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Meat, Americas

Cuban picadillo with rice

Cuban picadillo with rice is a ground beef dish simmered with tomato, olives, capers, and raisins, served over rice with a fried egg. It serves 4, takes 45 minutes, rates very easy, and costs €2.60 per person. The key to getting it right is adding the olives and raisins at the very end so their flavors stay sharp against the rich sauce.

A quick Cuban dish full of character, ground beef simmered with tomato, olives, capers, and raisins. The sweet and salty mix that catches you off guard.

Cuban picadillo with rice
Total time
45 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€2.60
Calories per person
580 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Picadillo pairs simmered ground beef with a tomato sauce seasoned with cumin and oregano, punctuated by clear notes of olive, caper, and raisin. That combination surprises on the first bite, the saltiness of the olives meeting the quiet sweetness of the raisins, while the sauce stays short and concentrated. White rice soaks it all up without drowning it out.

This is the kind of dish you make on a weeknight when you want to break away from the usual ground beef routine without spending the evening at the stove. Kids tend to go along with it, especially if you tone down the olives to their taste, and a runny fried egg over the rice always wins people over at the table. Mon Chou suggests this picadillo for exactly those nights when you want a change of scenery without the fuss.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Ground beef 600 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onion 1
  • Green bell pepper 1
  • Garlic 3 cloves

Pantry

  • Crushed tomatoesoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Pitted green olives 60 g
  • Capersoften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Raisinsoften in the pantry 40 g
  • Dry white wineoften in the pantry 10 cl
  • Cuminoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Oreganooften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Dairy

  • Eggs 4

Allergens Eggs

The step by step recipe

  1. Chop the onion, bell pepper, and garlic, and cook them in the oil until tender. 8 min

    Cook over medium heat, without letting them brown.

  2. Add the ground beef, season with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano, and brown it while breaking it apart. 10 min

    Let the meat get a good color before adding the liquids.

  3. Pour in the white wine and tomatoes, and let simmer over low heat. 15 min

    Stir occasionally, the sauce should turn thick and not watery.

  4. Meanwhile, cook the rice in salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    Add a drizzle of oil to the water for shinier rice.

  5. Add the olives, capers, and raisins to the picadillo. Fry the eggs and serve over the rice with the meat. 4 min

    The runny yolk mixes into the rice and sauce.

Our tips to get it right

  • Drain the crushed tomatoes a bit if they're very watery, the picadillo sauce should stay thick enough to coat the rice properly.
  • Break up the beef with a fork as it cooks to get a fine, even texture that works better mixed into the rice.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the olives, since they're already salty, you can adjust the salt accordingly afterward.

The variations

  • Swap the ground beef for ground pork for a milder version, closer to some traditional Cuban recipes.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the meat with cooked red lentils or crumbled tofu, keeping the same sauce.
  • For kids, serve the picadillo without olives or capers mixed in, and let everyone add their own at the table.

What to serve it with

  • Fried plantains
  • Sliced avocado salad
  • Warm flatbread

Storage

Picadillo keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, stored separately from the rice. It freezes well for up to 2 months, without the eggs. Reheat gently with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Questions about this dish

Can you replace the white wine with something else?

Yes, you can use beef broth or water with a splash of vinegar instead. The wine just adds a touch of acidity to the sauce, which is easy to replicate another way.

Can you make picadillo ahead of time?

Yes, it actually tastes even better reheated the next day. Make the sauce ahead and stir in the olives, capers, and raisins when you reheat it.

Does picadillo freeze well?

Yes, the simmered base freezes very well for up to 2 months. Freeze the sauce without the rice or eggs, and add those fresh when you serve it.

How do you make the dish milder for kids?

Cut back on the olives and capers, which bring the most saltiness. Raisins are usually well liked by kids and soften the overall flavor.

How long does it take to make a Cuban picadillo with rice?

Count 45 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a Cuban picadillo with rice?

About 580 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Cuban picadillo with rice cost?

About €2.60 per serving, or €10.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains eggs. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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