Why this fits a family on a budget
Cuban picadillo is a beloved home-cooked staple where sweet raisins, briny olives, and aromatic sofrito transform humble ground beef into something genuinely exciting for the whole family. It comes together in one skillet alongside simple rice, making it a practical yet culturally authentic weeknight centerpiece.
• 1.5 lbs lean ground beef
• 1 large yellow onion
• 1 large green bell pepper
• 1 medium red bell pepper
• 5 cloves garlic cloves
• 14 oz canned crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 0.5 cup green olives with pimentos
• 0.25 cup golden raisins
• 1.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 leaves bay leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 0.5 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 0.25 cup dry white wine
• 2 cups long grain white rice
• 3.5 cups water
• 0.25 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 whole lime
1. Start the rice: combine rice, water, and a pinch of salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to the lowest setting, cover, and cook 18 minutes. Remove from heat and let steam, covered, for 5 minutes.
2. While rice cooks, finely dice the onion and both bell peppers. Mince the garlic. Roughly chop the green olives.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, 5 to 6 minutes until browned and no pink remains. Drain excess fat if needed, leaving about 1 tbsp in the pan.
4. Push beef to one side of the pan. Add onion and both bell peppers to the cleared space and cook 3 to 4 minutes over medium heat until softened. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and black pepper; stir everything together and cook 1 minute until very fragrant.
5. Add tomato paste and stir to coat the meat and vegetables. Cook 2 minutes, stirring frequently, until the paste darkens slightly to a brick-red color.
6. Pour in white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let cook 1 minute until wine reduces by half.
7. Stir in crushed tomatoes, chopped olives, golden raisins, and bay leaves. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened and flavors meld — it should look glossy and cohesive rather than watery.
8. Remove and discard bay leaves. Taste picadillo and adjust salt and pepper as needed. The raisins should have plumped and the olives should be tender.
9. Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve picadillo generously over white rice, garnished with chopped fresh parsley and a squeeze of fresh lime juice over the top.
Cost is a national-average estimate and varies by store and region.
This recipe was generated by Plento Pasto's AI from a library of family-friendly dishes and reviewed for a real photo before publishing. Cooking times, costs, and nutrition are estimates — use your judgment in the kitchen.