Name: Cuban Picadillo
Prep time: 4 min
Cook time: 36 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Cuban
Ingredients: 1/2 green pepper, diced; 1 onion, diced; 2 teaspoons olive oil; 1 pound ground beef; 1 pound ground pork; 1 tablespoon oregano; 1 tablespoon cumin; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 3 teaspoon minced garlic; 1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes; 3/4 cup dry white wine; 1/2 cup water or broth; 3 bay leaves; 1/2 cup rasins; 1/2 cup green olives, halved; *cooked white rice for serving

Family Friendly Cuban Picadillo Recipe

February 18, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt 10 Comments

Perfect for a family dinner this Cuban Picadillo Recipe is easy to make with only a handful of ingredients. Made with ground beef, ground pork, tomatoes, raisins, olives, and more it is served with rice for the ultimate comfort food dish.

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

bowl of Cuban Picadillo with white rice on a table with forks

Cuban Picadillo Recipe

Picadillo is such a classic Cuban dish, a total comfort food. Likened to Sloppy Joe’s in the United States Cuban Picadillo is a family food that makes the perfect dinner to sit down with at the table.

This version of Cuban Picadillo keeps it simple and traditional yet full of flavor.

I think it is best served with white rice but it can also be used as a filling in dishes like empanadas or tacos. It is also traditional to serve Cuban Picadillo with black beans.

My dish skips the potatoes which are sometimes seen in Picadillo, if you feel so inclined add some to the dish!

And this recipe is a part of my Kid’s Plate Series, so make sure you scroll down to see some variations of kid plates!

white bowl filled with rice and cuban picadillo full with tomatoes, olives, and raisins

How to make Cuban Picadillo

Ingredients needed are:

Green Pepper: Diced, I only use 1/2 pepper in this recipe because I didn’t want it overpowering the texture but if you are a huge green pepper fan feel free to use a whole one.
Onion: Diced, do you know how to properly dice an onion? Let Gordon Ramsay show you how to chop an onion if you don’t know how!
Olive Oil: For cooking the onion and pepper, any neutral oil will work in its place.
Ground Beef & Pork: I recommend using a lean beef and pork for this recipe since there is not a chance to drain off any fats. I use two different kinds of ground meat for maximum flavor, the combination of the two does wonders for taste!
Spices: Oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Traditional spices used in Cuban cuisine.
Garlic: I use the pre-minced garlic to save on time.
Diced Tomatoes: I always recommend the ‘No Salt Added’ variety, if you find the dish needs salt at the end of preparation you can always add more salt. If you want you could also get creative and use a flavored diced tomato variety.
White Wine: One sip for you and then some in the dish! Using wine really balances out the flavors of the meal, and no worries about alcohol being left in the dish since you simmer it away for 20 minutes! If you don’t use wine in your house you can use beef or chicken broth as a substitute.
Raisins: I love the pop of sweet that raisins add! You add them at the end of cooking just to get them warmed and starting to plump, if you add them any earlier they will get too plump to be enjoyable.
Green Olives: Just like the raisins but in the opposite taste, the olives add a pop of saltiness and texture to the dish! Use just traditional Spanish green olives, half them for easy eating (especially if you have young kids)

Lastly you want to serve this dish with rice, so you will want to make sure you have rice cooking simultaneously on the stove or a rice cooker for serving!

all of the ingredients needed to make picadillo laid out on a counter

Picadillo Recipe

In a large pot heat olive oil over meaduim-high heat. Once oil is shimmering and hot add diced onions and green peppers. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until onions become translucent.
Add the beef, pork, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and garlic to the pot. Cook crumbling the meat and stirring occasionally 8 to 10 minutes until only a little pink is left in the meats.
Add diced tomatoes, wine, water/broth, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to simmer, cook 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add raisins and olives to the pot, cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat. Take out the bay leaves. Serve immediately with rice.

steps 1, 2, & 3 shown as the picadillo simmers away on the stovetop

Picadillo in a dutch oven with a wooden spoon and bay leaves

How to serve Cuban Picadillo to kids!

2 plastic kids plates showing two different ways to serve picadillo to kids

My kids adore this dish just how I serve it to my husband and I but obviously, smaller proportions. My kids enjoy it this way because the LOVE olives.

So if you have olive loving kids in your house GREAT, I suggest serving this how you would serve yourself, with a pile of delicious white rice!

blue kids plate with a small portion serving of cuban picadillo with rice just like an adult would eat it

Got olive haters? Raisin haters? (Are there any kids that hate raisins?? I seriously would like to know if yours do, they are so sweet so most kids love them) Kids who you have a hard time getting them to try something new?

Guess what this meal works perfect for them too! One word…

TACOS

Since the olives and raisins get added in in just the last few minutes you are able to scoop out some ‘taco meat’ before they go in!

