Best 20 Picadillo Recipes

CLASSIC CUBAN-STYLE PICADILLO

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir garlic, onion, and green bell pepper in the hot oil until softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Crumble ground beef into the skillet; cook and stir until browned completely, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir olives, raisins, capers, tomato sauce, sazon seasoning, cumin, sugar, and salt through the ground beef mixture.
• Cover the skillet, reduce heat to low, and cook until the mixture is heated through, 5 to 10 minutes.

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN PICADILLO

Steps:

• Bring 6 whole tomatoes to a boil in a small pot. Transfer to a blender. Add 3/4 cup water, onion halves, and whole garlic clove. Blend until smooth.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped onion and serrano pepper. Cook until onion is transparent. Add minced garlic; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chopped tomato and cook for 1 minute more. Add ground beef; cook until browned, about 8 minutes.
• Pour canned tomato sauce into the beef mixture. Cook for 2 minutes. Mix in potatoes and carrots. Cook for 2 minutes; add the blended tomatoes, jalapeno, chicken bouillon, cumin, and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well, reduce heat, and simmer until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

PICADILLO

Steps:

• Put the olive oil in a large, heavy pan set over a medium-high flame, and heat until it begins to shimmer. Add onions, chorizo and garlic, stir to combine and cook until the onions have started to soften, approximately 10 minutes.
• Add the ground beef, and allow it to brown, crumbling the meat with a fork as it does. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
• Add tomatoes, vinegar, cinnamon, cumin, bay leaves, cloves and nutmeg and stir to combine. Lower the heat, and let the stew simmer, covered, for approximately 30 minutes.
• Uncover the pan, and add the raisins and the olives. Allow the stew to cook for another 15 minutes or so, then serve, accompanied by white rice.

PICADILLO

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onions, garlic, and pepper in olive oil until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add ground beef and olives and continue stirring to break up and brown the meat. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. When beef has browned, add tomato sauce gradually while stirring. Cook 1 to 2 minutes longer to incorporate sauce.
• Serve with rice and beans or tortillas.

EASY CUBAN PICADILLO

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook and crumble beef with pepper and onion over medium-high heat until no longer pink, 5-7 minutes. Stir in tomato sauce, olives, raisins and vinegar; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until raisins are softened, 5-6 minutes., Serve with rice. If desired, top with fresh cilantro to serve.

CUBAN PICADILLO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, garlic, and bay leaves and saute until onion is soft, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes.
• Add ground beef to skillet and cook until browned. Once the meat is browned, carefully away from the flame, tilt pan and remove excess fat with a large spoon.
• Add the white wine and stir for another minute. Then add the chopped cherry tomatoes, tomato paste, pimento stuffed Spanish olives, raisins, dried oregano, cumin and cayenne pepper. Simmer over low heat for another 8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
• Serve warm:
• As a filling for empanadas or tacos
• Over white rice with fried plantains or black beans
• With a side salad and black beans
• To make Picadillo soupier for serving over rice, add additional wine, chicken or beef stock.

CUBAN-STYLE PICADILLO

Steps:

• Place the potatoes into a large pot with enough water to cover; season with salt. Bring the water to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, place a cover on the pot, and cook the potatoes at a simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat; cook and stir the onion, green bell pepper, and garlic in the hot oil until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes.
• Crumble the ground beef into the onion mixture, breaking the meat into smaller pieces as you mix; cook and stir until the beef is completely browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Drain as much fat from the mixture as possible.
• Stir the red wine, tomato sauce, olives, capers, golden raisins, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the ground beef mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook at a simmer until the wine had reduced significantly, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Peel the cooled potatoes and cut into chunks.
• Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the potatoes in the hot oil until browned, about 5 minutes.
• Gently fold the cooked potatoes into the simmering ground beef mixture; cook together 5 minutes.

CUBAN PICADILLO EMPANADA AND CILANTRO CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• For the filling: Heat the oil in a large saute pan set over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring to break up the turkey, until browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the turkey to a bowl and keep the fat in the pan. Add the chili powder, coriander, cumin, garlic, onions and bell peppers, and cook until soft and fragrant, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the meat back to the pan and stir to incorporate. Add the tomato puree, raisins, capers, olives, thyme and bay leaf, and cook until all of the flavors come together and the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Season with the lime juice, salt and pepper. Cool the filling completely.
• For the dough: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, masa harina, baking powder and salt. Stir in the melted butter. Gradually add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup water, and work it in with your hands to incorporate; the dough should be easy to handle and not sticky. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Lightly flour a rolling pin and a clean surface. Divide the dough in half. Refrigerate half of the dough and roll out the other half of the dough to 1/8-inch thick. Using a 4-inch cookie or biscuit cutter, cut out 10 circles of dough. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• In a small bowl, beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Spoon 2 generous tablespoons of filling into the center of each pastry circle, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Brush the edges with the egg wash and then fold the dough to enclose the filling and form a semi-circle. Tightly seal the edges by crimping with the tines of a fork. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
• For the sauce: In a small mixing bowl, add the crema, cilantro and lime juice. Mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a baking sheet.
• Place the empanadas on the prepared baking sheet and brush the tops with some egg wash. Using a fork, prick a few holes in the tops of the empanadas for the steam to escape. Bake until the empanadas are golden brown, 30 minutes.

