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!
If you're a meat eater, more specifically ground beef, then you do not want to miss out on this Cuban style 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.
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, wine with capers, olives and raisins.
The name Picadillo comes from the Spanish word "Picar" which means to mince and this wonderful dish is popular throughout many Spanish colonies including Costa Rica, Mexico, Dominican Republic, The Philippines, Puerto Rico and of course Cuba.
Similar to the other Caribbean islands, each island has their own version of how to make this wonderful dish.
For example, some include potatoes, white wine, broth, beans, annatto and so fourth.
Regardless of what variation you make, 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.
Recipe preparation
My version of picadillo is modified so it strays away from the original (not too much) but keep that in mind.
I originally made this recipe several years ago on the stovetop, so I've decided to adapt the recipe to being more instant pot friendly since so many people are asking for more instant pot recipes.
I like to season the picadillo in advance before searing the ground meat. The reason for this is the flavour is guaranteed to be locked in during the browning stage.
If you want your beef to be more flavoursome I recommend following this step.
I like to use a combination of paprika, cumin, oregano, black pepper, onion/garlic powder, chilli and pink salt.
The herbs and spices are commonly associated with adobo seasoning (a popular Latin American seasoning) and very much similar to 
Reasons to make this dish
- Perfect for meat eaters
- A creative dish for people who like ground beef
- It's instant pot friendly
- An ideal weeknight dinner and one to use for batch prep/cooking
- It tastes amazing!
The steps
- Place the ground beef in a large bowl.
- Season the beef with the paprika, black pepper, onion/garlic granules, cumin, oregano, chill powder and pink salt.
- Switch on the instant pot and select the "saute" button and +/- to 5 minutes and wait for it to display "hot".
- Add the olive oil and proceed to saute the onion, garlic and green bell peppers for a minute.
- Add the ground beef and seal and brown the meat (this should take roughly 3-5 minutes). You want all the juices to evaporate so the flavour is locked into the beef.
- Press the "cancel" button.
- Sprinkle in the cumin, oregano and parsley along with olives and raisins then stir.
- Pour in the red grape juice and chopped tomatoes then stir once again.
- Add the bay leaves.
- Place the lid on and flick the knob to "sealing" then set to high pressure and adjust the "+/-" to 15 minutes.
- Once cooked, leave for a natural release (this should take 10-15 minutes).
- Switch the knob to "venting" to remove any excess steam.
- Remove the lid and stir then do a taste test and add more pink salt, if needed.
Notes and tips
- Feel free to use turkey, pork or even a meat alternative i.e tofu chunks instead.
- For best results, I recommend seasoning the meat in advance (you don't have to leave it overnight, but it helps).
- Make sure the meat juices have evaporated as you are sealing the meat as this is guaranteed to make the meat much more flavoursome.
- You can use onion/garlic or granules, I like to use granules because they are more accessible.
- Any leftovers can be refrigerated (once cool) for up to 2 days.
- This is a freezer friendly recipe, store in freezer friendly containers for up to 3 months.
- Feel free to add any potatoes, beans or any other vegetables to your picadillo.
Other Cuban recipes to try
- Cuban Mojo Marinade
- Cuban Black Beans
- Slow Cooker Cuban Black Beans
- Instant Pot Cuban Black Bean Soup
- Yuca Con Mojo
- Moros y Cristianos
- Air Fried Yuca Fries
Serving ideas and how to use the picadillo
- Cauliflower Rice
- Brown Rice
- Mixed Vegetables
- Oven Baked Plantain
- Pastelon
- Empanadas
- Yuca En Escabeche
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Instant Pot Picadillo (Cuban)
Ingredients
To season the beef
- 1-1½ lb ground beef (680g)
- 2 tablespoon paprika (14g)
- 2 teaspoon black pepper (4g)
- 2 teaspoon onion granules (4g)
- 2 teaspoon garlic granules (6g)
- 2 teaspoon oregano (4g)
- 2 teaspoon cumin (4g)
- ¼ teaspoon chilli powder (0.5g)
- 2 teaspoon pink salt (12g)
To cook the picadillo
- 3 tablespoon olive oil (42g)
- 1 large onion (150g) chopped
- 4 garlic cloves (12g) minced
- 1 green bell pepper (1g) chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin (2g)
- 1 teaspoon oregano (1g)
- 2 teaspoon parsley (0.2g)
- 2 bay leaves
- ⅓ cup olives or capers (58g)
- ½ cup raisins (72g)
- ¾ cup of red grape juice (188g) see post, can use red wine instead
- 1¼ cup canned chopped tomatoes (300g)
- additional pink salt to taste
Instructions
- Place the ground beef in a large bowl.
