Quick and Easy Ground Beef Dinner for Exhausting Days!

This picadillo recipe is my secret weapon for those nights when cooking feels like too much work. Luckily, it’s so tasty that I’m happy to have it on repeat, and its adaptability means it’s easy to keep things interesting.

The foundation of Puerto Rican picadillo is ground beef simmered in a rich tomato sauce with sofrito—a dynamic blend of herbs and vegetables. This base is enhanced by various mix-ins like potatoes, sweet plantains, and olives according to personal taste.

I often opt to throw in frozen butternut squash or sweet potatoes. They’re excellent substitutes for pumpkin and plantains, bringing a similar sweetness to the dish. My recipe includes a simplified sofrito, blending cilantro, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and bell peppers for a flavor explosion—all you need to do is process them together.

This dish is surprisingly rich and savory for how simple it is to prepare. It works great as a filling for tacos, burritos, or empanadas, but I love it most served simply over a bed of white rice.

Quick Tips for Perfect Picadillo

• Choose ground beef with about 90% lean meat. If your beef is less lean, you can skip the olive oil.
• Be mindful of the salt content in your adobo seasoning. If it’s not salt-free, adjust the amount you add to avoid an overly salty dish.
• The desired consistency of your picadillo can vary. For a thicker sauce, use less water; for a more liquid sauce, add more. This is especially useful when deciding whether to use it as a filling or as a main dish over rice.

Easy Alternatives

Feel free to substitute the ground beef with ground chicken, turkey, or even a plant-based meat to cater to different dietary needs.

In the summer months, I like to add a variety of peppers to my sofrito for an extra layer of flavor—think purple bell peppers, Cubanelle, Anaheim, banana, or Jimmy Nardello peppers, and sometimes a few spicy ones for a kick.