Easy Cuban-Style Beef Picadillo

Easy Cuban-Style Beef Picadillo is a delicious, quick fix dish full of flavor and pizzaz. When made with lean ground beef, it's also a great healthy ground beef recipe for a weeknight or weekend meal the whole family will enjoy! 

Healthy Ground Beef Recipe

I'm all about flavor when it comes to my meals, and there is nothing I love better than a healthy ground beef recipe with tons of flavor!

My husband and I were introduced to Cuban food (Picadillo) last month at Bongo's, a Cuban restaurant, in Orlando, FL and we both instantly fell in love with the bold flavors.

When it comes to protein-rich foods, lean beef is a nutritious, wholesome choice. By using the Interactive Butcher Counter on the Beef Checkoff website, it was so easy to identify the lean ground beef I needed to purchase to create my version of picadillo.

The leanest cuts of beef are identified with a green icon, making it easy to make a healthy choice.

Some of my favorite flavorful and healthy ground beef recipes are Carne Picada Breakfast Tacos and Lightened Up Johnny Marzetti.

What is Picadillo?

If you've never had picadillo before, you can think of it as sort of a Cuban "sloppy joes" but, according to my husband, better!  It's a really quick to prepare dish, full of ripe tomatoes, green olives, red peppers, onions, garlic, spices and of course, lean ground beef.

Traditional recipes also call for raisins, however, we prefer to leave them out. But if you like raisins, feel free to add them! Everything cooks together into a beautifully flavorful mix! 

I served this healthy ground beef recipe over brown rice and black beans.

When we enjoyed the restaurant picadillo, it was served with an over-easy egg, but I decided to omit the egg this time around.

I rounded out the meal with some sweet, sliced mango.  Perfection! 

beef picadillo, picadillo beef, ground beef picadillo, beef picadillo recipe

main dish, beef, ground beef

Cuban

Yield: 6 servings

Author: Renee Paj

Easy Cuban Style Beef Picadillo

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 20 MinTotal time: 30 Min

Lean ground beef is sauteed in flavorful ingredients to make a classic, slightly spicy Cuban dish healthy and delicious!

Ingredients

• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1 cup chopped sweet onion
• 1 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds 95% lean ground beef
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• cayenne pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes with garlic and onions
• 1/4 cup sliced pimento stuffed green olives
• 1- 2 TBSP brine from olives
• 1/2 cup golden raisins (optional)
• 1 - 2 splashes of red wine vinegar
• fresh chopped cilantro for garnish, if desired

Instructions

1. In large skillet, heat olive oil over med-high heat. When it begins to shimmer, add onion, red bell pepper and both bay leaves. Stir and cook until the peppers and onion begin to soften (about 6 minutes). Add in the garlic and stir. Cook for another minute or so, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
2. Add the lean ground beef to the pan and break up with a spoon or spatula. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brown ground beef stirring and breaking up occasionally. There should be no need to drain once browned, since you are using lean ground beef.
3. Once beef is browned, add in the cumin, cayenne pepper and tomato paste, Stir to coat meat. Cook for about 1 minute. Add in the canned tomatoes, olive, raisins (if using) and brine. Stir. Turn heat down to simmer and allow the mixture to cook for about 8 minutes to blend flavors.
4. Sprinkle in the red wine vinegar and stir. Remove bay leaves and test for additional salt and pepper and adjust to your liking.
5. Serve over brown rice and garnish with chopped cilantro just before serving.

Nutrition Facts

Calories

271.61

Fat (grams)

9.44 g

Sat. Fat (grams)

3.09 g

Cholesterol (grams)

70.31 mg

Carbs (grams)

21.29 g

Fiber (grams)

3.38 g

Sugar (grams)

13.97 g

Net carbs

17.93 g

Protein (grams)

27.02 g

Sodium (milligrams)

647.84 mg

Nutrition information is an estimate and only provided as a courtesy.

https://www.reneeskitchenadventures.com/2016/01/easy-cuban-style-beef-picadillo.html

Copyright © 2016 Renee's Kitchen Adventures

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This post is sponsored by the Beef Checkoff in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC.  All opinions are my own. 

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