Simply grab a scoop or two and simply use that as taco filling! Keep it plain or dress it up with your kid’s favorite taco garnishes! Isn’t that easy!?

Once the ‘taco meat’ is out simply add in the raisins and olives and finish cooking for everyone else!

I have even served leftovers (with olives and raisins) as tacos to my sons before and they LOVED IT. It was a great way to mix up leftovers!

orange kids plate with a taco made from the meat of the picadillo as an option to serve this meal to kids

I hope your family gives this recipe a try! Let me know if you do in the comments below!

teal dutch oven with freshly made cuban picadillo with bay leaves

close up of cuban picadillo in a white bowl with rice

two bowls with rice and picadillo and a dutch oven filled with picadillo

Looking for more Latino Inspired recipes? Check these out:

Yield: 6 servings

Cuban Picadillo

Perfect for a family dinner this Cuban Picadillo Recipe is easy to make with ground beef, ground pork, tomatoes, raisins, olives, and more it is served with rice for the ultimate comfort food dish.

Prep Time 4 minutes

Cook Time 36 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

1/2 green pepper, diced
1 onion, diced
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 pound ground pork
1 tablespoon oregano
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 teaspoon minced garlic
1 (14oz) can diced tomatoes
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water or broth
3 bay leaves
1/2 cup rasins
1/2 cup green olives, halved
*cooked white rice for serving

Instructions

In a large pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering and hot add diced onions and green peppers. Cook 3 to 4 minutes until onions become translucent.
Add the beef, pork, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and garlic to the pot. Cook crumbling the meat and stirring occasionally 8 to 10 minutes until only a little pink is left in the meats.
Add diced tomatoes, wine, water/broth, and bay leaves to the pot. Bring to simmer, cook 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
Add raisins and olives to the pot, cook 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
Remove from the heat. Take out the bay leaves. Serve immediately with rice.

Notes

Ensure you have cooked rice for serving, 2 cups uncooked rice should be more than enough, follow my Stovetop Rice Recipe if needed.

I recommend a dry wine like a Chardonnay, if you don't want to use wine use broth instead.

I recommened using no salt added tomatoes, you can always add salt to the dish if you want it saltier.

I used lean ground beef and pork.

And make sure you are following me on TikTok, Instagram, and Pinterest, for all the latest recipes!

Easy Korean Bibimbap Recipe with Ground Turkey

February 4, 2020 by Lauren Schmidt Leave a Comment

An easy Korean Bibimbap Recipe ready to eat in under 30 minutes! The Bibimbap ingredients start with healthy ground turkey and include carrots, mushrooms, spinach, Gochujang sauce, and more! Specifically made in mind for the whole family as each item is cooked separate yet fast for customizable bowls for adults and all the way down to toddlers!

This post may contain Affiliate Links.

korean bibimbap bowl sitting on a table with chopsticks and kimchi

Easy Ground Turkey Bibimbap

For those of you who haven’t become familiar with this dish yet, Bibimbap is a delicious Korean meal comprised of meat, vegetables, rice, and Gochujang sauce, translated it means ‘mixed rice’ and is pronounced BEE-bim-bap.

For those who have had it before buckle up because this healthy homemade version is about to become your new favorite!

turkey bibimbap recipe in a bowl topped with an egg and drizzled with Gochujang sauce

What are the ingredients in Bibimbap?

Great question. There are many varieties of this dish but most of them have the basic elements.

Bibimbap is an ancient dish with humble beginnings, it is said to have originated with farmer’s wives who were often too busy to make a traditional full meal so they took what was available, often leftover vegetables and meats. These would be put on top of rice with an egg and the meal was served.

Fast forward to now Bibimbap is still a rice bowl with meats and veggies. The meats most often seen are beef and chicken, vegetarian versions you will see tofu and in this version we see ground turkey!

Bibimbap is traditionally flavored with sesame oil and Gochujang sauce. You will see both of these in this recipe as well as a little soy sauce to ensure the ground turkey develops flavor.

Gochujang sauce can tend to be quite spicy so in my version I avoid putting it on anything while cooking and serve it on the table, this way kids and people not keen on spicy foods can enjoy the meal too!

Beyond the rice, meat, and sauce a variety of vegetables are cooked and plated with a fried egg. In this recipe I tried to stick with readily available produce that can be found easily at the grocery store.

The last thing that still is technically a vegetable but helps add to the healthiness of the meal in kimchi. Kimchi is fermented cabbage, often spicy it adds a ton of flavor plus the fermentation is great for gut health!

Recipe for Bibimbap Bowl

In my opinion for what bibimbap is it has a pretty short list of ingredients and most of them being fresh vegetables!

