Quick & Easy Puerto Rican Picadillo Recipe (Ground Beef)
Simple to make ground beef dish as a stand-alone entrée or as a filling for appetizers.
Equipment
- 1 large frying pan or skillet
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef (lean)
- 1 tbsp cooking olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium golden potato
- 2 tbsp home-made sofrito
- 1 packet sazon con culantrio y achiote (Goya)
- 1 beef bouillon cube
- 4 oz tomato sauce (or 2 tbsp tomato paste)
- Adobo seasoning
- 1 dash cumin
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/8 - 1/4 cup water or broth*
- a few green olives optional
Instructions
- Set a large skillet to medium-high heat. Once hot add olive oil.
- Add thinly diced onions and stir.
- While the onions cook, peel and dice your potato into ¼” cubes.
- Once the onions start to look transparent, add your garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add the sofrito, sazón, bouillon cube and tomato sauce. If you do not have tomato sauce, you can use about 2 tbsp of tomato paste instead.
- Immediately add your diced potato. Use a spoonula or wooden spoon to stir and coat the potatoes with the ingredients in the skillet.
- Add ground beef and separate it (“chop” it) to where there are no lumps.
- Sprinkle generously with adobo and add a dash of cumin. Cumin has a strong flavor so do not overdo it as it will overpower the entire dish.
- If you like green or Spanish olives, this is the moment to add them.
- Add 1/8 – ¼ cup of vegetable or beef broth. If you have neither, you may add water.
- Stir everything well and add bay leaves.
- Cover and reduce to medium-low heat. Simmer the meat mixture for about 7-10 minutes or until the potatoes are nice and soft.
- Once it is done, remove bay leaves and serve your picadillo over white rice with a salad or a side of plantains. Oh, and do not forget the avocado! 😊
- ¡Buen provecho from The Happy Wookiee!
Notes
- If you want to make it healthier, you can use ground turkey or any ground meat that is leaner.
- If you want to add green or red bell pepper when cooking the onions, feel free to do so as well.
- The picadillo can be refrigerated for up to 2 days in an airtight container.