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    BLANK » Recipe Index » Caribbean Dishes

    Cuban Picadillo

    Last Updated December 26, 2022. Published June 7, 2016 By Charla 20 Comments

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     A delicious, warm and hearty dish that goes by the name of Cuban Picadillo.  Generously seasoned ground beef hash that is stewed in tomato sauce, sofrito, olives and peppers. Freezer friendly and suitable for bulk batch cooking if required!

    Cuban style picadillo

    Two bowls of picadillo

    I remember the first time I tried this Cuban recipe, it was when I visited Cuba a few years ago.

    They say the best food to eat is outside of the tourist area and this definitely rings true.

    Latin American food is a new learning curve for me, but one that I enjoy immensely.

    What is Cuban picadillo

    A hash cuisine made from ground meat - pork, beef or turkey. The meat is generously seasoned and slow cooked in tomato sauce and wine with capers, olives and raisins.

    The flavours are bold and unforgettable if I do say so myself, so stick around if you want to make the best version of this dish.

     Picadillo is actually a Spanish cuisine that was brought to the Spanish colonies including Puerto Rico.

     Similar to the other Caribbean islands, each island has their own version of how to make this wonderful dish.

    This is a Cuban style picadillo which has its own adaptation to suit. Keep in mind these are modifications that don't stray too far away from the traditional recipe and using ingredients that you will most likely have in your pantry/spice rack.

    Sofrito is a must - As with many Latin American dishes, sofrito which is an aromatic sauce consisting of bell peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic and herbs form the base of almost any dish.

    Haitians have their own rendition known as Epis and Trinidad and Tobago have their version called Green Seasoning.

    The sofrito will need to be prepped before browning the ground beef.

    beef hash in a skillet

    Adobo seasoning

    What really gives this Cuban style recipe a kick, along with the sofrito is adobo seasoning which I have included below.

    Adobo seasoning is a combination of commonly used Latin American herbs/spices including, garlic, cumin and oregano and very much similar to Sazon.

    Although most picadillo recipes tend to use individual herbs and spices as opposed to pre-blended seasoning I found a few tablespoons of the homemade adobo seasoning really helped to deepen the flavour.

    Adobo seasoning mix

    • 2 teaspoons himalayan pink salt,
    • 1 tablespoon paprika
    • 2 teaspoons black pepper
    • 1 ½ teaspoon onion powder
    • 1 ½ teaspoon oregano
    • 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
    • 1 teaspoon garlic
    • ½ teaspoon chilli powder

    Wine free version

    Red or white wine is added near towards the final stage of cooking, I rarely cook food with alcohol, it'simply a personal decision.

    More often than not I've found grape juice is a really good foolproof substitute and in this case I successfully used red grape juice.

    I feel that by not using alcohol keeps the recipe in the constricts of what a healthy Cuban picadillo should be.

    If alcohol isn't an issue with you that's perfectly okay, simply go ahead and use as per instructions.

    Serving suggestions

    • Potato (paleo option)
    • Cuban Black Beans (gluten free)
    • Cauliflower Rice
    • Brown Rice (gluten free)
    • Oven Baked Plantain (gluten free, keto)
    • Vegetables (keto, gluten free)

    How to make Cuban picadillo 

    cuban picadillo steps 1-2

    Season the minced beef with the adobe dry rub then heat coconut oil in a skillet along with the bay leaves, garlic and onion and sautee

    Proceed to slowly incorporate all of the beef into the skillet and brown.

    Once seared, add the green bell peppers, tomato and the rest of the herbs. This are the ingredients to form the sofrito.

    Finally add the olives/capers, raisins and grape juice before leaving to simmer.

    half hash half rice

    More healthy latin recipes you may like

    • Dominican Mangu
    • Pastelon (Platain Lasagna)
    • Arroz Con Coco
    • Cuban Black Bean Soup
    • Besitos de Coco(vegan coconut macaroons)
    • Moros y Cristianos

    **Don't forget to comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Let's be friends and engage on Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

    ground beef and rice in a bowl

    Cuban Picadillo

    A delicious, warm and hearty dish that goes by the name of Cuban Picadillo.  Generously seasoned ground beef hash that is stewed in tomato sauce, sofrito, olives and peppers. Freezer friendly and suitable for bulk batch cooking if required!
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Entree
    Cuisine: Cuban
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes
    Total Time: 45 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 497kcal
    Author: Charla

    Ingredients

    • 1 lb of minced beef washed(grass fed if possible)
    • Adobo seasoning see post for the recipe (use it all)
    • 1 onion chopped
    • 5 garlic cloves minced
    • 1 green bell pepper chopped
    • ½ teaspoon cumin
    • ½ teaspoon oregano
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 small can of chopped tomatoes
    • ⅓ cup of olives or capers
    • ½ cup of raisins
    • ½ cup of red grape juice see post, can use red wine
    • 2 teaspoon parsley optional
    • 3 tablespoon coconut oil can use olive oil if you prefer

