Traditionally, Cuban picadillo is made with white wine instead of chicken broth. If you have some available, go for it! Serve this dish with fresh tomatoes and avocado on the side, a big salad, or fried ripe plantains.
If you’d like to add some texture to this meal, plantain chips are great for scooping up! These chips are naturally paleo, gluten-free, and AIP compliant.
Substitutions and AIP-friendly modifications:
| AIP-friendly | Paleo/Gluten-free | |
|---|---|---|
| Ground beef | Any other ground meat such as bison, lamb, pork, chicken, or turkey | |
| Potato | Sweet potato (orange or white) – parsnips – turnips – rutabaga | |
| Green bell pepper | Celery | Orange, red, or yellow bell pepper – peas |
| Tomato sauce | Sweet potato or butternut squash puree + water | Tomato paste + water – tomato puree – crushed tomatoes |
| Chicken broth | Beef broth – vegetable broth – water + bouillon cube | White wine |
| Cumin | Turmeric – sage – onion powder | Chili powder – ground coriander |
| Green olives | Black olives – capers | Green pepper |
Cuban Picadillo [Paleo – GF – AIP modifications]
Traditionally, Cuban picadillo is made with white wine instead of chicken broth. If you have some available, go for it! Serve this dish with fresh tomatoes and avocado on the side, a big salad, or fried ripe plantains.
Ingredients
Ingredients marked with (*) = use an AIP substitution
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 large potato* (1 pound), peeled and diced
- 1 yellow onion (½ pound), diced
- 1 green bell pepper* (½ pound), diced
- 4 garllic cloves, minced
- 2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce*
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin*
- ½ cup pitted green olives, sliced
- 1 tomato (omit for AIP)
- 1 avocado
- Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
- Olive oil
- Sea salt and pepper (omit for AIP)
Instructions
- Heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the ground beef and cook for 5 minutes until no longer pink inside. Transfer to a plate with a spatula. Wipe the skillet clean.
- Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the potatoes, onions, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix well and cook, stirring frequently, until the potatoes are halfway cooked, about 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, chicken broth, olives, and the cooked beef. Mix well and continue to cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. If the sauce thickens too much, add an extra half cup of chicken broth. Check the seasoning and adjust to taste before serving with sliced tomatoes and avocado wedges on the side. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro.
Notes
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Freezes well (add the fresh tomato and avocado right before serving).
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
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