To make this recipe you will need:

Cooked Rice: Get my blog post on how my Foolproof Method for Cooking Rice on the Stovetop
Ground Turkey: I use lean 93% fat but any variety will work here
Soy Sauce: Regular works perfect for giving the turkey lots of flavor, but you can use low-sodium if you are sensitive to salt
Sesame Oil: You will find this in the Asian section of your grocery store, a little goes a long way with adding flavor to your dish
Carrot: 1 large carrot put through the grater, for a short cut you can by pre-cut carrots
Baby Spinach: I use a whole 5oz container, this will seem like A LOT but it wilts down A LOT
Shiitake Mushrooms: Save yourself sometime and grab pre-sliced pack if they have it
Bean Sprouts: Adds a refreshing layer to this dish, and giving them a quick cook really sweetens them up
Eggs: an egg to top each bowl, try to keep the yolk as runny as possible, it really adds to the flavor of the dish as you eat it
Kimchi: for plating you are going to want a nice helping of kimchi on each bowl, I have never had the time to make it at home myself but if you have homemade kimchi use it, otherwise you can find it in the refrigerator at the grocery store
Gochujang Sauce: gochujang can be pretty spicy so I put it on the table and let people serve themselves how much they want, even if you aren’t a big spicy person I recommend just adding a little for full flavor
Sesame Seeds: for plating and adding that fun finishing touch

all the ingredients needed to make Korean turkey bibimbap bowls

Now you know what you need lets dive in!

Now each element will be cooked seperatly. If you roll your eyes at that process there are 3 things you can do:

Suck it up and do it.
Have 2 skillets going at once, but caution that means cooking 2 things at once, which can be tricky if you are inexperienced.
Cook the vegetables all together in one pan, add things in order of how long they take to cook. Yes you won’t have that beautiful bowl at the end BUT it will be a ton faster, and to be honest you are going to mix it all up with the rice right away anyways!

Last thing to note before you start cooking make sure your rice is already cooked or get it started cooking so it is ready when you are ready to eat!

So now to cook!

Start with the turkey, heat the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot add ground turkey and the soy sauce. Cook and crumble until fully cooked 6 to 7 minutes. The turkey should have soaked in most of the soy sauce but any remaing liquids from cooking should be drained out. Transfer the turkey to a plate, cover to keep warm.

Next you will cook the vegetables. With the skillet still over medium-high heat begin cooking the vegetables one by one in batches with the following cooking times. Add a bit of oil to the pan if needed (ex: spray olive oil).

Shredded Carrot: 2 to 3 minutes
Shiitake Mushroom: 4 to 5 minutes
Baby Spinach: 1 to 2 minutes (until wilty)
Bean Sprouts: 3 to 4 minutes
Eggs: 3 to 4 minutes (or to liking)

When each batch is done, transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Once everything is cooked the Bibimbap bowls can be assembled.

Evenly distrubute rice between large bowls and top with the cooked turkey, carrots, spinach, mushrooms, bean sprouts, kimchi, an egg, and top with sesame seeds. Serve with Gochujang sauce for people to serve themselves.

Korean Ground Turkey Bibimbap made with rice, vegetables, eggs, and kimchi

BUT what if you have little kids you are feeding this too??

Serving Korean Bibimbap Bowls to Kids

This is actually a pretty easy meal to serve to kids for one big reason…

EVERYTHING IS SEPARATE!

I know A LOT of kids don’t like things touching so that is a bonus about this meal and that everything is cooked separately. So if this is your case it makes it really easy to plate!

Now just because everything is cooked separate doesn’t mean you shouldn’t challenge them to try a little bit of everything. Don’t be afraid to offer them a bean sprout or a piece of kimchi even if they won’t like it. It is a chance to teach them to have courage and being adventurous to try a new unusual food. Heck my 4 year old recently told me he thinks he actually likes kimchi now after a long time of refusing to try it!

With this meal I know my kids, as most will go after the rice, turkey, and egg. This is great, all healthy options for kids, and if they choose to taste the vegetables that is FANTASTIC!

One thing to note, is if you know your kid isn’t crazy about a fried egg you can take the extra minute and make their egg into a little batch of scrambled eggs if they prefer it that way.

Remember kids are learning even when they are eating dinner so some great talking points are:

The colors in this dish: So many fun colors between the different vegetables.
Eating utensils: Traditionally people use chopsticks or spoons to eat this meal. How do they eat it? (Bonus: I have these Children’s Animal Chopsticks from Amazon and my kids LOVE them)
Korean culture: For a little bit older kids, do they know anything about Korea? Show your kids North and South Korea on the map!

kids plate version of Korean bibimbap bowl

(And yes I am aware I forgot to put a piece of kimchi on the kid’s plate photo)

overhead shot of the ground turkey bibimbap bowls

Love Asian Inspired meals? You might like these:

Yield: 4 servings

Korean Turkey Bibimbap

A twist on traditional Korean Bibimbap using Ground Turkey! Including carrots, mushrooms, spinach, Gochujang sauce, and more! Specifically made in mind for the whole family as each item is cooked separate yet fast for customizable bowls for adults and all the way down to toddlers!

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes