Savory Tooth

Simple Tasty Recipes

Ground Beef Picadillo

Updated Published Feb 22, 2018 By 3 CommentsThis post may contain affiliate links.

Summary:
This ground beef picadillo is a fragrant Cuban chili with onions, olives, and warm spices like cinnamon and cumin. It's great for anyone on a keto, low carb, or paleo diet. For more quick and easy meals, check out these one-pan dinners.
ground beef picadillo in white bowl

Picadillo

4.7 from 3 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Yield: 3 servings

INGREDIENTS

Beef Marinade:

  • 1 pound ground beef (Note 1)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda (Note 2)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Dried Spices:

Everything Else:

  • 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1/2 medium white onion, finely chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 (3-ounce) can pitted green olives, thinly sliced (Note 4)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • chopped fresh cilantro

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Marinate Beef: Stir water, salt, baking soda, and black pepper in mixing bowl until baking soda is dissolved. Evenly pour marinade over beef, stirring or using hands to work it into the meat until it's just absorbed. Set aside.
  • Cook Vegetables: Heat olive oil in large pan (Note 5) over medium heat until hot. Add chopped bell pepper and onion, cooking until softened and lightly browned, stirring occasionally, 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and all dried spices until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Reduce to medium-low heat. Stir in tomato sauce, about 30 seconds.
  • Cook Beef: Add beef and olives, and increase back to medium heat. Cook until beef is browned and some of the released liquid has evaporated, stirring frequently to crumble beef, 10 to 15 minutes (Note 6).
  • Serve: Serve into bowls, and top with fresh cilantro (Note 7).

NUTRITION

Makes 3 Servings
Amount Per Serving:
Calories 400  
Total Fat 24g 37%
   Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 100mg 33%
Sodium 1550mg 65%
Net Carb 7.5g  
Total Carb 10g 3%
   Dietary Fiber 2.5g 11%
   Sugars 4g  
Protein 31g  
Vitamin A 7% · Vitamin C 60% · Calcium 3% · Iron 27%

PHOTOS

ground beef picadillo in white bowl
stirring ground beef picadillo in skillet
close up view of ground beef and olives

NOTES & TIPS

(1) Ground Beef. I use 90% lean. Meat with less than 90% may result in an overly greasy final dish where you need to drain off some of the fat.
(2) Baking Soda. The ground beef is briefly marinated with baking soda, which helps tenderizes the meat so it is less tough and dry when exposed to heat. The meat is slowly browned by cooking it in a mixture of vegetables, which cooks the meat more gently.
(3) Cayenne. Use the lower end measurement for mild, and the higher value for mild to moderate spiciness.
(4) Green Olives. I use the ones with pimiento.
(5) Large Pan. I use an 11-inch nonstick pan.
(6) Cooking Beef. To keep this recipe as simple as possible, the simmering time is minimized by omitting additional liquids like wine or broth. Instead, this recipe uses the beef’s natural juices to provide liquid for simmering. Without a lid, the liquid evaporates efficiently.
(7) Serving. Since picadillo is commonly served over rice, you can pair this with a low carb alternative like fried cauliflower rice or spiralized vegetables. Another serving idea is to use picadillo as a filling inside tortilla wraps (Mission and other brands sell low carb versions).

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About Julia

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Julia is a recipe developer and the founder of Savory Tooth, and lives in Boston, Massachusetts. Since 2015, she has been sharing simple recipes for tasty dishes in a user-friendly format. She typically prefers savory foods over sweet, hence the name of the site. Contact her at julia@savorytooth.null.com.

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Rob

We made this last night and it was delicious. We used castelvetrano olives which are my favorites and kicked it up with some heat. Super quick and easy to make.

Vote Up2Vote Down  Reply
5 years ago
Mimi

Oh this looks good! I love the inclusion of green olives in with the meal. wonderful.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
6 years ago
John

Made it today with elk burger a friend gave me. Delicious!

Vote Up0Vote Down  Reply
4 years ago
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