This Piccadilly is my go-to dinner when I don’t feel like cooking, which is, frankly, most days. The good thing is that it’s delicious enough that I want to eat it every day and versatile enough that it can be a little different every time I make it.
Puerto Rican picadillo consists of ground beef cooked in a tomato sauce with sofrito. These components are permanent. From there, people add to their diet, such as potatoes, ripe bananas, and olives.
My preference is to add frozen butternut squash or frozen sweet potatoes to my piccadillo. Either is a good stand for calabaza (pumpkin) and plantains, which add a welcome sweetness. This recipe also calls for my simplified version. sofrito. Cilantro, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and bell peppers combine to add tons of flavor. All you have to do is blend in.
This incredibly rich, sweet and savory dish is unfairly flavored for the time you put into it. You can use it as a taco, burrito, or empanada filling, but my favorite way to serve picadillo is over white rice.
Tips for Making My Easy Picadillo
- Look for ground beef around 90 percent lean/10 percent fat. If you are using lean beef, omit the olive oil.
- If you are not using Salt-free adobo masalayou should only add 1 to 2 tbsp depending on your salt tolerance. Most brands like Loisa, Goya, and Badia contain salt and MSG.
- Depending on how you want to serve your piccadillo (as a filling versus rice), you may want the mixture to be thicker or more saucy. You can easily adjust the consistency by adding more or less water.
A simple alternative
You can substitute ground beef for ground chicken or ground turkey. You can also use a plant-based meat substitute to make the dish vegetarian.
During the summer, I add a variety of peppers to my sofretto for a more complex flavor, such as purple bell peppers, cubanelle (also known as gypsy), anaheim, banana, or Jimmy Nardello peppers. I’ll sometimes add some hot pepper too.
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For the sofrito
- 2 cooked Roma tomatoes or 1 medium heirloom tomato, cored and roughly chopped
- 1 medium Yellow onionquarter
- 7 cloves Garlic
- 1 a bunch Fresh cilantroTrimmed stems
- 1 medium Green pepperstemmed, seeded, and roughly chopped
For Piccadilly
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 Pound 90% lean beef
- 1 Tablespoon Salt-free or low-sodium adobo seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Salt-free or low-sodium seasoning
- 1/4 Cup Sofritodivision
- 1 (8-ounce) can. Tomato sauce
- 1/2 Cup The waterAnd more as needed
- 1 Cup Frozen diced Sweet potatoes (no need to melt)
- Salt and freshly ground black peppertaste
- Cooked white riceFor service, optional
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Make the soufflé:
Add the tomatoes to the blender and blend on medium speed for 5 seconds to break them up. Add onion and garlic and saute for another 5 seconds. Add bell peppers and lentils and cook for another 5 seconds. Finally add the red chillies and dal again.
The mixture should be quite smooth. I like mine to be a little thin so you can still see some of the greens. Measure out 1/4 cup soffritto for the picadillo and refrigerate the extra for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
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Cook the ground beef:
Heat oil in a medium pot over medium-high heat. When the oil becomes translucent, add the beef and fry for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned. Season with adobo and seasonings. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until some of the meat is firm and some is pink.
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Make the sauce and boil:
Add 2 tablespoons of the soffitto, tomato sauce, and water to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes.
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Add the sweet potatoes:
Add in sweet potatoes and cook until tender, 3 to 5 minutes. If the sweet potatoes have absorbed too much moisture, add 1/2 cup additional water. If you’re serving it over rice (and not using it as a filling), it should be on the saucier side.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of soffritto, turn off the heat, and mix to combine. Add salt and black pepper as needed and taste. Serve.
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| Nutrition facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 386 | Calories |
| 20 grams | thick |
| 15 grams | Carbohydrates |
| 36 grams | Protein |
| Nutrition facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 3 to 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 386 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 20 grams | 25% |
| Saturated fat 6 g | 29% |
| 101 mg | 34% |
| 630 mg | 27% |
| 15 grams | 6% |
| Dietary fiber 3 g | 11% |
| Total sugar 6 g | |
| 36 grams | |
| Vitamin C 17 mg | 86% |
| Calcium 62 mg | 5% |
| Iron 5 mg | 28% |
| Potassium 983 mg | 21% |
| *% Daily Value (DV) tells you how much of the nutrients in a serving of food contribute to your daily intake. 2,000 calories per day is used for general nutritional advice. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using the ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient substitutions are given, the first listed nutrient is counted. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.