Picadillo Ground Beef With Tomatoes Olives and Raisins
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10/05/2010
Since my heritage is Puerto Rican, I grew up on Cuban cuisine as well as native ones. One of my favorites is picadillo. This is very close to the way my mother made the dish. However, I find it best to chop up the raisins, capers and olives (no nuts) and mix them in. The reason as mentioned in other reviews is that people don't like biting into an olive or caper or even a raisin. The flavor comes through. Also, if there is too much broth, I strain the meat mixture, put it aside, and boil down the broth separately. Then I add the meat back into the remaining broth. If you cook the meat in broth too long it loses flavor.
04/01/2006
Suprisingly flavorful, sweet, spicy and complex. Goes excellent with rice, or better yet gorditas. One of only two recipes I have tried on here that is knock out delicious.
07/30/2006
Trying to keep the cholesterol content down, I substituted ground chicken for the beef, and low fat chicken andouille for the chorizo. The result was a delicious picadillo that was quite a hit at home. Being so successful there, I made another batch to bring into the restaurant where I work, and the kitchen staff devoured it enthusiastically. This recipe will become a staple for me.
10/11/2004
This was very good. I cooked it with the lid off to try and get the broth to thicken. it didn't so I added 1 Tbs of cornstartch (mixed with cold water until smooth) so the sauce would be thicker. Served it with cornbread. It ws very good, but my husband and kids only thought it okay...
10/05/2010
Both my husband and I agree that this tastes just like his Venezuelan mother's Picadillo that I wished I had gotten from her before she passed away. I followed the recipe, using vegetarian (soy) chorizo (that I buy at the grocery store in the refrigerated section) instead of the pork chorizo. Tastes the same, but with less fat and "msytery meat". Serve Picadillo over fluffy long grain white rice or thicken it with a beef gravy mix and bake with a topping of mashed potatoes and cheese to make a sort of Latin shepherd's pie.
06/17/2005
I made this today for lunch for my family. It was a hit! (and I had my doubts as some family members don't like raisins or olives or vinegar). But I had Picadillo growing up and remembered the green olives and raisins and loved it then. The Chorizo is a little weird because of what it is made out of but I just closed my eyes and made it as is. Thanks for the walk down "memory lane". We all really liked it.
07/16/2007
Pretty good picadillo recipe. My Cuban father always made this growing up. I somehow didn't get the recipe. This is pretty close.
01/23/2006
I fixed this for dinner last night and prepared it as written. It was the BEST, The chorizo added something special. I served it over spagetti squash for something different. Big hit. My kids almost licked the dish. I forgot the lime and almonds, didn't miss em'
08/26/2010
I really enjoyed this dish. I like the contrast of the saltiness from the capers and olives with the sweetness of the raisins. Although next time I'd like to try it with dried currants instead. Served it over rice. Delicious!
05/19/2007
After reading other's reviews, I halfed chili powder, cayenne, and paprika to make it less spicy. I also added Idaho potatoes, and omitted the olives. This dish was delicious! My husband is Cuban and grew up with Picadillo and he LOVED it!! I made homemade fried plantains and white rice on the side. Delicious!! Thank you!
09/02/2012
First off, you don't need the olive oil as there is enough fat in Chorizo and ground beef. The cinnamon is a little overpowering so I would reduce that next time. This tastes like a fancy sloppy joe. I chopped up the raisins since I dont like raisins and followed someone else's suggestion to simmer the raisins and capers with the mixture so the flavors could meld more. I followed the recipe to the letter with the omission of the almonds and olive oil. Its a good hearty recipe. We served it over white rice. Will make again with less cinnamon and will try adding achiote to go with my puerto rican heritage.
04/05/2007
I made this picadillo for thanksgiving dinner last year and everyone went crazy for it! I followed the recipe exactly they it was specified. This is defintaley the BEST picadillo!!!
03/22/2007
While this is good, it's not Cuban - traditional Cuban food does not have spicyness to it (so none of the peppers) and picadillo while traditionally having raisins and olives does not have almonds or sausage in it. It's a nice twist, but it's not exactly Cuban - maybe Cuban fusion. Good recipe, though.
