Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Cuban Beef Picadillo (Picadillo Cubano)
Give the raisins a chance here, even if you don't usually reach for them at dinner. Their sweetness against the olives is what makes this picadillo so appealing. Each forkful has something a little different going on, and the beef keeps the whole dish firmly in hearty-dinner territory.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 17 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Beef
- Cuisine
- Cuban · Latin American
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 31–60 minutes
A few quick notes
1. Let the beef sizzle
After the beef loses its liquid, give it a few more minutes in the pan. That little bit of browning is where the sauce starts to taste deeper and less like plain simmered mince.
2. Scrape up the browned bits
When the wine goes in, use it to loosen anything stuck to the skillet. Those browned bits are meant to come along into the sauce, not stay behind on the pan.
3. Choose your finish
The recipe gives you two good endings. Stop once the olives are warmed for a saucier picadillo, or cook it uncovered a little longer before the vinegar if you want the flavor more concentrated.
Get to know the ingredients
Lean ground beef
Use lean ground beef here, as written. The pan needs enough time for the liquid to cook off so the meat can start sizzling and browning before the wine goes in.
Whole stewed tomatoes
The tomatoes go in whole and get broken up in the skillet. Keep them in small chunks rather than mashing them smooth, so the sauce still has a bit of body after simmering.
Raisins and olives
The raisins simmer with the tomatoes, so they soften into the sauce. The olives come later, just long enough to warm through, which keeps their briny bite more noticeable.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Cuban Beef Picadillo (Picadillo Cubano)
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Add the vinegar at the end
Stir in the apple cider vinegar right at the finish. It brightens the rich, sweet-salty sauce after the olives have warmed, or after the extra uncovered cooking if you’re going for the thicker version.
A little more help as you go
Break up the tomatoes in the pan
Once the tomatoes and paste are in, press the tomatoes into small pieces with your spatula or paddle. It helps them mingle with the beef without turning the sauce completely smooth.
Don’t rush the first sauté
The onion, pepper, and garlic should be tender with the onion browning at the edges before the beef joins the pan. That soft, lightly browned base carries through the whole picadillo.
A few questions you might have
Should I drain the beef before adding the wine?
The instructions don’t call for draining. Keep cooking until no liquid remains, then let the beef sizzle and begin to brown before you deglaze with the wine.
Do the bay leaves stay in the finished dish?
They’re added with the beef and spices so they can season the picadillo as it cooks. The recipe doesn’t include a removal step, so just be aware of them when serving.
Why are the olives added so late?
They only need to warm through at the end. Adding them after the covered simmer keeps their flavor clear instead of cooking it into the sauce for the full time.
How do I make it thicker without changing the ingredients?
Use the more intense finish: after adding the olives, cook the picadillo uncovered for another 5 minutes to thicken the sauce, then stir in the vinegar.
When do I add the vinegar if I’m making the saucier version?
Add it after the olives go in, then serve once the olives are warmed through. The vinegar is there as the last bright note, not something to simmer for a long time.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: norecipes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
