Abuela’s Picadillo

  4.8 – 24 reviews  • Caribbean

This was wonderful despite the haphazard items I used to make it. In just a few minutes, this recipe marinates, tenderizes, sauces, and cooks the chicken. You may serve this either by itself or with a side dish like rice or perhaps even plantains. This has a kick, so beware.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 1 hr 10 mins
Total Time: 1 hr 25 mins
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  1. 2 pounds lean ground beef
  2. ¼ cup olive oil
  3. ½ onion, chopped
  4. ½ green bell pepper, chopped
  5. 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  6. 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
  7. 2 cups water
  8. ½ cup red cooking wine
  9. 3 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Louisiana®)
  10. 1 (1.41 ounce) package sazon seasoning (such as Badia® Tropical®)
  11. 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  12. ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  13. ½ teaspoon onion powder
  14. ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  15. ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
  16. ¼ teaspoon ground bay leaf
  17. 3 ounces Spanish-style olives
  18. 1 small butternut squash, peeled and cut into cubes
  19. 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook and stir ground beef in a large stockpot over medium-high heat until crumbly and browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Drain grease.
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  3. Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and garlic to hot oil; cook and stir until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add to beef in the stockpot.
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  5. Pour tomato sauce, water, wine, and hot sauce into the stockpot. Stir in sazón seasoning, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, pepper, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer picadillo, uncovered, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes.
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  7. Split olives in half with your fingers and stir into picadillo. Add squash. Simmer until squash is tender and liquid reduces but picadillo is not dry, 45 to 60 minutes. Season with salt.
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  9. You can use another type of squash if butternut is not available.
  10. You can substitute a pinch of saffron or a dash of yellow food coloring for the sazon packet.

Nutrition Facts

Calories 378 kcal
Carbohydrate 22 g
Cholesterol 74 mg
Dietary Fiber 4 g
Protein 24 g
Saturated Fat 7 g
Sodium 1856 mg
Sugars 6 g
Fat 22 g
Unsaturated Fat 0 g

Reviews

Scott Moore
This recipe looked and appeared to be potentially delicious and it was, just that exactly. Only thing I changed was using a little less hot sauce to suit my own taste. However, I can taste how much better it would have been if I could tolerate more hot sauce in it. I will be making this again;it’s a keeper.
Veronica Johnson
It was good but a little more meat wouldn’t hurt
Rebecca Mason
My husband and I loved this dish. I cut recipe in half. I used fresh oregano instead of parsley, I didn’t have onion powder so left it out. The best part we’re the green olives. I added squash, zucchini, and green olives toward the end because I don’t like them cooked too long. I added a few sliced green olives for a garnish. If you do that don’t use too much salt.
Erin Martinez
Enjoyed the flavor and addition of butternut squash. Made my own sazon seasoning, from Allrecipes recipe, which had similar ingredients as remaining spices listed. This made it more tedious.
Dr. Katie Smith
Made it exactly as written and it was delicious. I even made empanadas with the leftovers the next day. My daughter and her boyfriend loved them as well. Great recipe and quick & easy to make.
Matthew Davis
I thought it was very good. Very versatile, good to have in burrito or on pasta or by it self with a fresh baguette.
Mrs. Sharon Woodard
This is outstanding! I added two cups of water and a package of Goya Spanish Rice, before bringing. I highly recommend it.
Erik Watson
I make it very similar but add raisins. I am very careful with the salt as the olives are salty. Instead of the sasson I put some curry powder, it gives lots of oepf…
Jesus Rodriguez
It came out delicious I didn’t have all of the ingredients like the squash and seasoning mentioned, but still came out really good
Miguel Avila
First attempt at this recipe. It was delicious!!!!
Matthew Garner
Delicious! I added two small boxes of raisins (as I’m used to picadillo with raisins) and didn’t add salt until the end. The olives make it salty already. Thank you for the great recipe!
Kathryn Mercado
The Badia sazón comes in small packets which are about a teaspoon each. I use 1 packet for 2 lbs of ground beef. It gives yellow coloring and flavor. Sorry for the confusion on the sazón amount.
Cindy Kennedy
Delicious! I made my own Sazon seasoning because never having heard of it before I wasn’t sure I could find it in Ontario supermarkets and I had all the ingredients. Then I used way too much because I wasn’t sure how much was in one store bought packet. I compensated by adding less hot sauce. It still turned out great. A little spicy but not too spicy. Next time I will remember that 1 packet of Sazon is equal to 1.5 teaspoons, not tablespoons.
Marissa Hunt
I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say one packet of sazon, not the entire 1.4oz box of packets. 4 star for what I believe is an error – it smells amazing so far.
Diane Campbell
I’m a fairly new cook, and this is one of the few recipes I repeatedly make. I had never had Picadillo before, so I an’t compare it to anything, but I love how complex the flavors are for being so easy to make. Love the raisin/olive mix, especially. This recipe has never failed me, and is an interesting choice to bring to potlucks. Freezes great.
Richard Leonard
Delicious! Followed the recipe as written – loved the squash in this stew.
Nathan Williamson
Was very easy and a huge hit with the family! I made it just as the recipe outlined.
Eric Fitzgerald
Absolutely delicious!
James Lowe
This looks awesome, I’m saving it to make, thanks!
Paul Wood
No changes. Outstanding! Will definetley make again & again & again………….
Sydney Pruitt
I have never had Picadillo before so I was not sure what this would be. I thought the ingredient combination sounded awesome. It was okay. I did not add the extra salt since 1800+ per serving is high. Maybe it will be better tomorrow. It is good but not great tonight.

 

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