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    Home » Puerto Rican Recipes

    Published: Feb 7, 2017 · Modified: Dec 16, 2019 by Neyssa

    Sweet Corn and Olive Picadillo Recipe

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    This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KetchupWithFrenchs #CollectiveBias

    Picadillo to Latinos is what sloppy Joe is to Americans. Picadillo is a quick go to ground beef recipe that's simple to make, full of flavor, sure to please, especially on busy weeknights for the whole family. Growing up in a Latino family meant one thing around dinner time. There was always rice being served. Seriously, even if my mother made lasagna there was a side of white rice.

    How to make Cuban picadillo in 30 minutes.

    Growing up, I remember seeing a neighbor eat white rice and eggs for breakfast, what she added to it shocked me. She added ketchup. I mean, there are heated discussions in every Latino household as to whether or not you should add ketchup or hot sauce to your food.

    This had me thinking. Can I add ketchup to my food as an ingredient instead of a condiment? You tell me.

    How To Make Sweet Cuban Picadillo in Less Than 30 Minutes

    How to make Cuban picadillo in 30 minutes.

    Not sure if you read my last post, but our rental has mold. So we moved out and temporarily into my parent's house. Which is a blessing for you since I'll be able to learn more from her and in turn show you more recipes! (Also, she really wants me to start recording recipes to put on Youtube. Let me know if you'd be interested in seeing some videos!)

    But one thing she instilled in me today is that it's vital to season your ground meat BEFORE it hits the pan. I mean, I've always added seasoning, once it browned. But nope, season it before it hits the heat. Pretend it's meatballs and get your hands dirty!

    How to make Cuban picadillo in 30 minutes.

    Shockingly, this recipe does not use sofrito. I know, I know, I love sofrito! Pero, mi gente, I assure you, the flavor is fully present. Especially when you add in some chopped onions and garlic, que rico. Do you buy your garlic by the bulb, jarred, or peeled? Just curious.

    How to make Cuban picadillo in 30 minutes.

    Once your ground beef is almost fully browned, you're going to add your onions and garlic and continue cooking your beef until the onions are translucent. Then you start adding in the rest of the ingredients. Remember to add in your French's Ketchup last, with a little bit of water to create a sauce.

    How to make Cuban picadillo in 30 minutes.

    Picadillo is known for its olives, be sure to use pimento stuffed green olives. For my twist, I added corn and ketchup. Say what? Mira mi gente, don't get mad at me. It's okay to switch things up. I promise ketchup is the secret!

    I choose to use French's ketchup because French's Ketchup uses real ingredients, and that's important to me as a mother on a mission to providing healthier meals for my family. My husband and my second daughter are addicted to ketchup. I mean, they slather it on like it's nobody's business. I feel assured when I see that they use French's Ketchup that is free of GMO's, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial colors/flavors.

    To be honest, I learned of this secret of adding ketchup and corn to picadillo from a fellow Latina, who I met in a battered woman's shelter many many years ago. French's Ketchup is teaming up with Feeding America and has a goal of providing 10 million meals to communities in America in 2017. Now, this is a brand I want to support.

    You can find French's Ketchup in most Walmart's around you. It's in the condiments aisle, near the mustard and hot sauce. 

    how to make picadillo

    I love my picadillo on a bed of white rice, complimented by fresh avocado and fried plantains. These plantains were fried to perfection!

    How to make Cuban picadillo in 30 minutes.

    What are your thoughts about using ketchup as an ingredient? Let me know in the comments below. Also, be sure to check out French's Ketchup's site to see all of the cool and natural products that they have. I hope you enjoy this recipe and as always, buen provecho!

    Recipe

    How to make Cuban picadillo in 30 minutes.

    Sweet Corn and Olive Picadillo Recipe

    Picadillo is a great way to change things up with ground turkey or ground beef. Add new flavors to your dinner tonight.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Puerto Rican
    Servings: 4
    Calories:
    Author: Latina Misfit on a Mission

    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ pound of ground beef or ground turkey
    • 1 teaspoon of salt
    • ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper
    • 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
    • ½ cup of onion diced
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 ½ teaspoons of oregano
    • 1 teaspoon of cumin
    • 2 bay leaves
    • ¾ cup of corn kernels
    • 1 ounce of raisins
    • 3-4 tablespoons of pimento stuffed green olives
    • 2 tablespoons of French's Ketchup
    • ¼ cup of water
    • additional salt and pepper to taste
    • 1 packet of Sazon for coloring optional
    Get Recipe Ingredients

    Instructions

    • In a medium bowl add in ground beef and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper, mix well.
    • In a large pan over medium-high heat, add in ground beef and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring often. If there's excess grease, drain it.
    • Lower heat to medium, add in onions and garlic. Continue cooking until onions are translucent. Add in everything except for ketchup. Lower heat to medium-low and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add in ketchup and extra water if desired. Taste, add in more salt and pepper if desired.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0g | Carbohydrates: 0g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g | Saturated Fat: 0g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 0mg | Potassium: 0mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 0g | Vitamin A: 0IU | Vitamin C: 0mg | Calcium: 0mg | Iron: 0mg

    More Beef Recipes Category Archive

    • Pan con Bistec | Cuban Steak Sandwich
    • oxtails with corn and potatoes
      Puerto Rican Oxtail Stew
    • empanada in air fryer
      Air Fryer Cheesy Beef Pastelillo
    • mango turkey picadillo in a white bowl
      Healthy Mango Picadillo

    About Neyssa

    Neyssa is a Latina food blogger who shares her Cuban and Puerto Rican family recipes for home cooks to make.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Marc says

      March 06, 2017 at 8:51 am

      5 stars
      Not traditional... but I bet garlic or jalapeno stuffed olives would be good in this too.

      Reply
      • Neyssa says

        March 07, 2017 at 9:37 am

        Definitely not traditional. 🙂 I love adding twists to the classics. Mmm jalapeno stuffed olives would indeed be good in this. Good idea! Thank you for visiting. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Ymilsis Moll says

      May 06, 2019 at 4:04 pm

      5 stars
      I am from Camagüey, Cuba and my abuela (grandmother) made it with Delmonte Ketshup.... no tomato paste.... I now make it that way and it is the best!,, So yes, it is Cuban!

      Reply
    5 from 2 votes

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    Neyssa is a Puerto Rican and Cuban self-taught home cook who lives right outside of Philly and is on a mission to share recipes that are inspired by her Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage.

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