This Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo recipe) is a flavor-packed ground beef dish, used as a filling for many Puerto Rican recipes, or simply topped over rice for an absolutely delicious, easy dinner.
Carne molida puertorriqueño, or Puerto Rican picadillo, is a savory ground beef dish that’s a staple in Puerto Rican cuisine. It’s our Puerto Rican version of picadillo. This delicious blend of ground meat, sofrito, peppers, onions, potatoes, olives, cilantro and spices simmers in a savory tomato based sauce. Cooked in 30 minutes, this dish is as delicious as it is versatile. Whether served as a filling for empanadillas de carne (Puerto Rican empanadas), Puerto Rican stuffed peppers, Puerto Rican piononos (Stuffed Sweet Plantains) or simply paired with rice, this dish brings a taste of Puerto Rico right to your table with every bite!
Jump to:
- Ingredients to Make Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo)
- Nutrition Information and Benefits
- How to Make Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo Recipe)
- Serving Suggestions
- Meal Prep with Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo)
- Storage and Leftovers
- Cathy’s Expert Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- Other Puerto Rican Recipes with Carne Molida
- 📖 Recipe
You'll see carne molida used in all kinds of Latin dishes, and while every country has their own version, this authentic Puerto Rican recipe is the way we do it. Some versions, like Cuban picadillo, add a few different ingredients, like carrots while Mexican picadillo will add hot peppers.
Ingredients to Make Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo)
Prep Time: Approximately 15 minutes to prepare ingredients before cooking.
- Ground Beef: While this dish is traditionally made with ground beef, you can easily substitute ground pork, chicken, or turkey.
- Diced Onions: Diced onions are sautéed at the beginning to build a flavorful and aromatic base for the carne molida.
- Bell Peppers: For an authentic flavor, use green, red, orange, or cubanelle peppers.
- Tomato Sauce: Tomato sauce provides a savory balance and ties all the flavors together in this dish. Note: You can also swap it for tomato paste.
- Garlic: Garlic adds an essential savory depth that's crucial to this dish.
- Puerto Rican Sofrito: Sofrito is a cornerstone of Puerto Rican cuisine, adding rich, traditional flavor to dishes. If you would like to skip making homemade sofrito, an alternative is using Goya brand sofrito.
- Pimiento Stuffed Olives: Use pimiento-stuffed olives for the best flavor, or omit them entirely if you prefer.
- Sazón with Culantro and Annatto: Sazón with annatto not only enhances the flavor but also imparts a vibrant color to the dish.
- Fresh Cilantro: For the most authentic and vibrant flavor, use fresh cilantro. Avoid dried cilantro for this dish as it will not impart the same flavor.
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients, measurements and instructions.
Nutrition Information and Benefits
Puerto Rican picadillo is as nourishing as it is flavorful. A typical serving made with ground beef, tomato sauce, and a splash of olive oil provides around 350 calories, 20 grams of fat, and 25 grams of protein, making it a hearty and satisfying meal. The dish also offers a good dose of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, especially when you add plenty of vegetables and serve it with rice. If you're looking to lighten things up, you can easily substitute the ground beef with ground chicken or ground turkey to reduce the saturated fat content without sacrificing taste. Swapping in brown rice or whole grain bread as a side will boost the fiber and nutritional value even further. For those who want more detailed nutrition information, be sure to check the recipe card below or consult your nutritionist.
How to Make Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo Recipe)
Making picadillo is simple and rewarding.
Step 1: Start by adding the ground beef to a large skillet over medium heat. Use a spoon or spatula to break it apart as it cooks and continue cooking until the beef is no longer pink.
Step 2: Add the peppers, onion garlic, olives, sofrito, sazon, oregano, cumin, and vinegar, stirring well to combine. Sauté until the onion and garlic mixture is soften and onions are translucent.
Note: If the ground beef is too oily, carefully drain off some of the excess oil from the pan.
Note: If the ground meat is too oily, carefully drain off some of the excess oil from the pan.
Step 3: Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes to let the meat mixture absorb the flavors.
