Picadillo is a hearty and well-seasoned Cuban dish of ground meat, onions, peppers, garlic, tomatoes, and olives.
It appeals to me because it’s delicious and intensely flavorful yet truly easy to make – it’s ready in about 25 minutes.
A few weeks ago, my husband and I had the pleasure of staying at John Verlinden’s Airbnb in Brookline, Massachusetts. John is a published cookbook author, and his cookbook, To Cook Is To Love, celebrates Cuban cooking and his mother-in-law, Aida.
We loved staying at John’s stylish Airbnb, and one day, we decided to cook one of his recipes for lunch. We picked his recipe for Picadillo because it seemed easy and delicious, and we knew we could adjust it to our low-carb diet. We enjoyed it so much that I asked John for his permission to include it here. I made it again today, and it was just as good as the first time I made it. This one is definitely a keeper!
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Ingredients
The short list of ingredients is one of the things that drew me to this recipe. Here’s an overview. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
- Ground beef: The original recipe calls for ground beef. The first time I made it, I used ground lamb, and it was delicious!
- Vegetables and aromatics: Onion, garlic, and green bell pepper.
- To season: Salt, pepper, dried oregano, and ground cumin. I like to add smoked paprika, too.
- Canned tomato sauce: Adds flavor and liquids to the dish.
- Green olives: This is the secret ingredient! Their savoriness and saltiness greatly elevate this dish.
Variations
- As mentioned above, you can substitute ground lamb for the ground beef. You can also use ground turkey or chicken thighs. I don’t recommend using ground turkey or chicken breast, as those are too lean.
- After making the recipe for the first time, I started adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika. I like the smoky flavor it adds.
- You can make it spicy by adding ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Out of fresh garlic? Use a teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
- You can increase the olives to ½ cup.
- To lower the carbs further, omit the tomato sauce and add ¼ cup of water or beef broth instead. The photo below shows a version made without tomato sauce (and with red onions – this is a very flexible recipe). It’s drier but still delicious. Using water instead of tomato sauce should lower the carbs per serving from 9 to 6 grams.
Instructions
Here’s an overview of the steps needed to make Cuban Picadillo. The detailed instructions are listed in the recipe card below.
Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the ground beef, onion, garlic, bell pepper, salt, pepper, dried oregano, smoked paprika (if using), and cumin.
Brown the beef and vegetables, stirring often and breaking the meat into smaller pieces, for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the tomato sauce and olives. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers and onions are tender, for about 8-10 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Expert Tip
After the initial step of browning the meat, your goal during the second step of simmering the meat and veggies in tomato sauce is to meld all the flavors together and soften the peppers and onions.
To achieve this, make sure you cook over medium-low heat, or even low heat if your stove runs hot, as can be the case when using an electric stovetop.
Recipe FAQs
I don’t drain the ground beef after browning it. The fat is delicious and adds flavor to the dish. It also keeps the Picadillo from being too dry.
See the photo below – At John’s place, I used a nonstick 12-inch skillet. Back home, I used a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet. Both worked beautifully. The Picadillo was ready slightly faster (eight minutes compared to ten) when I used a cast-iron skillet, which has better heat retention. 
The original recipe does call for raisins. You can add ¼ cup of them when you add the olives. This version has 17 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber.
Serving Suggestions
My husband and I like to split this dish between the two of us and call it a meal. I split it between two plates and serve it with a spoon (as shown in the photo below) to make sure we can eat the yummy sauce.
If you’d like to divide this recipe into four servings, you’ll need to add a bed for the Picadillo or a side dish. Delicious options include cauliflower rice, mashed cauliflower, zucchini noodles, and sauteed spinach.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them covered in the microwave. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then reheat them covered in the microwave.
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Cuban Picadillo
Picadillo is a Cuban dish of well-seasoned ground beef cooked with onions, peppers, garlic, olives, and tomatoes. My low-carb version excludes the traditional raisins, but it’s delicious, nonetheless.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 302kcal
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Instructions
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Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Add the ground beef, onion, garlic, bell pepper, salt, pepper, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and cumin.
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Brown the beef and vegetables, stirring often and breaking the meat into smaller pieces, for about 5 minutes.
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Stir in the tomato sauce and olives. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the peppers and onions are tender, for 8-10 minutes.
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Serve immediately.
Notes
- I don’t drain the ground beef after browning it. The fat is delicious and adds flavor to the dish. It also keeps the picadillo from being too dry.
- You can substitute ground lamb for the ground beef. You can also use ground turkey or chicken thighs. I don’t recommend using ground turkey or chicken breast, as those are too lean.
- You can make it spicy by adding ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes.
- Out of fresh garlic? Use a teaspoon of garlic powder instead.
- After the initial step of browning the meat, your goal during the second step of simmering the meat and veggies in tomato sauce is to meld all the flavors together and soften the peppers and onions. To achieve this, make sure you cook over medium-low heat, even low heat if your stove runs hot, as can be the case when using an electric stovetop.
- The original recipe calls for raisins. You can add ¼ cup of them when you add the olives. This version has 17 grams of carbs and 3 grams of fiber.
- You can increase the olives to ½ cup.
- Cuban Picadillo is traditionally served with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains. I like to serve it with cauliflower rice.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them covered in the microwave. You can also freeze the leftovers for up to three months. Thaw them overnight in the fridge, then reheat them covered in the microwave.
Nutrition per Serving
Serving: 1 cup | Calories: 302 kcal | Carbohydrates: 9 g | Protein: 21 g | Fat: 25 g | Saturated Fat: 9 g | Sodium: 727 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 4 g
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
