Picadillo is a classic Cuban dish that I’ve eaten since my childhood. It’s incredibly easy and versatile – which means it works great with white rice, empanadas, or papas rellenas.
How to Make It Low-Carb
Making picadillo low-carb and keto friendly is pretty straight forward!
- Use 1 ounce of tomato paste and add 7 ounces of water to form a paste. Substitute this for the tomato sauce
- Omit the raisins and add 1 tbsp of your preferred sugar alternative
- Serve over cauliflower rice instead of white rice
Cuban Picadillo
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
A classic, yet simple Cuban dish that's extremely versatile!
Ingredients
- 1-1.3 lbs Lean Ground beef (92-93% lean)
- 0.75-1 whole bell pepper (green or red)
- 1 medium white onion
- 6-8 cloves of garlic, depending on size
- 8 oz of tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup manzanilla olives (including the brine)
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 1.5 tsp ground oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- salt
Instructions
- In a medium pot over medium heat, add olive oil and allow it to heat up.
- Dice the onion, peppers, and the garlic (or optionally, use a garlic press on the garlic).
- Add the peppers and the onions to the pot - it should sizzle. Add some salt and sweat the onions (~5 minutes).
- Add the garlic, mix, and let sit for 2-3 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add the meat directly into the pot. Add salt, oregano, and cumin. Mix to loosely incorporate the spices and the meat.
- After the meat has browned a bit (~5 mins), add the tomato sauce, raisins, and olives. Mix and allow to cook for at least another 10 minutes.
- Once the meat is an even brown color, it's ready to plate! You can let the meat simmer on low for longer, which will improve the flavor!
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 4 ozAmount Per Serving Calories 291Total Fat 8.3gSaturated Fat 3.6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 70.9mgSodium 200mgCarbohydrates 27.3gNet Carbohydrates 24.8gFiber 2.5gSugar 17.6gSugar Alcohols 0gProtein 25.4g