    Instructions

    • Start by placing the ground meat in a large bowl. Use your hands to work in the adobo seasoning. Really work the dry rub in by breaking down the slab of minced beef then set aside. Melt the coconut oil in a large skillet/pan on medium heat, then add the onions, garlic and bay leaf and sautee for one minute.
    • Add the beef and proceed to seal and brown the meat with the other ingredients. This should take 4-5 minutes.
    • Once the meat has darkened add the green bell pepper then pour in the chopped tomatoes and evenly coat the minced beef in the sauce.
    • Sprinkle the cumin, oregano and parsley into the pan and stir.
    • Add the raisins and olives to the pan again, giving another good stir.
    • Finally pour the red grape juice to the entire pan and bring to a rolling boil before reducing the flame to low.
    • Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 15-20 minutes (checking periodically).
    • Serve accordingly

    Nutrition

    Calories: 497kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 81mg | Sodium: 637mg | Potassium: 789mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 250IU | Vitamin C: 38mg | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 4mg
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    About Charla

    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Karen

      February 19, 2019 at 4:19 pm

      I made this last night and the whole family LOVED it! I sauteed the onions, peppers and garlic together before adding the meat. I omited the raisins (not allowed on my diet) and used capers instead of olives. Subbed beef broth for the wine and it was devine!! I will be making this regularly!! I thought the adobo made too much seasoning but I used it all like you said and so glad I did. Thanks for the recipe!

      Reply
      • Charla

        February 19, 2019 at 7:51 pm

        Hi Karen. I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe even with your own modifications, sounds really tasty. I'm happy to hear you were able to follow the recipe instructions in respect to your initial question about the sofrito and enjoyed the finishing result.

        Reply
    2. Karen

      February 17, 2019 at 5:12 pm

      where does the sofrito come in? I don't see where it is added or listed in the ingredients.

      Reply
      • Charla

        February 17, 2019 at 8:13 pm

        The sofrito are what form the base ingredients that are sauteed at the first stages of the recipe. That's the onion, garlic, bell peppers and tomato.

        Reply
    3. Stefanie

      September 01, 2017 at 12:47 am

      5 stars
      I don't usually leave comments, but thus recipe was so good, I had to say thank you! I will make a double batch next time. I used low sodium chicken stock instead of grape juice (because that is my usual substitution for wine and I didn't have grape juice). So delicious! Thanks again.

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 01, 2017 at 8:25 pm

        Thank you so much Stefanie

        Reply
    4. GiGi Eats

      June 12, 2016 at 4:23 am

      5 stars
      SIGN THIS GIRL UPPPP! YUMMMM!

      Reply
      • Charla

        June 12, 2016 at 8:45 am

        Thank you!

        Reply
    5. Bri

      June 08, 2016 at 10:17 pm

      Just stumbled across your site and I love it! You have great recipes and this one looks so yummy!

      Reply
      • Charla

        June 09, 2016 at 12:14 pm

        Thank you so much Brianne

        Reply
    6. Lisa @ Garlicandzest.com

      June 08, 2016 at 10:02 pm

      This looks and sounds really wonderful! How fun that you've travelled to Cuba. I'd love to take a weekend trip once they start flying there!

      Reply
      • Charla

        June 09, 2016 at 12:13 pm

        Thank you! I highly recommend visiting, it's a historical beauty.

        Reply
    7. Cindy Gordon (Vegetarian Mamma)

      June 08, 2016 at 10:01 pm

      We are huge fans of cuban flavors! Love the combo in this dish!

      Reply
      • Charla

        June 09, 2016 at 12:14 pm

        Yay!! Happy to have you on board 😉

        Reply
    8. Kate

      June 08, 2016 at 9:13 pm

      This looks so flavorful and healthy! My kind of meal!!

      Reply
      • Charla

        June 09, 2016 at 12:13 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    9. Beth @ Binky's Culinary Carnival

      June 08, 2016 at 8:50 pm

      Oh man that looks so tasty! I love Latin spices and you have really done a nice job incorporating them!

      Reply
      • Charla

        June 08, 2016 at 8:53 pm

        Thank you Beth 😉

        Reply
    10. Serena

      June 08, 2016 at 5:18 am

      I made picadillo years ago. But it's time to do it again with THIS recipe. Love that you included the bonus recipe of homemade Adobo!

      Reply
      • Charla

        June 08, 2016 at 12:36 pm

        You are SO welcome Serena.

        Reply

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    I'm Charla. Caribbean foodie & Certified Health Coach. Welcome to the heaven of gluten and dairy free recipes as well as modernised healthier alternatives to some of your favourite Caribbean recipes. Learn more about me

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