Sweet, savory, and completely healthy! This turkey picadillo is a fun twist to our Cuban picadillo recipe, and uses fresh mango and garbanzo beans for a completely filling dish.

What is picadillo?

Picadillo is a ground meat dish. It is typically a ground beef dish that consists of a tomato based sauce and typically has onions, raisins, olives -depending on the culture! This turkey picadillo recipe is a mango turkey based recipe that consists of turkey meat, garbanzos, sofrito, red peppers, and mango!

Related: Puerto Rican Corn and Olive Picadillo Recipe

Is picadillo healthy?

This ground turkey picadillo recipe is healthier than a red meat picadillo! It's a whole food recipe that is high in protein and fiber.

When do you eat picadillo?

Picadillo is generally eaten at lunch or dinner with a side of white rice, a vegetable, and sliced avocado. This turkey picadillo is perfect to make a large batch of to use as a fill-in in empanadas, tacos, or even a picadillo omelette!

This sweet and savory mango turkey picadillo is the perfect main course meal that can be used as a nice alternative filling compared to the traditional Cuban picadillo. The garbanzo beans and mango really make this turkey picadillo recipe a one of a kind meal.

Should I use fresh or frozen mangoes for my turkey picadillo?

For this mango turkey picadillo, you want to use ripe yet firm mango. Fresh is best, but you can use frozen mango as well. You want to chop it into small chunks, like the size of the garbanzo beans, or a tad bit larger.

Tip: Peel the skin of the mango with a potato peeler for less waste.

What ingredients are in mango turkey picadillo?

For this sweet and savory mango turkey picadillo the following ingredients are used:

2 tablespoons of olive oil

¼ onion, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 mango, chopped

1 garlic clove

1 teaspoon of salt

½ teaspoon of black pepper

1 pound of ground turkey

1 can of chickpeas, drained

2 tablespoons of tomato paste

½ cup of chicken broth ( I love using Better Than Bullion)

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1 ½ teaspoons of smoked paprika

How do you make mango turkey picadillo?

Over medium high heat warm oil and add in onions, pepper, garlic, and salt and pepper. Saute for 3-4 minutes, or until onions and peppers begin to soften before adding in ground turkey. Lower the temperature if the onions are beginning to brown.
Cook ground turkey, turning occasionally, for 6-7 minutes, or until browned. You can drain the turkey juices if you find that there is a lot of grease, but turkey is a lean meat, so there shouldn't be!
After ground turkey has browned, add in the remaining ingredients. Lower heat to medium and allow sauce and turkey to simmer for an additional 5-6 minutes for flavors to infuse. Add more broth if you like your picadillo saucy.
Taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper, if desired.

What to serve with turkey picadillo

Outside of the typical white rice, this slightly sweet and definitely savory mango turkey picadillo would taste great with a rice base such as white, brown, Spanish rice, or cilantro and lime. On the side of the turkey picadillo, these are great recipes:

Shrimp Potato Salad

Chayote Tuna Salad

Savory Twice Fried Plantains

Sweet Plantains