PICADILLO

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and chorizo sausage. Cook and stir until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
• Drain off some of the grease, and stir in the onions and bell pepper. Cook until soft, then add the garlic. Season with cumin, chili powder, oregano, paprika, cayenne and cinnamon. Cook and stir for about one minute to release the fragrance. Pour the tomatoes and beef stock into the pan, along with the sugar. Set the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
• Stir the raisins, olives, capers and vinegar into the pan, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Add the almonds and lime juice, and cook until they are heated, then serve.

CUBAN PICADILLO

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook onions in oil over low heat for 15-20 minutes or brown, stirring occasionally. Add wine; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker., In the same skillet, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink. Add to slow cooker. Combine the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic and seasonings; pour over top. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours or until heated through., Place raisins in a small bowl. Cover with boiling water; let stand for 5 minutes. Drain. Stir the green pepper, olives, jalapeno and raisins into the slow cooker. Cover and cook 30 minutes longer. Serve with rice.

GROUND BEEF EMPANADAS (PICADILLO)

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a heavy saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef chuck and cook until browned, about 7 minutes. Season with the salt and pepper. Add the olives, raisins, carrots and onions and saute for just a couple minutes until softened. Add the tomato puree and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and cool to room temperature before filling the empanadas.
• Grease a large baking sheet with some nonstick cooking spray. Unfold one sheet of puff pastry onto a lightly floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll the pastry out to a 1/4- to 1/8-inch thickness. With a knife, cut out 4 equal squares measuring 4 1/2-by-5 1/2-inches. Add 2 tablespoons of the cooled beef mixture to the center of the square. Brush the edge of each square with some egg wash and fold to shape into triangles. Crimp the edges with a fork. Transfer the empanadas to the prepared baking sheet and brush them with the remaining egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes.

CHEF JOHN'S PICADILLO

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and break up into small pieces with a spoon or spatula as it browns. Cook until meat completely loses its pink color, 8 to 10 minutes. Add diced onion and salt. Cook until onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add pepper, cumin, cinnamon, bay leaves, and cayenne pepper. Cook 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
• Stir in red wine vinegar, crushed tomatoes, and water. Cook a few minutes while deglazing pan. Add currants; bring back to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until meat is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Gently stir in sliced olives; cover and cook another 10 to 15 minutes.

ABUELA'S PICADILLO

Steps:

• Cook and stir ground beef in a large stockpot until browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain grease.
• Heat olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add onion, green bell pepper, and garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir into beef in the stockpot.
• Pour tomato sauce, water, cooking wine, and hot sauce into the stockpot. Stir in sazon seasoning, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer picadillo, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
• Split olives in half with your fingers and stir into the picadillo. Add squash. Simmer until liquid reduces but picadillo is not dry, 45 to 60 minutes. Season with salt.

PICADILLO (CUBAN BEEF HASH)

Steps:

• Heat a large pot over medium-high heat until hot. Add beef and garlic; cook and stir until the beef is crumbly and no longer pink. Place cooked beef in a mesh strainer to drain off the grease.
• Return beef to the pan and add the tomato sauce, green olives, and olive brine. Season with garlic salt, garlic powder, adobo seasoning, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

TACOS PICADILLO

Steps:

• Put the oil, onions, garlic, and spices in a medium skillet, season with salt and cook over medium to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally until tender, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the tomatoes, and their juices and boil to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the beef and chicken broth, adjust the heat so the mixture simmers and cook until the beef is cooked through and the mixture thickens, about 15 minutes. Stir in cilantro, taste, and season with salt and pepper as desired. Transfer to a serving bowl and cover.
• To make the taco shells: Pour enough frying oil into a small skillet so its about 3/4 of an inch deep; heat over medium to medium-high. Holding 1 edge of a tortilla with tongs, lay the other half in the oil, keeping it flat with a spatula. Cook until crisp, 30 second to 1 minute. Flip the tortilla over and repeat with the other half, holding the first side of the tortilla at an angle to make an open shell, cook for about 1 minute more. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
• Put the fixings and meat in individual bowls and the taco shells on a platter. Serve encouraging your diners to build their own tacos, with meat in the shell with fixings on top.

CRISPY TACOS PICADILLO

Steps:

• Make the picadillo: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, and cook until just starting to turn translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add beef, and cook, breaking up pieces with the back of a wooden spoon, until beef has browned, about 4 minutes. Spoon out excess fat so that 1 tablespoon remains. Stir in garlic, tomatoes, paprika, chili powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and cumin. Add water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer until thick and very little liquid remains, about 18 minutes. Stir in vinegar.
• Make the tacos: Heat 1 inch oil in a heavy-bottomed, high-sided skillet until a deep-fry thermometer registers 325 degrees. Fry tortillas, one at a time, by folding in half and laying one half flat in oil while holding other half with tongs, and repeating with the other half to form a half moon shell, until golden and crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per half. Meanwhile, let finished taco shells rest on a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet.
• Spoon picadillo into each taco shell, and garnish with lettuce, onion, shredded cheese, and salsa picante.

