Picadillo is a traditional Latin American dish that combines meat, tomatoes, spices, olives, and raisins for a delicious sweet and salty hearty meal. You can use any ground meat or make it vegetarian using beans (see substitutions section). Serve it over a bed of warm rice or enjoy it as a taco filling. I love it topped with tangy yogurt, pickled red onions, and lots of cilantro!
Ingredient Highlight
Beef! Is an extremely nutrient-dense meat with lots of iron, vitamin B12, zinc, and selenium to name a few. Try to buy grass-fed organic (and local if that’s an option) beef when possible.
This is a great article to help you understand what to look for when buying grass-fed beef.
Servings 6 People
Prep Time 15 minutes 
Cook Time 35 minutes Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb ground beef
- 2 tsp kosher salt, divided
- ½ yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped or smashed
- 2-3 medium potatoes (about 10-12 oz), peeled and chopped into very small bite-sized pieces (about 2 cups)
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 14.5 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 cup water
- ⅓ cup raisins
- ½ cup pitted and roughly chopped or torn green olives
- Flour tortillas or cooked rice
- Topping ideas: whole milk yogurt or sour cream, pickled red onions, fresh herbs
- Note: if you don’t have a skillet with a lid, you could also make this in a large pot or dutch oven. Also, baking sheets weighted down with a can of tomatoes makes for a great lid! Or get this universal lid that I like to use.
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon oil, beef, and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until beef is cooked through, breaking into small chunks as it cooks, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon or spatula to transfer to a bowl, leaving about 1 tablespoon of oil behind.
- If using another meat with less fat or veg option, add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the skillet. Add the onion and ½ teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, potatoes, bell pepper, and spices and cook for 30 seconds, stirring often.
- Stir in the tomatoes, water, raisins, olives, cooked beef, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt. Use scissors to cut the tomatoes into small pieces/release their juices. Press everything down to try to submerge the potatoes in the liquid. Cover the skillet, increase the heat to high to bring to a rapid simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low to keep at a rapid simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until potatoes are cooked through. Remove the lid, give it a stir and press down again into a compact layer, and let simmer for another 5 minutes to reduce the sauce a bit and continue to cook the potatoes.
- Serve the picadillo in warm tortillas or on top of rice. Top with plenty of your desired toppings!
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Chop ½ yellow onion
- Chop 3 cloves garlic
- Peel and cut 2-3 medium potatoes (about 10-12 oz) into very small bite-sized pieces (about 2 cups)
- Chop 1 bell pepper
- Remove pits and roughly chop the olives (½ cup)
- Cook your rice (if using)
- Pickle one red onion
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian/vegan, substitute the beef with 2 (15 oz) cans of black or pinto beans (drained and rinsed). Skip the meat cooking part and start by cooking the onion in 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the beans in with the tomatoes, water, etc…Since we added ½ teaspoon salt to the beef, be sure to add in that extra ½ teaspoon with the beans.
- Substitute the beef with ground chicken, turkey, or pork.
- Use sweet potatoes in place of regular potatoes.
- Substitute 1 cup of any finely chopped veggie for the bell pepper.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover picadillo in the microwave or on the stovetop. Serve it over rice or tortilla and top with all the toppings!
- Would be delicious topped with a fried egg and pickled onions!
