Enjoy the delightful and flavorful Puerto Rican Picadillo, a versatile base for many beloved dishes. This quick and easy recipe is perfect for regular weekday meals, whether as a filling or a main course. Experience this fuss-free favorite's deliciousness that will satisfy your taste buds.
If there is one meat recipe you should have in your recipe box, picadillo is it. I use this recipe in Puerto Rican Empanadillas, Pastelon, and Pastelon de Berenjena, an eggplant meat pie. It works well as taco meat and is delicious over a bowl of white rice.
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Why this recipe works
Versatility, delicious flavors, and quick preparation make Picadillo an excellent recipe in your culinary repertoire.
- Versatility: Picadillo is a base for many Puerto Rican dishes. It can also be enjoyed as a standalone main course paired with rice, plantains, or tortillas. Picadillo's flexibility allows you to get creative in the kitchen and cater to various culinary preferences and cuisines.
- Flavorful and Delicious: Picadillo is known for its irresistible flavors. Ground beef, aromatic spices, and vibrant vegetables combine to create a harmonious blend that tantalizes the taste buds.
- Quick and Easy: Picadillo is a standout and popular recipe because of its simplicity and ease of preparation. It is a fast and straightforward dish that can be whipped up quickly, making it perfect for busy weeknights or when you're short on time. With just a few ingredients and minimal cooking steps, you can enjoy a flavorful and fulfilling meal without spending hours in the kitchen.
What culture is Picadillo from?
Many Latin American countries have their version of Picadillo. Some use shredded beef, whereas some use ground beef. Some add chilis and spices, and maybe corn and beans, while others add raisins and potatoes. I have tasted many different versions of picadillo in Puerto Rico alone, and not one is the same, from no veggies added to the meat to some with potatoes and raisins. The term picadillo is a Latin American/Spanish term meaning chopped or chopped into tiny pieces. However, ground beef is universal, with many countries having multiple applications for this particular cut of meat.
What ingredients go in Puerto Rican Picadillo?
These are the ingredients I use to make my Puerto Rican picadillo.
- Ground beef: is the traditional meat used in this recipe. I use 80/20 ground beef, meaning 80% lean meat to 20% fat. This combination seems to work well and is pretty accessible. I have used a 90/10, but I add some olive oil while browning the meat to keep it from drying. It also depends on the application. If you want a dryer product because it will be stuffed in an empanadilla, then 90/10 will work great.
- Sofrito: Sofrito is what makes our cooking so flavorful. Whether you buy yours or make your own, sofrito is the equivalent of a thumbprint or a signature. It is unique to each person, which makes it iconically unique to Puerto Rico.
- Olives: not just any olive. We are talking about the little green gems filled with pimento peppers, also iconic to Spanish cooking and the cultures Spain brought forth.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements.
Variations and Substitutions
Notice that this recipe does not have peppers in the recipe card. That is because my family does not like the taste of peppers. What I am trying to get at is a recipe is as authentic as the one cooking it.
- Ground meats: Chicken, Turkey, Pork, Lamb, or a combination of a few will make an excellent substitution for beef when making picadillo.
- Cuban-style: There is not much difference between Puerto Rican and Cuban picadillo. We both add raisins and potatoes. The day I made this picadillo, I was working on my empanada recipe, so I omitted the potatoes.
- Mexican-style: Remove the green olives, add reconstituted chipotle peppers and black beans, and your picadillo is ready to travel south of the border.
- Italian inspiration: Turn it into a bolognese by adding diced canned tomatoes, basil, and a splash of wine.
How to make Puerto Rican Picadillo
Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to make Picadillo.
- Step 1: Heat cast iron or skillet to medium heat but not smoke. Do not add oil.
- Step 2: Place the meat in the skillet. Let it sit for a minute before breaking it into small clumps.
- Step 3: Continue mincing with a spatula or meat chopper. Allow about one or two minutes between chopping to allow the meat to brown.
- Step 4: Add onions and let them sweat for a minute. Follow with garlic paste or adobo, sofrito, and tomato paste. Cook for about 5-7 minutes, until the onions are translucent and the sofrito, garlic, and tomato paste are well distributed.
- Step 5: Add adobo powder or seasonings: paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Also, add olives and capers and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Step 6: Add Beef Broth to create a sauce, about one ounce at a time, until you have the desired thickness. You may add more tomato paste for a saucier picadillo.
Expert Tips
- When browning the ground beef, you are looking for a few things:
- Every cook meat
- Make sure to break big clumps into smaller clumps. This helps with even cooking the meat.
- We want to remove the pink from the meat before seasoning it to ensure it is partly cooked. This way, you know there are no raw particles left behind.
- If using potatoes and raisins.
- Add the potatoes raw with the onions or,
- Fry them and set them aside. If fried potatoes are used, add them along with the olives.
- Add the raisins with the garlic to allow them to plump while cooking.
- One pound of picadillo will fill about 20 small empanadas.
- When using picadillo as a filling for empanadas, allow the mixture to cool before filling the empanadas.
- I use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce because it renders excellent flavor, and I can control the amount of liquid throughout the process.
Recipe FAQs
For me, picadillo tastes like home. Smoky paprika, flowery cumin, bold garlic, briny olives, and capers make this recipe full of flavor and zest.
Serve picadillo over rice, plantains, beans, or pasta. It can also be the base for a spicy chili served with cornbread or the main entree for tacos.
Picadillo means finely chopped or shredded. Ground beef is just that, finely chopped meat. When cooking ground beef, break the large clumps so the meat is loose once cooked.
More Puerto Rican Inspiration Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Puerto Rican Picadillo
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 tablespoon garlic Ground or paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 tablespoon Sofrito
- 12 green olives roughly chopped
Instructions
- Heat cast iron or skillet to medium heat but not smoke. Do not add oil.
- Place meat on the skillet. Let sit for a minute before breaking the meat into small clumps.
- Continue mincing with a spatula or meat chopper. Allow about one or two minutes between chopping to allow the meat to brown.
- Add adobo powder or seasonings: paprika, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Also, add olives and capers and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Add Beef Broth to create a sauce. About one ounce at a time until you have desired thickness. You may add more tomato paste for a saucier picadillo.
Notes
- When browning the ground beef, you are looking for a few things:
- Every cook meat.
- Make sure to break big clumps into smaller clumps. This helps with even cooking the meat.
- We want to remove the pink from the meat before seasoning it to ensure it is partly cooked. This way, you know there are no raw particles left behind.
- If using potatoes and raisins.
- Add the potatoes raw with the onions or,
- Fry them and set them aside. If fried potatoes are used, add them along with the olives.
- Add the raisins with the garlic to allow them to plump while cooking.
- One pound of picadillo will fill about 20 small empanadas.
- When using picadillo as a filling for empanadas, allow the mixture to cool before filling the empanadas.
- I use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce because it renders excellent flavor, and I can control the amount of liquid throughout the process.
