• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
That Girl Cooks Healthy
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Contact
    • FAQ/Disclaimer
    • Work With Me
  • Recipe Index
  • Health guidance
    • My Caribbean
  • My E-book
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
    • FAQ/Disclaimer
    • Privacy Policy
    • Work With Me
  • Recipes
  • Health guidance
  • My E-book
  • ×
    BLANK » Recipe Index » Caribbean Dishes

    Instant Pot Picadillo (Cuban)

    Last Updated September 7, 2023. Published September 7, 2023 By Charla 30 Comments

    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    • Flipboard
    • Mix
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

     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!

    picadillo, brown rice and lime slices on a plate

    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.

    Ingredients you need to make the picadillo

    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    I originally made this recipe several years ago on the stovetop, so I've decided to adapt the recipe to being more instant pot friendly since so many people are asking for more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 Sazon one that gives a really good kick.

    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.

    Some of the base ingredients such as the onion, garlic, bell peppers and tomatoes are associated what's known as sofrito (a Latin America mixture similar to Green Seasoning and Haitian Epis

    It should only take a few minutes for the beef to brown then you'll want to add the rest of the ingredients.

    I personally prefer to add these ingredients after the saute function has been cancelled and stir them in using the residual heat.

    I do this as a precautionary measure just in case the burn message may come up (hasn't happened).

    I also like to add red grape juice rather than red wine as a non alcoholic step.

    You can add red wine instead but since I don't drink and always have grape juice in the house I use this instead.

    Close up of the picadillo

    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

    Steps 1-4 seasoning the ground beef
    •  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".
    Steps 5-8 sauteing the vegetables
    • 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.
    Steps 9-12 browning the meat
    • 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.
    Steps 13-18 adding the juice, tomatoes, olives and raisins
    • 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 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.
    Picadillo, brown rice and slices of limes

    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

    **Please comment below and star rate if you have tried my recipes. Support my website by leaving a donation through Buying Me a Coffee. A site to show your appreciation of my hardwork over the years.  Let's be friends and engage on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram I also like to pin on Pinterest, where you can find more amazing recipes.**

    Picadillo, brown rice and lime on a plate

    Instant Pot Picadillo (Cuban)

    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 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Entree
    Cuisine: Cuban
    Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 497kcal
    Author: Charla

    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
    US Customary - Metric

    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 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.

    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
    Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Mention @ThatGirlCooksHealthy or tag #ThatGirlCooksHealthy!
    « Vegan Sweet Potato Cornbread
    Jamaican Bread Pudding Recipe (Vegan and Gluten Free) »
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    • Flipboard
    • Mix

    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. Toni

      September 14, 2023 at 8:11 pm

      5 stars
      This is such a really comforting meal! My family loved it and it quickly became a favorite!

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 15, 2023 at 2:03 pm

        Thanks Toni

        Reply
    2. Dannii

      September 14, 2023 at 2:43 pm

      5 stars
      This was such a great way to use the instant pot. The flavours were incredible.

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 14, 2023 at 2:46 pm

        Thanks Dannii

        Reply
    3. Alison Corey

      September 14, 2023 at 1:18 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 14, 2023 at 1:33 pm

        Thank you Alison.

        Reply
    4. Amanda Wren-Grimwood

      September 14, 2023 at 12:50 pm

      5 stars
      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.

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 14, 2023 at 1:34 pm

        Glad you liked it Amanda

        Reply
    5. Kechi

      September 14, 2023 at 10:30 am

      5 stars
      What a hearty recipe; I have bookmarked this to make over the weekend. Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
      • Charla

        September 14, 2023 at 10:31 am

        You are very welcome Kechi.

        Reply
    6. 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
    7. 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
    8. 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
    9. 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
    10. 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
    11. 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
    12. 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
    13. 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
    14. 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
    15. 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

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

    Greetings

    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

    JOIN MY MAILING LIST AND BE THE FIRST TO KNOW WHEN I POST EXCLUSIVE HEALTHY RECIPES.

    Featured recipes

    mash in a black bowl with spoon

    Green Banana Mash (Green Fig)(Vegan, Paleo + Gluten Free)

    Saltfish Fried Rice (Caribbean Style)

    Yuca in a bowl with red onions

    Yuca en Escabeche

    Stew with spoon

    Ital Stew (Vegan, Paleo, GF)

    Sweet potato pudding cut into 8 slices

    Jamaican Sweet Potato Pudding (Gluten Free + Vegan)

    Yellow plantain porridge

    Yellow plantain porridge

    More

    Featured in

    Top Choice Recipes

    peanuts in a jar

    Spicy Air Fryer Peanuts

    apple crisp in a pyrex next to red apples

    No Oats Gluten Free Apple Crisp (Vegan, Paleo)

    Date paste in a mason jar

    How to Make Date Paste (Without a Food Processor)

    Papaya chia pudding

    Papaya chia pudding

    Strawberries and whipped cream (vegan style)

    Salad resting in a clear bowl

    Prawn and Mango Salad (Low Carb, Paleo)

    Rice in a clear bowl

    Vegan Pineapple Fried Rice

    Pone on a tray

    Pumpkin Pone (Guyana)

    Footer

    Featured In

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy

    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Copyright © 2020