TURKEY PICADILLO II

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and stir in the ground turkey. Cook and stir until the turkey is crumbly, evenly browned, and no longer pink. Remove the turkey and drain and discard any excess grease.
• Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic, and bay leaves; cook and stir until the onion has softened and turned translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked turkey, wine, tomato sauce, olives, raisins, black beans, olive brine, capers, cayenne, and cumin. Simmer about 15 minutes.

TACOS DE PICADILLO

Steps:

• Use a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic, cumin seeds and peppercorns into a smooth paste. Add 1/4 cup water and mash until the paste is incorporated into the water. Transfer the mixture to a measuring cup. (Alternately, blend the garlic, cumin seeds and peppercorns in a blender with about 1/4 cup water, occasionally scraping down the sides of the blender until very well blended, about 5 minutes.)
• To make the picadillo, heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high. Add the beef and let it brown, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until mostly cooked through, about 8 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent and the meat is fully crumbled, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add half the blended garlicky liquid to the beef, along with 1/4 teaspoon salt and about 1 cup water. (The water should cover the beef by about two-thirds.) Let the mixture come to a simmer over medium heat. Let cook, occasionally scraping the bottom of the skillet using a wooden spoon to release any browned bits, until the liquid reduces slightly, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and season to taste with salt.
• Drain most but not all of the liquid from the beef picadillo into another skillet (you'll want to retain just enough to keep the meat moist), then cover the beef picadillo and set aside.
• To the excess beef cooking liquid, add the remaining blended garlicky liquid, 1 cup water and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Bring the mixture to a strong simmer over medium-high heat and let it cook for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Season to taste with salt.
• Taste the drained beef picadillo, season to taste, and add a few spoonfuls of the reduced broth to season the meat, if desired.
• Lay one tortilla in the skillet containing the simmering broth and let it soak just until slightly softened, 5 or 6 seconds (enough time for the tortilla to absorb the flavors of the broth without absorbing too much liquid and falling apart). Working quickly, use a spatula to remove the softened tortilla from the skillet, allowing excess liquid to drip off, and lay the tortilla down on a plate. Spoon about 1/4 cup beef picadillo down the middle. Roll the taco and transfer it to a platter, seam side down. Repeat this step until you have filled all of the tortillas. Discard any remaining broth.
• Sprinkle the tacos with the shredded lettuce and diced tomato. Serve with rice and beans and salsa, if using.

CHILES RELLENO DE PICADILLO

Steps:

• In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion and the chiles for 7 to 8 minutes, or until translucent. Add the salt, pepper, and garlic and cook for 2 minutes more, until the aroma of the garlic has been released. Add the diced tomatoes, tomatillos, bay leaves, thyme, epazote, and water. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until thickened. Remove from the heat and discard the bay leaves. Cover and set aside until ready to serve.
• To make the picadillo, in a blender, puree the tomatoes with their liquid. In a large heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onion with the salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the turkey and spread it into an even layer in the pan. Saute, stirring frequently, until light brown. Add the cinnamon, cloves, pureed tomatoes, raisins, and vinegar. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a thick mass, 30 to 45 minutes. Add the toasted almonds and stir to mix. Cool to room temperature and proceed.
• Make a slit in the side of each roasted chile and carefully scrape out the seeds with your fingers. Place the flour on a plate. In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with the salt to soft peaks. Gently beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time, and then beat in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the flour. Stop beating as soon as the flour is incorporated. Stuff the chiles with the picadillo, leaving room to re-close the opening, using toothpicks. Roll the chiles in the flour, gently patting off all the excess. In a large heavy skillet, heat about 3/4-inch of vegetable oil over medium-low heat until it registers 375 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Pick up a chile by its stem and dip into the egg mixture. Lay it into the hot oil and repeat with 3 more chiles. When the chiles are brown underneath, gently roll them over and brown the other side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in a low oven. Reheat the sauce over low heat while you are frying the chiles. Dip and fry all the remaining chiles, keeping them warm with the others as they are cooked. Ladle about 1/2 cup of the sauce onto each of 6 warm plates, lay 2 chiles on each plate. Top each plate with a few sprigs of parsley and a dollop of crema and serve immediately.

CHICKEN PICADILLO ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in chili powder. Add crushed tomatoes and 4 tablespoons juice from olives. Simmer sauce until flavors blend, about 6 minutes. Season with pepper and more olive juice, if desired.
• Combine chicken, raisins, and olives in large bowl. Mix in 3 cups sauce. Season filling to taste with pepper.
• Spread 1/2 cup sauce over bottom of 13 x 9 x 2-inch glass baking dish. Heat 1 tortilla directly over gas flame or in hot skillet until just softened, about 10 seconds per side. Place on work surface. Spread 1 tablespoon sour cream in strip in center. Top with 1/3 cup filling. Roll up tortilla. Place enchilada, seam side down, in prepared dish. Repeat, making 11 more enchiladas. Spoon remaining sauce over. Cover dish with foil.
• Bake enchiladas until heated through, about 20 minutes. Uncover; top with dollops of remaining sour cream. Sprinkle with green onions and cilantro.