Beef Picadillo is a dish that is made throughout Latin America. It’s made with ground beef, onions, tomatoes, spices, tangy green olives and sweet raisins. It’s a quick and easy meal that is ready in under an hour.
I absolutely love the tangy green olives with the sweet raisins in this recipe. When you initially make the recipe, it starts off like a beef chili but then the addition of green olives and raisins changes the flavor profile giving the dish some nice contrast and interesting flavors. This recipe is a family favorite and I always make sure I have leftovers for a meal to enjoy the next day.
How to make Beef Picadillo:
This dish starts off with browning ground beef and then adding chopped yellow onions and red bell peppers. Second, spices such as oregano, cumin, and cinnamon are added to give the dish some depth. Lastly, canned fire roasted tomatoes, chopped green olives and raisins are added to the pan and then simmered for 20-30 minutes.
What to serve with Beef Picadillo:
- Cauliflower or sweet potato rice
- By itself with a sprinkle of fresh cilantro and a dollop of guacamole
- If you enjoy eating and can tolerate eating grains, white rice goes well with this dish
- Pan seared plantains and grain-free tortillas
A couple notes about Beef Picadillo:
Can I use a different type of meat?
The answer is yes! Although beef is my preferred choice, ground turkey or ground chicken will taste just as good! If you decide to use a leaner meat, I would recommend adding 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil or avocado oil to your pan when browning your meat. If you are using a ceramic pan, like my Le Creuset Braiser, then you should be able to get away with no oil since the meat won’t stick to the pan as easily.
Let’s talk about tomatoes:
While I recommend using fire roasted tomatoes in this recipe, if you want to use up some items you have in your pantry and don’t have fire roasted, it’s no biggie! Just use what you have!
Looking for more dinner recipes that are ready in under an hour? Make sure to check out this Spicy Thai Basil Pork or bean-free Sweet Potato Chili
Beef Picadillo
Ingredients
- 1 # ground beef
- 1 medium sized yellow onion, small diced
- 1 medium sized red bell pepper, small diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 14.5 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup pitted green olives, about 10 green olives, sliced
- 1/4 cup golden raisins red raisins work too
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- In a large saute pan or skillet, add the ground beef and cook until brown and no more pink is showing. Drain any excess fat and liquid
- Once the beef is browned, add the yellow onion, red bell pepper and garlic. Stir and allow the onions to soften, about 5 minutes
- After 5 moinutes, add the reamining ingredients and stir well. Cover the pan, turn the heat on low and cook for 30 minutes
- Give the beef picadillo one good stir before serving. Enjoy!
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