01/22/2011
Now this is picadillo! There are a few taquerias here in Central Texas that come close to this. Wrap some up in a flour tortillo for breakfast and you've gone to heaven. Don't tweak the recipe until you've tried it; the olives and raisins are what makes it special.
10/05/2010
Must beg to disagree with the reviewer who says this isn't Cuban! Though I will concede that my Lenanese-Cuban side of the family might add almonds, cinnamon (& maybe the flatbread in the photo), the rest of the recipe is pretty true to most Cuban cooks' versions, including my mom's & mine. Frankly, those tweaks are great by me. I love fusions & I'm especially fond of middleastern food. "Picadillo" is just a humble, mountain folk "hashed/chopped meat" dish. I'm sure Mexico & others have versions using their own assortment of ingredients. This one's nice. :)
02/28/2007
I omitted the raisins and capers because I can't stand either of them, and I wish I hadn't upped the amount of olives I threw in. We did, however, really enjoy it. There were so many flavors, and they all worked really well. Served it with plain white rice. Good stuff. Thanks!
12/01/2010
This was amazing. I was skeptical as I was throwing everything together but it turned out wonderful. My husband, who doesn't like olives, had a 2nd plate. I will definitely be making this again.
09/26/2011
Now, I must state that I know next to nothing about Puerto Rican food. There is one restaurant in San Rafael, Ca I go to and my fiancee can not stop ravign about the food there. His favorite dish is the picadillo. I did make a few modifications due to a shortage of ingredients. I omitted the bell pepper since when I got home I found out the one I had had spoiled. Also I didn't have any raisins on hand. NO onion since I hate them, I added 6 cloves of garlic instead. * I have since doubled the spices and it is very tasty. I used 1.5 cups fresh tomatoes because I had some from the garden that needed to be used. Chicken stock since I didn't have any beef. NO chorizo sausage at the store so I bought linguica and cut it into thin rounds Lastly no almonds since I am allergic to them. With all these modifications I made some fabulous puerto rican chili! Served with beans, this is amazing. I am adding this to my winter recipes. Generally cheap to make once you have the capers and olives on hand.
10/07/2010
To quote Pirates of the Caribbean, kinda sorta! . . . "recipes are more guidelines as opposed to a set of rules!" My family just finished eating this tonight for supper (actually my 2 year old is still eating, but it is her fourth helping!) I mostly followed the recipe until the last couple directions. I went ahead and added all the ingredients and then simmered. I like my food to have a chance to 'flavor meld'. I tasted it after it had been simmering for a while and thats when I made it mine! So many people feel that they have to follow a recipe exactly . . . then the food is ready, you eat, and you go away thinking, "man I can't cook". But that is not the case. Use the recipe as a guideline and then keep adding things that taste good to you. Once you've got the 'flavor' that you like. Serve it up and enjoy it. Recipes are way overrated. Make it like it's written and if the flavor isn't right for you, change it up and make it right for you. All that to say, this recipe was ok as is, but then I made it my own and my family loved it. They gobbled it up and asked for more!
12/18/2009
I thought this was just okay, but my boyfriend loved it and he's from southern Florida, so he has much more discriminating taste in Cuban food than I do. I did have to double up on all the spices (again southern Florida boy) and I replaced the beef stock with white wine.
07/31/2009
Good deep flavor. I could taste both the green olives and the raisin, which is why I like Picadillo. Only one complaint... Really lost its flavor over night. Leftovers were very bland and ended up tasting like just your run of the mill Sloppy Joes. With that said, I will make this again, just won't eat any leftovers.
06/23/2011
dh doesn't like olives or capers, yet I still put them in and he adored this. The only changes I made was omitting the chili powder and using ground turkey and soyrizo to cut down on fat. We ate it with middle eastern flat bread inspired by the photo.
10/05/2010
This is a great recipe. I usually make it with a little tomatoe paste and fresh tomatoes instead of canned. In many latin american countries, this is the recipe used for stuffing empanadas. You can buy the empanadas discs ready to stuff. Great for parties or as apetizers.
