Whole30 Picadillo - Easy and Delicious
This Whole30 Picadillo is easy, delicious, feeds a crowd and tastes even better the next day! Try serving it with some of my Zesty Purple Cabbage Slaw and Tostones for a Cuban-inspired feast!
Servings: 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 pounds grass-fed lean ground beef
- 1 large yellow onion diced or julienned
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 5 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
- 2 teaspoons ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 1.5 cups sliced and pitted green olives such as Manzanilla
- 1/4 cup raisins free of added sugars, optional
- 2 bay leaves
- 1.5 cups organic chicken stock
Instructions
- Preheat a Dutch oven or sauté pan over med-high heat. Add 1 tbsp avocado oil and heat until shimmering. Add the beef and cook, using a wooden spoon to crumble it into small pieces, until well browned, around 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the browned beef to a bowl. Set aside.
- Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat in the pot, reduce the heat to medium and add onions and peppers. Season with a small pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are slightly caramelized, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, an additional 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add the paprika, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the spices are toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to lift any brown bits on the bottom of the pot. Return the browned beef to the pot and add the bay leaves, olives and raisins, if using. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 60 minutes.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as desired. Serve with Zesty Purple Cabbage Slaw and Tostones.
Video
Notes
*Note: you can make Picadillo the day before and reheat at the time of serving. The flavours will continue to develop in the fridge over night and it will taste even better the next day!
**Tip: If your Picadillo is a bit too ‘watery’, remove the lid and cook for an additional 5-10 minutes. This will allow for some of the moisture in the pot to evaporate. It will also concentrate the rich flavours of the Picadillo – a good thing! You are aiming for a thick yet juicy consistency that loosely coats the back of a spoon.
***Careful not to cook the sauce for much longer than 10 minutes or it may dry-out or burn.