Cuban picadillo is made with ground beef simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce with onions, garlic, herbs, and spices. It's an easy, budget-friendly meal that's perfect for busy weeknights.
This version includes crispy fried potatoes for extra texture and flavor. While many Cuban families add raisins and capers for a sweet-and-salty flavor, my family prefers Spanish olives and skips the raisins. It's the version I grew up eating and one we still make often.
Ingredients
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Russet potatoes - Fried potato cubes add extra heartiness to the dish. Yukon Gold potatoes also work well.
Oil - Use a neutral oil for frying the potatoes and olive oil to cook the picadillo.
Ground beef - We use ground chuck for its rich flavor, but any ground beef will work. If using a higher-fat ground beef, drain any excess grease after browning, if desired.
Vegetables - Onion, carrot, and garlic create the flavorful base of the sauce. While green bell pepper is more traditional, I use carrot instead. If you prefer, substitute a small amount of finely diced green bell pepper and add it to the skillet with the onion.
Tomato sauce - Gives the picadillo its rich, savory tomato flavor.
White wine - Adds depth and balances the sauce. Substitute beef broth if preferred.
Spanish olives - Pitted green Spanish olives add the signature briny flavor that pairs perfectly with the beef.
Seasonings - Salt, black pepper, cumin, and oregano give the picadillo its classic Cuban flavor.
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
Prep work
There's not much time between steps in this recipe, so it's best to have everything prepped before you start cooking.
- Combine the salt, oregano, cumin, and black pepper in a small bowl.
- Dice the onion and carrot and keep them together since they'll be added to the skillet at the same time.
- Mince the garlic.
- Measure the olive oil, white wine, water, and olives, and open the can of tomato sauce.
- Peel and dice the potatoes into ¼- to ½-inch pieces. If you're not frying them right away, keep them covered with cold water to prevent browning. Drain them well before adding them to the hot oil.
How to make Cuban picadillo
Heat about ½ inch of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the potatoes for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until they're golden and cooked through. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon and season with a pinch of salt.
Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
Raise the heat to medium-high. Add the ground beef and the prepared seasoning mix. Cook for about 5 minutes, breaking up the meat with a spoon, until browned.
Stir in the white wine and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.
Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the tomato sauce, water, and olives. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the fried potatoes, reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for another 10 to 15 minutes so the flavors can come together. Stir gently to keep the potatoes intact.
Taste and season with additional salt, if needed. Serve with white rice and fried sweet plantains, if desired.
Recipe tips and notes
Fry the potatoes first. They'll hold well while you prepare the picadillo and are stirred in at the end.
Test the oil with a couple of potato cubes before frying. If they sizzle immediately, the oil is ready.
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer. If it's boiling too vigorously, lower the heat so the picadillo stays slightly saucy.
Stir gently after adding the potatoes so they hold their shape.
Leftover picadillo is delicious served over white rice or used as a filling for empanadas.
Storing and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. I don't recommend freezing this recipe because the fried potatoes can become soft after thawing and reheating.
Reheat in a covered nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, or in the microwave until heated through. If the picadillo has thickened, add a splash of water or broth while reheating to loosen the sauce.
According to USDA recommendations, do not leave cooked food out for more than 2 hours, or for more than 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and food safety, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and FoodSafety.gov.
If you enjoyed this Cuban picadillo, be sure to try our ropa vieja and vaca frita for more Cuban comfort food favorites. Looking for a lighter option? Our turkey picadillo is just as easy to make and packed with flavor.
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📖 Recipe
Cuban Picadillo
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Russet Potatoes peeled and cut into ¼ - ½ inch cubes (or 1 large potato about 10-12 ounces total)
- Canola Oil for frying enough to cover the bottom of a skillet by about ½ inch
- 1 teaspoon Salt plus a pinch or two, divided
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion finely diced
- 1 Large Carrot small dice
- 2-3 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 pound Lean Ground Beef
- ¼ cup White Wine
- 8 ounce Can Tomato Sauce
- ¼ cup Water
- ½ cup Pitted Spanish Olives
Instructions
- Cover the bottom of a large skillet with about ½ inch of the canola oil. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the potatoes and fry until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir frequently to brown on all sides.
- Remove the potatoes from the skillet and place them on a pan or plate lined with a paper-towel to drain. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- Heat the olive oil in a large, deep, non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots to the skillet. Cook the vegetables for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent, stirring frequently.
- Add the garlic, stir well to combine. Cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Raise the heat to medium-high, add the ground beef, 1 teaspoon salt, oregano, cumin and black pepper. Stir well while breaking up the meat using a wooden spoon or a spatula. Cook the beef for about 5 minutes to brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add the white wine and cook for 1-2 minutes until most of the liquid evaporates.
- Lower the heat to medium-low and add the tomato sauce, water and olives, stir to combine.
- Cover the picadillo and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Keep the picadillo at a simmer, if the liquid is boiling vigorously, lower the heat a bit.
- Lower the heat to low and add the potatoes to the picadillo, cover and cook another 10-15 minutes to allow the flavors to develop and combine, stirring occasionally.
- Taste the picadillo and add salt, if needed. As a reference we did not add extra salt to ours.
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Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Cassandra
I made this tonight with ground chicken, cause that's what i had defrosted and it was sooo good. I added more oregano and a couple shakes of dried thyme and a bit of the olive juice instead of adding salt (same thing right.lol) but it was soo good. Definitely a new staple in my household.
Gail Debardeleben
I do add golden. Raisins and bay leaves with sazon pkg.
To the sauce...huge hit everytime..
Thank you
Julie
I'm Cuban I've never heard of adding carrots to Cuban picadillo.
Elizabeth
Hi Julie,
It is unconventional. I use carrots instead of bell peppers. They mimic the sweetness in the peppers without overtaking the other flavors like peppers can do. It's just the way I do it. Thanks for stopping by!
Greg Divine
I made this tonight for dinner and everyone absolutely loved it ! I didn’t have ground beef so I used ground turkey and it was still wonderful. I’ll make this again without a doubt and next time I’ll use beef . Excellent recipe and I’m so glad you shared it with us. Now I’m going to pick another recipe of yours to make next . Once again it was outstanding Elizabeth!
Elizabeth
Hi Greg,
Thank you for your kind words. Ground turkey is a great substitute for beef, I use it often. I'm happy to hear you all enjoyed it!
Nicky
I added peas and next time I’d add golden raisins. Good recipe!
Erica
We’re team raisins so we added some to ours!! Yummy!!
Elizabeth
Glad you enjoyed it!
Emilie Wagar
When do we add the olives?
Elizabeth
Hi Emilie,
When you add the tomato sauce and water.
Rhonda
Yummy wish I could take a picture. I added capers too
Elizabeth
Hi Rhonda,
A lot of people add capers to picadillo they go great. Really glad you liked it! Thanks for stopping by.
Gigi
Looks yummy! This may be a dumb question, but what kind of potatoes do you use? Red?
Elizabeth
The potatoes need to be fried before they are added to the picadillo so it is best to use russet/Idaho potatoes.
Vicky Pino-Brito
Your recipes are the best. I love all your posts! Thank you so much!
Elizabeth Rodriguez
Thank you Vicky, that is very kind of you! I'm really glad you enjoy them!