11/05/2011
Love this recipe. I drain all the liquid and put this in empanadas. Little bites of heaven.
11/17/2011
Good flavor, easy to make.
08/06/2009
It looked like a lot of spices, but was wonderful!! I added some salt, omitted the lime. We had it with taco's and shredded cheese. The flavours are really great with taco's! I added raisins, chopped almonds, olives, capers and vinegar and let it simmer for a while, because I think in 5 minutes the flavours can not blend together. Maybe next time I will not add the capers, bc they don't go very well with the other ingredients.
02/15/2009
I first ate Picadillo at a Mexican restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. This recipe is quite similar. I served it on Tortillas, along with Mexican rice and Guacamole.
05/12/2009
I was cruising All Recipes for something different to do with hamburger. Wow! At first my family was skeptical as they looked at the contents of their bowl, one bite and we are all Picadillo lovers now. Even made it for company only to find out that one of the guests was sensitive to spicy foods. She ate it without any problems - or indigestion after wards. I don't always have all of the ingredients on hand, but it is a very forgiving recipe and always tastes delicious.
04/28/2009
I made this exactly according to the recipe, and it was incredible! I served it with canned black beans (mashed, with onions and garlic sauteed in olive oil) and fried plantains. My husband I both ate until we couldn't eat another bite. The spices in the picadillo, and the melding of flavors with the beans and plantains were just fantastic. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
10/18/2011
wonderful flavors! halved the recipe and served it with rice and fried bananas on the side. easy recipe to follow. will do this again.
05/30/2008
This was really good and something different. I did not ad tomatoes because I wanted to roll it in tortillas, and I didn't have almonds or raisins. Next time I'll add them and see if there's a difference. Very good!
05/25/2011
Interesting and we ate it, but would not make again.
10/11/2010
I tried this and my wife thought i was screwing up the recipe but I followed all the instructions but left out the vinegar,raisins,capers, and almonds. It still came out great. The yield for servings was off though. Next time I will add more chorizo and ground beef. Great dish..will try it again.
10/06/2010
Who would have thought that beef, sausage, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon green olives, raisins and all of the other ingredients would have made such a delectable meal. We had left overs so the second night I served the meat portion over fresh, organic salad and topped with ranch dressing. It was awesome. It is definitely a keeper.
05/02/2011
This was fantastic! I did leave out the capers and olives but stuck to the rest of the recipe. Will make this again and again..big hit in my home!
10/06/2010
Loved the combination of spices. It smelled GREAT. But we were disappointed in the taste. I blame this, however, on the chorizo that I used. I think the key here might be in using a really good sausage. Mine was rather bland. I will try it again using a different sausage.
06/01/2011
Whole family loved this! Served it inside a cheesy tortilla, the flavor really surprised this non-olive eating Mom!
06/07/2011
Not bad. It has good flavor, but a bit on the sweet side. I don't think I'll make it again, but if I did I'd cut the raisins down by at least half. And I think I'd leave out the nuts completely (they just seem odd to me). What I really want is something more like the picadillo in Austin Grill's picadillo tacos, and this just wasn't it. Oh well.
10/08/2010
I made this for dinner last night. Both my husband and I loved the blend of flavors. He requested I add it to my rotation of menus. I'm looking forward to having the leftovers for lunch.
08/13/2008
I was thrilled with the reaction I got when I made this.... all the guys raved and the one who never has seconds had seconds! I had to improvise since I didn't have capers or olives- I threw in a little homemade pesto I had on hand instead. I can't wait to try it the right way, though. Thanks for the great recipe!
10/05/2010
This is wonderful! But I don't like raisins in my food, except for maybe in my cereal! Leave the fruit where it belongs! Thanks for sharing!
06/17/2009
I made the recipe as written, except I forgot to add the almonds at the end, and I used turkey instead of beef. I thought it was great. I remember my mom making it when I was a kid and it was just as delicious as I remember!
10/05/2010
This is VERY tastey! I added potatoes cubed into small bite size pieces like my boyfriend likes it made. Awesome!