- Season the beef with the paprika, black pepper, onion/garlic granules, cumin, oregano, chill powder and pink salt.
- Switch on the instant pot and select the "saute" button and +/- to 5 minutes and wait for it to display "hot".
- Add the olive and proceed to saute the onion, garlic and green bell peppers for a minute.
- Add the ground beef and seal and brown the meat (this should take roughly 3-5 minutes). You want all the juices to evaporate so the flavour is locked into the beef.
- Press the "cancel" button.
- Sprinkle in the cumin, oregano and parsley along with olives and raisins then stir.
- Pour in the red grape juice and chopped tomatoes then stir once again.
- Add the bay leaves.
- Place the lid on and flick the knob to "sealling" then set to high pressure and adjust the "+/-" to 15 minutes.
- Once cooked, leave for a natural release (this should take 10-15 minutes).
- Switch the knob to "venting" to remove any excess steam.
- Remove the lid and stir then do a taste test and add more pink salt, if needed.
Notes
-
- Feel free to use turkey, pork or even a meat alternative i.e tofu chunks instead.
-
- For best results, I recommend seasoning the meat in advance (you don't have to leave it overnight, but it helps).
-
- Make sure the meat juices have evaporated as you are sealing the meat as this is guaranteed to make the meat much more flavoursome.
-
- You can use onion/garlic or granules, I like to use granules because they are more accessible.
-
- Any leftovers can be refrigerated (once cool) for up to 2 days.
-
- This is a freezer friendly recipe, store in freezer friendly containers for up to 3 months.
-
- Feel free to add any potatoes, beans or any other vegetables to your picadillo.
Kimberly Davenport says
Hi Charla! I’ve made this several times and it’s a fam fav! This time when I went to my Pinterest I only saw the insta pot directions instead of stove top. I’m wingin it stove top I hope I’m not screwing it up!!!
Charla says
Hi Kimberly, yes I updated the recipe card with IP instructed since the stovetop weren't really favoured by my audience. However I will adjust with the stovetop version so both versions are available for those who need it.
Toni says
This is such a really comforting meal! My family loved it and it quickly became a favorite!
Charla says
Thanks Toni
Dannii says
This was such a great way to use the instant pot. The flavours were incredible.
Charla says
Thanks Dannii
Alison Corey says
This Cuban picadillo looks delicious! I love the combination of ground beef, tomato sauce, sofrito, olives, and peppers. It's the perfect comfort food for a cold day.
Charla says
Thank you Alison.
Amanda Wren-Grimwood says
Definitely one to make again and next time I'm making a load for the freezer. I loved all the veggies in the picadillo and it was a great new way to eat ground beef too.
Charla says
Glad you liked it Amanda
Kechi says
What a hearty recipe; I have bookmarked this to make over the weekend. Thanks so much for sharing!
Charla says
You are very welcome Kechi.
Karen says
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!
Charla says
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.
Karen says
where does the sofrito come in? I don't see where it is added or listed in the ingredients.
Charla says
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.
Stefanie says
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.
Charla says
Thank you so much Stefanie
GiGi Eats says
SIGN THIS GIRL UPPPP! YUMMMM!
Charla says
Thank you!
Bri says
Just stumbled across your site and I love it! You have great recipes and this one looks so yummy!
Charla says
Thank you so much Brianne
Lisa @ Garlicandzest.com says
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!
Charla says
Thank you! I highly recommend visiting, it's a historical beauty.
Cindy Gordon (Vegetarian Mamma) says
We are huge fans of cuban flavors! Love the combo in this dish!
Charla says
Yay!! Happy to have you on board 😉
Kate says
This looks so flavorful and healthy! My kind of meal!!
Charla says
Thank you!
Beth @ Binky's Culinary Carnival says
Oh man that looks so tasty! I love Latin spices and you have really done a nice job incorporating them!
Charla says
Thank you Beth 😉
Serena says
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!
Charla says
You are SO welcome Serena.