Picadillo

This Picadillo is a savory dish made from ground beef, onions, peppers, olives, raisins, and spices, simmered in a tomato-based sauce. It's a straightforward recipe that serves about 8 cups and is easy to store and reheat.

Prep
5 minutes
Cook
25 minutes
Total
30 minutes
Cover image for Picadillo recipe

Ingredients

Serves/makes 8

Instructions

  1. 1.

    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.

  2. 2.

    Add the garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant.

  3. 3.

    Add the ground beef to the pan and sprinkle with salt, sazón, and adobo. As the beef browns, break up big chunks with your spoon.

  4. 4.

    When the beef has browned, add the sofrito and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

  5. 5.

    Add the olives, raisins, white vinegar, tomato sauce, bay leaves, and water. Continue to cook, occasionally stirring, for 10 minutes.

  6. 6.

    Take the pan off the heat and allow the Picadillo to cool slightly before serving.

Related

Notes

  • If using fine salt, lower to 1/2 teaspoon.
  • A packet of sazón contains about 1.5 teaspoons of sazón. You can make your own sazón (ish) with 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
  • Pimento-stuffed green olives are also known as Spanish Olives or Manzanilla Olives.

Adapted from Budget Bytes on October 12, 2025