Puerto Rican Picadillo Recipe

Picadillo is one of my favorite Puerto Rican dishes I've learned from my husband's family. We eat Puerto Rican food often, but this is one dish my husband always makes the best. This is his family recipe, and it's my favorite version of picadillo.

I love serving this with tostones! They're so yummy, and fun to scoop it up with!

Bonus: If you're on this blog for the paleo and gluten free foods, this recipe naturally fits the bill! It's also soy free and Whole30 compatible!

Why is Picadillo called Picadillo?

Picadillo is a meat mixture from Latin American cuisine. The literal definition is a spicy Latin American has or stew of meat vegetables often with raisins and olives.

Different cultures have different variations. Within different cultures even, different families put their own spin on it. You'll never find a picadillo that's exactly the same as another!

This one is exactly how my in-laws make it!

Ingredients Needed

• Ground Beef
• Sofrito
• Sazon
• Adobo
• Spanish Olives
• Cilantro
• Tomato Sauce
• Annotto Oil (see below)
• Water

Instructions

First, in a large skillet over medium heat, add the ground beef and break it up while it cooks.

When the meat is about halfway or so cooked, add the sofrito and mix it in thoroughly as the meat continues to cook.

Next, add in the sazon and adobo seasonings and mix completely.

Take the jar of olives, and drain it. Add them to the meat mixture, and continue to break up the meat as it cooks while also breaking up the olives.

Prep the cilantro. Chop off any dirty ends. Add it little by little for the rest of the recipe. Break the pieces with your hands and drop them in, but be sure to stir the mixture to let them wilt before adding more.

Next, add in the tomato sauce. Mix thoroughly. Continue to keep adding in cilantro.

Finally, mix in the *annatto oil and the water. Stir everything together. Most likely the meat is fully cooked by now, but you can be sure by testing with a thermometer to make sure it reads 165F degrees. If you don't have one, make sure there is no longer any pink on the ground beef.

Let everything simmer on low for about another 5-10 minutes, to let the flavors completely mix. You can continue to break down the meat and olives and finish adding the cilantro. Enjoy!

*Note: If you need to make annatto oil, here are the steps:

In a small or medium saucepan, heat the coconut oil over medium-low heat and add the annatto seeds.

Almost immediately, the seeds will start to color the oil to a yellow color. Keep heating the mixture, stirring occasionally, until an orange-reddish color is reached.

When the deeper color is reached, strain the oil, and you're ready to add it into this recipe!

Whole Foods Picadillo Recipe Sourcing

When it comes to the sofrito, at least here in CT, almost all of the store bought varieties contain soy, unsafe food coloring, and sometime more questionable ingredients. The best option is to get it homemade.

There are many recipes online you could make. Personally, my husband's abuela taught us to make it, and we make our own in large quantities and freeze it.

Where I live in a very diverse area, there are some small Hispanic stores where I could buy it made fresh and authentic and homemade, without additives and unclean ingredients.

You could also buy it in person from someone in the Hispanic community. Especially around the holiday season, I see some of my Puerto Rican friends and family making a selling sofrito along with other Puerto Rican food items. (Hello pasteles!!!)

If you're not sure where to look, check Facebook Marketplace as I've seen some sold on there, or ask in a local facebook group.

For the Annotto seed oil, this is something Hispanic cooks have ready for regular cooking, but if you're new to Hispanic recipes you may not be familiar with it. My husband loves the color this adds to foods.

The instructions are above to make the annatto oil.

What to Serve with Puerto Rican Picadillo

There are SO many uses for Puerto Rican Picadillo! My husband and I love to let it be the star of the meal.

• Typically, we serve it over white rice. The rice is perfect for soaking up the sauce and absorbing the flavors!
• When I used to do Whole30, my favorite way to keep this recipe Whole30 compatible was to serve it on top of yucca. Boil the frozen yucca according to package instructions, remove the woody stems, and serve.
  So yummy! It's one of my favorite Whole30 meals, and quite filling!
• Picadillo can also be stuffed inside of foods such as empanadas, papas rellenas, or arepas. If you're using this recipe to stuff something, reduce the amount of liquid used. Specifically, reduce the tomato sauce, water, and oil. That way your mixture isn't soaking the empanada dough or whatever you're stuffing.
• As mentioned above, these are great with with homemade tostones! They are also clean and healthy, and the perfect way to scoop that picadillo straight to your mouth!

Storage instructions

Once cooled or mostly cooled, store it in an air tight container in the fridge.

It will keep up to 3 days safely.

To reheat, either place it in the oven until warm, or reheat it on the stove top.

Can you freeze Picadillo?

Yes, you can freeze picadillo! It freezes well.

Freeze it in a reusable air tight container.

To thaw, either defrost it in the fridge, or monitor it under running water.

More Yummy Dinners to Try

• Creamy Tuscan Shrimp
• Mongolian Beef
• Italian Sausage Meal
• Chuletas

Did you make this recipe? What were your thoughts? Let me know below!

Post a picture on Instagram and tag me @thecleanhappylife! I'd love to see how you served it too!

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