Serve picadillo along with black beans, rice and plantains, for a complete Latin American inspired meal. Picadillo can also be used to fill tacos, stuff chilies and as the filling for homemade quesadillas. Picadillo is available on the menu of many Cuban, Mexican and Puerto Rican restaurants.
Sweet and Savory Ingredients
The briny saltiness of the olives and capers are mellowed out by the sweetness of the apples and raisins. Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapeno peppers, that can be found packed in cans covered with a vinegar based sauce, AKA adobo sauce.
Ingredients for Picadillo
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 pounds ground turkey
- 1 medium onion - diced
- 1 teaspoon toasted Mexican oregano
- 3 toasted bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon toasted ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon toasted ground allspice
- 1/4 teaspoon toasted ground cloves
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 cup chunky tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - chopped
- 1 apple - peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup raisins - chopped
- 1/2 cup toasted, unsalted cashews - chopped
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup green olives with pimentos - sliced
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1/4 to 1 teaspoon salt, if necessary
To Dry Toast Herbs, Spices & Nuts
Dry toasting herbs, spices or nuts, before adding them to a recipe, gives them a depth of flavor, and subtle smokiness. Pay attention as the ingredients are being toasted so as not to burn them.
- Place a heavy frying pan, or cast iron skillet over medium heat.
- Let the pan come up to temperature.
- Place a single herb or spice in the pan, and let toast for a minute or two, stirring occasionally.
- Remove the herb or spice to a small bowl, and let cool before using in the recipe.
- Wipe out the bottom of the pan with a dry paper towel before adding the next herb or spice.
- When the herb or spice has cooled down, grind it to a fine powder, using a mortar and pestle, or a coffee grinder. Bay leaves should be left whole after being toasted.
- Pre-ground or whole herbs & spices can be toasted. If using ground ingredients, they don't need to be ground in the mortar & pestle after being toasted.
- Nuts should be roughly chopped, after being dry toasted, before being added to the recipe.
Directions for Picadillo
- Add the vegetable oil to a large stock pot, or dutch oven, and place it over medium heat.
- Add the turkey to the pan, and begin to cook it, while breaking it up into smaller pieces with a large mixing spoon.
- If using meat, such as beef, with a higher fat content, strain off most of the excess fat before continuing with the recipe. Ground turkey has a tendency to be a bit dry, and needs to have a bit of vegetable oil added to the pan. The onions need a bit of oil in order to cook properly and not stick to the bottom of the pan, so don't drain off all of the fat.
- Stir the onions into the turkey, and continue cooking and stirring until the onions begin to turn translucent.
- Stir in the toasted oregano, bay leaves, cinnamon, allspice and cloves.
- Stir in the garlic, tomato sauce, vinegar and sugar.
- Stir in the chipotle peppers, apple and raisins.
- Bring the picadillo to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the cashews, olives and capers, and continue to simmer the picadillo for another 20 minutes.
- Taste the picadillo and add a bit of salt if desired.
- Serve immediately.
- Leftover picadillo can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Recipes Tips and Suggestions
1. Omit the chipotle pepper, if desired, for a milder picadillo.
2. One cup of cooked, diced potatoes can be added to the picadillo to mellow out the sweetness a bit.
3. Any kind of nut, such as almonds, pine nuts or cashews, can be used in this recipe as long as they are toasted before being added to the picadillo.
4. Ground beef is traditionally used to make picadillo, but other meats, such as ground turkey or ground pork, can also be used.
5. To make a vegetarian version of picadillo, substitute soy crumbles for the ground meat. Soy crumbles can be found in the frozen food section of most grocery stores.
Additional Latin American Inspired Recipes
Mexican green chile cornbread casserole is a recipe for a lightly spicy, corn filled side dish. Black bean and corn turkey chili is a variation of a classic chili dish. Learn how-to make an authentic Mexican hot chocolate beverage, to go along with a Latin American inspired meal.
Lynn Smythe - ABOUT THE WRITER Born and raised in Rochester, New York, freelance writer Lynn Smythe obtained her bachelor's degree in Geology from ...
