Turkey Picadillo

Learn how to make some turkey picadillo, this a spin on the original beef picadillo with the same bold Caribbean flavours. It's tasty, easy to prepare and perfect to serve with rice and plantain on the side.

Jump to:

• About the recipe
• Reasons to make this dish
• Ingredients you will need
• Notes and tips
• Side servings to try
• Turkey Picadillo

This Cuban style picadillo is made with ground turkey, it has a much lighter spin on the traditional version of Cuban Picadillo which is made with ground beef.

Although this dish is made with white and not red meat it still delivers those wonderful flavours that you would expect.

About the recipe

This recipe is very easy to pull together so whether you are an expert in Caribbean cooking or a novice, picadillo is a great entry island recipe.

It consists of ground meat, vegetables, herbs, spices and the sweet and savoury balance of olives and raisins so with every bite you get an explosion of both.

The base of the recipe in true latin american style is the the sofrito (onion, garlic and green peppers) that is the foundation of the dish and from there you build layers of flavours courtesy of your herbs and spices.

The ground turkey asborbs the flavours from the condiments just like a sponge and pairs so well with the olives, sweet raisins, white grape juice and tangy tomato sauce.

Reasons to make this dish

• Ground turkey meat is leaner, has less fat and high in protein
• It's a great spin on the classic picadillo recipe
• Perfect for meal prep 
• Relatively easy to make 
• A great introduction to Latin American cuisine
• Cost effective and budget friendly

Ingredients you will need

• Ground turkey - I'm using ground turkey thighs which is 7% fat, you can use ground meat which is leaner with 2% fat.
• Spices/herbs - I'm using a combination of spices and herbs for depth in flavour - onion/garlic granules, paprika, chilli powder, cumin, black pepper, oregano and culantro.
• Onion/garlic/green pepper - This is the "sofrito" which is a common base for Latin American cuisines.
• Chopped tomato - This yields some tanginess helps to create the sauce for the hash.
• White grape juice - This add natural sweetness, this helps to balance the sweet/savoury profile of the recipe.
• Raisins/olives -Both ingredients are traditional in any picadillo dish.
• Bay leaves - For depth and aroma.
• Olive oil (not pictured) - For sauteing.

The steps

• Place the ground turkey in a medium sized bowl.
• Season the meat with the smoked paprika, onion/garlic granules, oregano, cumin, black pepper and pink salt.
• Heat olive oil in a medium sized skillet/frying pan on medium heat.
• Saute the onion, garlic green bell pepper mixture for a few minutes.

• Add the ground turkey and sear the meat (this should take 10-15 minutes) if the turkey extracts its own juices, be sure to cook it off by increasing the heat to high, just be sure not to burn the meat.
• Add the cumin, oregano, culantro, olives, raisins and bay leaves then stir.
• Pour in the chopped tomatoes and white grape juice and stir.

• Bring the pan to a rolling boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low with the lid on.
• Simmer for 20-25 minutes
• After the given time, add black pepper and pink salt to taste.

Notes and tips

• If you don't plan on cooking the meat immediately feel free to season the meat, wrap the bowl and refrigerate.
• For best results I recommend seasoning the meat and leaving it for 2-3 hours or overnight instead.
• I used white grape juice HOWEVER, feel free to use white wine instead.
• Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• This is a freezer friendly recipe, store in a freezer friendly container for up to 3 months.
• Make sure to seal the juices which are extracted from the meat, this is extremely important and this is to enhance the taste.
• If you can't get hold of any raisins, you can use some currants or sultanas instead.
• Cilantro/coriander can be used instead of culantro (chadon beni).

Side servings to try

• Air Fried Plantain (Plátanos)
• How to Cook Brown Rice on The Stove
• Roasted Cauliflower Mash
• Roasted Mashed Breadfruit
• How to Steam Vegetables On The Stove
• Jamaican Steamed Cabbage
• Herb Cauliflower Rice

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