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Overhead shot of picadillo in a silver skillet with a wooden spoon in it.
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4.81 from 21 votes

Picadillo Recipe

Sweet, savory Puerto Rican-style Picadillo is a tomato-based ground beef stew that's ridiculously delicious, versatile, and ready in thirty.
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine: Latin, Puerto Rican
Total Cost: ($11.44 recipe / $1.43 serving)
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 212kcal
Author: Monti Carlo

Equipment

  • Deep Stainless Steel Skillet

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil $0.33
  • 1 yellow onion, small dice $0.70
  • 1 red bell pepper, small dice $1.48
  • 1 Tbsp tablespoon garlic, minced $0.04
  • 1 lb ground beef (80/20) $4.49
  • 1 tsp coarse salt* $0.03
  • 1 1/2 tsp sazón* (1 packet) $0.30
  • 1 tsp adobo* $0.05
  • 1/2 cup sofrito $1.08
  • 1/2 cup sliced pimento-stuffed green olives* $1.92
  • 1/4 cup raisins $0.41
  • 1/2 Tbsp white vinegar $0.09
  • 15 oz tomato sauce $1.06
  • 2 bay leaves $0.20
  • 1/4 cup water $0.00

Instructions

  • Place a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions and peppers to the pan and cook until the onions are transparent.
  • Add the garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant.
  • Add the beef to the pan and sprinkle with salt, sazón, and adobo. As the beef browns, break up big chunks with your spoon.
  • When the beef has browned, add the sofrito and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the olives, raisins, white vinegar, tomato sauce, bay leaves, and water. Continue to cook, occasionally stirring, for 10 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and allow it cool.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*If using fine salt, lower to 1/2 teaspoon.
*A packet of sazón contains about 1.5 teaspoons of sazón. If you cannot source sazón use the following:
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/3 teaspoon ground annatto
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
1/8 teaspoon ground oregano
*If you cannot source Adobo, mix your own and then use the amount called for in the recipe. Store the rest in an airtight container.
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground oregano
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp turmeric
*Pimento-stuffed green olives are also known as Spanish Olives or Manzanilla Olives.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 212kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 16g | Sodium: 491mg | Fiber: 1g