get the Recipe: Cuban Picadillo Recipe

Yield: 8
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Classic Cuban Picadillo is an easy ground beef dinner recipe that's total comfort food.
5 from 11 votes
Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (about 4 teaspoons)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 15 ounce can diced canned tomatoes, fire roasted if you can find them
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/3 cup raisins
  • 1/2 cup green olives plus 2 tablespoons brine
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 1 large Yukon Gold potato, peeled and diced (approximately 1 1/2 cups)

Equipment

  • skillet

Instructions 

  • Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
  • Add the ground beef and cook over medium heat breaking up with a fork until crumbled.
  • Cook the ground beef until browned and no longer pink in the center.
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the ground beef to a bowl and set aside.
  • Drain off all but two tablespoons of fat and add the onion to the pan.
  • Cook the onion for 4-5 minutes or until softened. Add the bell pepper and cook for 2 more minutes.
  • Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, cumin and oregano. Cook for 1 additional minute.
  • Add the tomato paste stirring to combine. Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes or until the tomato paste begins to deepen in color.
  • Add the ground beef back to the pan. Stir in the wine and cook for 1 minute.
  • Stir in the tomatoes, worcestershire sauce, raisins, green olives, capers, brine and potatoes.
  • Cover, reduce heat and cook until potatoes are fork tender, approximately 12 minutes.
  • Uncover and remove the bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Serve with rice, if desired.

Video

YouTube video

Notes

Picadillo can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Picadillo can be frozen in an airtight, freezer safe container for up to 6 months.
Calories: 222.65kcal, Carbohydrates: 15.86g, Protein: 20.31g, Fat: 7.82g, Saturated Fat: 2.4g, Cholesterol: 52.73mg, Sodium: 389.64mg, Potassium: 696.41mg, Fiber: 2.98g, Sugar: 3.76g, Vitamin A: 670.54IU, Vitamin C: 29.95mg, Calcium: 69.36mg, Iron: 4.88mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: cuban