10/13/2010
We eat little red meat, so I substituted ground turkey breast for the beef, and chicken stock for the beef stock. I did not add chorizo either due to the high fat content. But the spices and wonderful contrasting flavors made this a wonderful main course served over whole grain rice and accompanied by baked plantain slices. I would use the same recipe for shredded chicken or beef.
09/22/2006
We thought this was great! It almost had that "Cincinnati Chili" taste with being slightly sweet. My husband took the leftovers to work and even his coworkers liked it. I would make again.
04/05/2007
Nice version of Picadillo. I enjoyed the inclusion of toasted almonds. We actually savored it more the next day as leftovers with pita flatbread. Thanks for the recipe!
12/02/2007
This is a wonderful recipe that I follow exactly and have made many times. It has great flavor and never disappoints.
09/01/2007
Absolutely awesome. I always made my own without a recipe. But this was great and the almonds and raisins added an extra zest. We will have this often!
02/14/2009
I did a little tweaking as I went and it is now our FAVORITE DISH!!
11/06/2010
Excelllent flavors. We really enjoyed the dish. Thanks for the recipe. Wouldn't change a thing.
05/23/2009
This was so good. I really followed the recipe to a tee (which is so rare) except I had to sub lemon for lime and green pepper for red, but other than that it was just a great ground beef dish. Will definitely make again.
10/04/2013
This is so good!! I used fresh chopped tomatoes instead of canned and skipped the cayenne for those who don't like spicy food but it would have been great with it. I also chopped the raisins and olives in the food processor to avoid huge bites of them. I also used ground turkey and chicken broth instead of beef. Everyone loved it! It tastes even better the next day!
10/05/2010
I have always considered Picadillo to be a Cuban dish something like this one but without all the spices. I've seen the Cuban style made with beef, black beans and little green peas on top. This recipe is way too spicey, its not necessary. Picadillo is a simple dish that can be cooked in 20 minutes. Picadillo is nothing like sloppy joe.
02/18/2018
My husband has been hungry for this since we had it at a small cafe in Orange, CA. This was an excellent recipe but we are not fans of cumin so I reduced the cumin to 1 tsp and added a dash of worcestershire sauce as well as a dash of maggi. I also let it cook without the lid so it intensified the flavors. WOW I certainly will make this a repeat.
01/29/2019
My family loved it. No leftovers. It is not as spicy as the versions I have had while eating out but it was very good. I tried to follow the recipe exactly.
10/06/2010
Made this last night, it was wonderful. It needs the lime juice, don't omit, could even increase a bit. Left out the raisins and almonds for last night's meal,,,got brave for leftovers today at lunch and added in,,,,again wonderful, wasn't at all like I thought it would be. They added just a hint of sweetness and texture. Don't be chicken like me,,,use the recipe as written!
10/09/2010
nothing special
10/24/2010
This was a real winner in my house! I served it over tortilla bread. Stuck to the recipe except I did not add the cider vinegar. This will be made it my house often. Very yummy!
05/05/2019
I've been making picadillo for a while but it never turned out like my local cuban restaurant until now. I modified the recipe a little bit based on what I know my husband and I like and dont like. It turned out amazing. I only used the 1lb ground beef, 3/4 of the rest of ingredients, no lemon, no capers, no vinegar. Delish!
08/05/2012
Amazing! Cut the hot spices in 1/2 but other than that followed the recipe!
04/11/2014
Excellent and delicious!!! Who would have ever thought that all these ingredients together would be good but it's very tasty and melds together very well!!! I leave out the chili powder and cayenne (young kids) and it is delicious!
06/04/2014
servedthis with large tortillas, lettuce & cheese...tasted pretty good!
03/08/2009
Yummy! Just the way it is with absolutely no changes!
04/19/2019
Great tasting recipe. Forgot the capers and the chorizo. But it was still full of taste. Made a beef version and a ground turkey version. They were both excellent. Definitely a new favorite.
