Classic Skillet Ground Beef Picadillo
A savory, slightly sweet ground beef hash with briny olives and warm spices served over rice.
Recipe Author
Riff Kitchen@riffkitchen
Cuban-inspiredDinnerHigh Protein
Classic Skillet Ground Beef Picadillo
A savory, slightly sweet ground beef hash with briny olives and warm spices served over rice.
By Riff KitchenOn Riff.kitchen, recipes start from what is already in your fridge. Add what you have, and it plans around whatever goes off first.
- 10 prep · 20 cook
- 30 min
- servings
- 4
- effort
- Easy
Chef's note
The combination of salty olives and raisins creates a complex, addictive flavor profile that elevates simple ground beef.
Method
8 steps · tap one to tick it off
Tips
Let the beef brown before stirring. Spread it out and leave it for a couple of minutes before breaking it up. The deep browning in step 3 is the base of the sauce's flavor.
Spoon off the fat before the tomato paste. This beef leaves a fair pool of fat. Pour off most of it so the tomato paste fries and darkens instead of floating.
Soak the raisins in the stock. Leave them in the beef stock while the beef browns. They plump up and sweeten the sauce instead of staying chewy.
Swaps
No green olives? Capers, a little less, or chopped kalamata olives.
No raisins? Chopped prunes or dried cranberries, or leave them out for a less sweet dish.
No beef stock? Chicken stock or water.
Storage
Fridge: 3 to 4 days in a sealed container.
Freezer: 2 to 3 months for best quality. It freezes very well; the peppers soften slightly.
Reheat: In a skillet with a splash of water, stirring until steaming hot (75°C in the center).
Fridge and reheating follow Illinois Extension; freezer times are for quality and follow the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as on what freezes and what does not.
Made it?
Tap a star to rate it.
Ask the chef
Swap something, change the servings, or ask why a step works
Riff Assistant
Ready to Remix
Community Reviews 0
No reviews yet. Be the first to try this!
Chef's note
The combination of salty olives and raisins creates a complex, addictive flavor profile that elevates simple ground beef.
Instructions
Follow the steps to perfection.
Tips
Let the beef brown before stirring. Spread it out and leave it for a couple of minutes before breaking it up. The deep browning in step 3 is the base of the sauce's flavor.
Spoon off the fat before the tomato paste. This beef leaves a fair pool of fat. Pour off most of it so the tomato paste fries and darkens instead of floating.
Soak the raisins in the stock. Leave them in the beef stock while the beef browns. They plump up and sweeten the sauce instead of staying chewy.
Swaps
No green olives? Capers, a little less, or chopped kalamata olives.
No raisins? Chopped prunes or dried cranberries, or leave them out for a less sweet dish.
No beef stock? Chicken stock or water.
Storage
Fridge: 3 to 4 days in a sealed container.
Freezer: 2 to 3 months for best quality. It freezes very well; the peppers soften slightly.
Reheat: In a skillet with a splash of water, stirring until steaming hot (75°C in the center).
Fridge and reheating follow Illinois Extension; freezer times are for quality and follow the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, as on what freezes and what does not.
Made it?
Tap a star to rate it.
Community Reviews 0
No reviews yet. Be the first to try this!
Riff Assistant
Ready to Remix