Latin
Beef Picadillo Skillet
Ground beef simmers with tomatoes, olives, cumin, and a few raisins for a savory-sweet filling. Use it over rice or stuffed into baked potatoes.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Photo: William Beutler (CC BY). Source
Why you’ll love it
- Pantry spices and canned tomatoes keep cost low.
- Olives and raisins give contrast without extra sides.
- One skillet from start to finish.
- Versatile as a bowl topping or taco filling.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook onion and bell pepper 5 minutes.
- 2
Add garlic and ground beef; cook until beef is browned and crumbled.
- 3
Stir in diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, and salt.
- 4
Simmer 12 minutes until most liquid reduces.
- 5
Add olives and raisins; cook 3 more minutes.
- 6
Serve over rice.
Pro tips
- Drain excess beef fat if the skillet looks greasy before adding tomatoes.
- Chop olives so every scoop gets a bit of brine.
- A pinch of cinnamon is traditional in some versions if you have it.
Easy substitutions
- raisins
- chopped dried apricots
- green olives
- capers
- ground beef
- ground turkey
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days.
Reheating
Microwave or warm on the stove with a splash of water.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 390
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 17 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop, One Pan
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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