10/30/2016
Loved this and made a few omissions: the meat produced quite a big of liquid (not fat). I kept that liquid and omitted the beef broth. I also omitted the cayenne because I used smoked hot Spanish paprika which was plenty spicy. I did take the advice of another cook and chopped up the olives, capers and raisins and omitted the almonds. It was excellent and I am looking forward to making it again soon!
04/15/2013
This is one of my new favorite meals! I served it over rice. I didn't have any green peppers but it still tasted amazing! My husband is a picky eater so I thought he might not like the idea of raisins and olives in this dish (he doesn't really like either one), but to my amazement he really liked this dish. I served fried plaintains on the side. This is a keeper!
09/21/2014
This was the best new dish I have tried in a while. I forgot to add the vinegar but it was still delicious over some brown rice. I am going to add some vinegar when I have leftovers and see how I like it. I think it will be a nice addition. It is such an interesting mix of flavors.
01/25/2019
I made this last night and it came out pretty good. I've also been told that came out really good. one thing though is that the recipe says nothing about lime juice and almonds in the ingredients. the recipe would work better I think for the amateur cook like myself if it's specified how much lime juice and how much almonds somewhere before the last step in how to make it.
06/26/2018
The family loved it! Perfect with white rice and a baguette for dipping in the sauce. I didn't use chorizo, i used pine nuts and I left some olives whole for presentation.
08/12/2016
Wonderful! I don't care for olives or capers so I leave those out. I also use half the amount of vinegar because I could smell slightly too much of for my liking (although it still tasted delicious) the first time I made it. It freezes very well.
07/26/2007
This was so good. I didn't have the chorizo sausage but except for that, I followed the recipe exactly and it was a big hit with my family. It only needed some salt. I will definitely make this again.
08/22/2017
Yum!! I subbed smoked turkey sausage for the chorizo, but it was still very good. i think i will look for the chorizo next time and see if i like it better. also, i thought it was just a little too much vinegar, will probably reduce next time. But, still very tasty - much different flavors than we are used to in our house - fun!
08/25/2018
This meal was delicious. I just lessened the amount of raisins and sugar as I don't like sweet meat that much. Regardless my picky granddaughter loved it.
09/29/2016
This recipe calls for 5 stars hands down! My husband wasn't a fan of the amount of cinnamon so I use 1/8 of a teaspoon. I also chop up the raisins, olives and capers before adding them. I add these ingredients when I add the diced tomatoes, beef broth and sugar before simmering. I also use a full package of ground chorizo (10 oz I think it is) and I omit the olive oil. I don't drain the grease of the meat, because the juice that comes out of the chorizo is way too flavorful! The flavor explodes in your mouth and you end up craving it all the time! I have made this recipe at least 5 times and will never try another picadillo recipe, because this one is perfect! I serve mine over jasmine rice.
11/22/2019
so good!!! I wasn't sure at first due to the sweetness! but oh boy! I went back for more twice!!! I did not add the almonds and lemon, but I don't think was needed!
01/07/2018
Adapted slightly (cook it down until very dry) this also makes a great empanada filling. If you like spice, increase the cayenne by 4x, that's what I did and it was pleasantly hot, not overly spicy at all. I think the spice suggested in the original recipe is way too mild.
02/11/2015
I lived for several years in Florida where i had many cuban friends. I learned about Picadillo from their families. In my opinion, this is an awesome recipe! Often i don't have the almonds on hand so i usually omit those. Its just as good without them. Honestly, i never had it with almonds anyway in the past. Otherwise i follow the recipe and its GREAT!
10/26/2007
Wow this was a great recipe! My husband had the brilliant idea to make it with lamb (1 lb. locally raised ground lamb) and it was fantastic; the recipe has so many strong flavors and the lamb was the perfect balance to them. He used fresh tomatoes, left out the chorizo and the almonds, and used lemon for lime juice. Will make this for dinner guests as soon as I can get more local lamb.
09/28/2019
Everyone loved it. I followed the recipe exactly and found it to be delicious. I wasn't sure how it would turn out initially, but the flavors blend perfectly. Not too spicy or too sweet and very filling. Great over rice or a sweet cornbread.
12/22/2015
I followed the recipe exactly and it was SO good! Next time I might try skirt steak or chicken instead of the ground beef.
10/06/2010
I took a chance on this and I was very very pleased with this recipe. I bragged about it and even gave the home ec teacher a copy. This has a somewhat unusual combination of ingredients, and I was a bit a unsure at first, but we loved it and I will definitely make it again and again.
03/02/2013
Nice recipe, but next time might leave out the sugar. Wasn't sure if I was supposed to drain the tomatoes, but I didn't. Took some of the broth out & added cornstarch to thicken a little, served on Jasmine rice with tossed salad, Tostones & Cuban bread. It was good, but not excellent...leaving out the sugar might help.
09/09/2013
I'm having a Cuban-themed dinner party in a couple of weeks and tested this recipe tonight to see if I wanted to use it. Wow! It is really delicious. I didn't change anything other than not adding the lime juice, and that's only because I forgot to buy it. It was so good without it but I know it will give it that extra special something. This is a simple dish to make and tastes fantastic! Tastes very similar to the picadillo my favorite Cuban restaurant in Key West makes! Definitely try this one, you won't be sorry.
12/13/2008
I loved it, and was surprised at how well everything went together, especially the raisins and olives. I used ground turkey because that's what I had, and it still turned out great.
10/24/2006
This was simply delicious! I served it over jasmine rice. Very easy to make.
05/08/2007
I made this recipe mostly for my husband. He is from Puerto Rico and I had heard him mention this dish. Reading the ingredients it did not appeal to me at all. Surprisingly though I really liked it. I made it exactly as written. Every bite was a surprise. Sometimes it was sweet, other times spicy, or crunchy. My husband preferred it without the slivered almonds but I liked the crunchiness it added. I might be a little more bold with the cayenne pepper next time. I thought the raisins would not be good but they really added to the dish. We served our picadillo next to a bed of rice with sweet plantains on the side. Yum!!
03/09/2009
YUM! My mouth just burst with all the complex flavors and textures. Plan on making next time I have company over. Many Thanks for this keeper!
10/11/2010
This is so good, once you try it you'll never have manwich again
01/22/2007
I felt inspired (and envious! :p) of my co-worker's tales of vacationing in Cuba for 3 weeks and made this dish this weekend. It tasted amazing and "homey" with the sausage, spices and the crunch of the almonds. Tasted great over rotini pasta the first day, but even better over hearty whole wheat noodles the next day for lunch! I give it only four stars because, while it was good, it was not outstanding. Will make again for a comforting meal. Thanks for sharing!
12/20/2015
Liked this a lot. Could have used a bit more heat but really tasty. Followed the recipe exactly --- next time I'd use turkey + turkey chorizo or at least replace the beef with turkey. It was pretty greasy and unnecessary to have that heavy of a meat with all the flavors going on.
07/08/2020
This recipe is delicious!!! I've made it several times and it is perfect exactly as written. It is my husband's favorite meal. I tried making it without the cayenne pepper, but it really needs it, though I have cut it in half because of the kids.
04/21/2021
Great mix of tastes.
04/09/2020
I didn't have chorizo, capers or almonds. Otherwise, I followed the recipe and thought it was great. It packs a punch so for those with a more sensitive palette you might want to reduce the amount of cumin, paprika, chili powder. I used the amounts specified. Super flavorful. Served over yellow rice - great dish.
09/24/2019
Loved this meal! The chorizo adds a nice touch! I added 2 lbs of beef to make sure there were leftovers...and skipped the lime juice, raisins and almonds to match my families likes. A keeper for sure!
01/07/2016
Very tasty and different way to change up a ground beef recipe. I made it as directed and saved over rice. Will make again!
12/06/2010
this is a lot of work, but worth it. don't skip anything!!
03/26/2020
delicious! Made exactly as recipe suggested. This is on my favorites.
10/04/2013
best picadillo I have ever had. followed the recipe exactly.
10/11/2019
We make this dish once a month. It is fantastic! Thank you for sharing.
Source: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/76373/picadillo/
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