Picadillo

Name: Picadillo
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 600 g ground beef (chuck, ~20% fat); 2 tbsp olive oil for the sofrito; 1 large yellow onion (~200 g), finely diced; 1 large green bell pepper (~200 g), finely diced; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tsp ground cumin (comino) + 1 tsp dried oregano + 0.5 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón) + 1 bay leaf; 400 g can crushed tomatoes (or 4 fresh tomatoes peeled and grated) + 2 tbsp tomato paste; 100 ml dry white wine OR 50 ml dry sherry (Cuban traditional — burns off raw-meat smell); 100 g pitted green olives (manzanilla), halved; 60 g golden or dark raisins, soaked 10 min in 100 ml hot water then drained; 100 g frozen green peas, thawed; 1 tbsp capers, drained (optional, traditional); 1.5 tsp salt + 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper; Fresh flat-leaf parsley to garnish; To serve: 360 g (2 cups) white rice cooked in 540 ml water with 0.5 tsp salt + 240 g cooked black beans + 2 ripe plantains sliced and fried + lime wedges

Picadillo is everyday Cuban food — a flavorful hash of ground beef cooked with tomatoes, onion, garlic, bell pepper, and the surprising sweet-salty combination of green olives and raisins. This Spanish-influenced blend — a legacy of Andalusian cuisine — gives picadillo a flavor uniquely Cuban. In Cuba, picadillo is eaten with white rice, black beans, and platanos fritos (fried plantains), a combination known as classic comida criolla. Similar versions exist throughout Latin America, but the Cuban version with raisins and olives is the most distinctive.

Total time55m

Active time30m

Servings4

DifficultyMedium

Cost$$

Add to my meal plan

❤️

Rich in protein

Filling and nutritious

🍲

One-pot

Minimal washing up

⭐

Traditional recipe

Authentic taste

Ingredients 4 servings

600 g ground beef (chuck, ~20% fat)
2 tbsp olive oil for the sofrito
1 large yellow onion (~200 g), finely diced
1 large green bell pepper (~200 g), finely diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin (comino) + 1 tsp dried oregano + 0.5 tsp sweet smoked paprika (pimentón) + 1 bay leaf
400 g can crushed tomatoes (or 4 fresh tomatoes peeled and grated) + 2 tbsp tomato paste
100 ml dry white wine OR 50 ml dry sherry (Cuban traditional — burns off raw-meat smell)
100 g pitted green olives (manzanilla), halved
60 g golden or dark raisins, soaked 10 min in 100 ml hot water then drained
100 g frozen green peas, thawed
1 tbsp capers, drained (optional, traditional)
1.5 tsp salt + 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Fresh flat-leaf parsley to garnish
To serve: 360 g (2 cups) white rice cooked in 540 ml water with 0.5 tsp salt + 240 g cooked black beans + 2 ripe plantains sliced and fried + lime wedges

How to make it

1SOFRITO BASE: in a heavy 5 L pot, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium heat; add 200 g diced onion + 200 g diced green pepper with a pinch of salt; cook stirring often 8–10 minutes until soft and beginning to gold — the sofrito is the soul of Cuban cooking; add 6 minced garlic cloves and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
2BLOOM THE SPICES: add 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp oregano, 0.5 tsp smoked paprika and 1 bay leaf to the hot oil-and-vegetable base; stir 30 seconds until the spices release their aroma — do not burn.
3BROWN THE BEEF: raise heat to medium-high; add 600 g ground beef in a single layer and let it sit undisturbed 2–3 minutes to develop a crust; then break it up with a wooden spoon and brown another 6–8 minutes until no pink remains and any released liquid has evaporated.
4DEGLAZE: pour in 100 ml dry white wine (or 50 ml sherry) and scrape any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot; simmer 2–3 minutes until the alcohol smell disappears.
5TOMATO + BUILD: stir in the can of crushed tomatoes + 2 tbsp tomato paste; cook 5 minutes until the mixture darkens and oil starts to appear on the surface — tomato fully cooked, no raw acidity.
6ADD OLIVES, RAISINS & SEASON: stir in 100 g halved green olives + 60 g drained raisins + 1 tbsp capers (if using) + 1.5 tsp salt + 0.5 tsp pepper; the sweet-salty contrast is the unique Cuban signature.
7SIMMER: reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer 20–25 minutes, stirring every few minutes; the mixture should thicken into a saucy hash — neither dry nor soupy, holding together on a spoon; add 60 ml water if it gets too dry.
8PEAS & SERVE: in the last 3 minutes, stir in 100 g thawed peas — just to warm through, keeping them bright green; remove the bay leaf; off the heat, scatter chopped parsley; serve over steamed white rice with black beans on the side, fried plantains, and lime wedges — the classic Cuban comida criolla plate.