Step 4: Add the tomato sauce, olives, water, potatoes, and cilantro. Stir to combine, then cover and cook for 15 minutes, simmering until the sauce thickens. Taste and adjust the salt as needed. Your Puerto Rican picadillo is ready!
Serving Suggestions
Puerto Rican picadillo is used in all kinds of Puerto Rican dishes. Once you have a pot of this seasoned ground beef ready, you can use it to fill a bunch of traditional favorites or simply serve it as a quick and easy dinner on top of white rice.
It's commonly used to make empanadillas, pastelón, pastelillos de carne, stuffed peppers, piononos, alcapurrias, espagueti, rellenos de papa, canoas de platano and much more. While it's heavily used as a filling, we also serve carne molida on top of or alongside white rice with a side of platanos fritos or tostones.
Meal Prep with Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo)
Carne molida (picadillo) is one of the easiest things to meal prep because it's so versatile. Make a big batch at the beginning of the week and you'll have a flavorful base ready to go for multiple meals. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and use it throughout the week. Serve it over rice one day, baked potatoes the next, use it as a filling for empanadillas or stuffed peppers the following day. This is one of those recipes that saves you time without sacrificing flavor, which is exactly what you want when planning ahead.
Storage and Leftovers
One of the best things about Puerto Rican picadillo is how well it keeps, making it perfect for meal prep and easy weeknight dinners. Simply store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days, or freeze portions for up to two months. When you're ready to enjoy it again, reheat the dish gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating and to bring out all those delicious flavors. Leftover picadillo is just as tasty, if not more so, than the first serving. With its easy storage and endless possibilities, Puerto Rican picadillo is a dish you'll want to keep on hand for busy days and creative meals alike.
Cathy’s Expert Tips
- Season to Taste: Puerto Rican food is all about bold flavors. Taste as you go, adjusting the seasonings to your preference.
- Let it Simmer: Allow the picadillo to simmer on low heat for a while. This helps the flavors meld together beautifully.
- Customize the Texture: For a chunkier texture, keep the ground beef in larger pieces. If you prefer a smoother, more traditional consistency, break the meat down into finer bits as it cooks, like we've done here.
- Optional: For a convenient method, try making picadillo in a slow cooker. After browning the ground beef and sautéing the onion garlic mixture, transfer everything to the slow cooker, add the remaining ingredients, and cook on low for 4-6 hours until the meat mixture is tender and the sauce thickens. This is a great way to make a large batch of picadillo!
Recipe FAQs
Carne molida literally translates to “ground beef” in English. However, in Puerto Rican cooking, carne molida usually refers to this seasoned ground beef mixture cooked with sofrito, tomato sauce, and spices. Puerto Rican recipes commonly use this filling in dishes like empanadillas, pastelon, pastelillos, stuffed peppers, piononos, rellenos de papa, alcapurrias, espagueti and canoas, though we also serve it on top or beside arroz blanco (white rice).
Yes! Puerto Rican picadillo actually tastes even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop and blend.
Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months for longer storage. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove or microwave until heated through.
Yes, you can swap the ground beef with ground chicken, pork, turkey or even a mix of the meats for a different flavor profile.
Other Puerto Rican Recipes with Carne Molida
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a ⭐ review below!
Click any of the images in the post to PIN this Recipe and don't forget to follow along on Pinterest and Facebook.
📖 Recipe
Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo)
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground beef
- 1 potato peeled and cubed
- 1 small onion chopped
- ½ green, red, yellow or orange bell pepper rinsed and chopped
- 2 tablespoons Puerto Rican sofrito
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons pimiento stuffed olives cut in half
- 1 packet sazón with culantro and annato
- 4 ounces tomato sauce
- half a handful of fresh cilantro rinsed and coarsely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon cumin
- 1 capful of white or red vinegar
- ¼-½ cup water
- salt to taste optional
Instructions
- Add the ground meat to a skillet over medium heat. Use a spoon or spatula to break it apart as it cooks.Note: If the ground meat is too oily, carefully drain off some of the excess oil from the pan.
- Add the peppers, onions, sofrito, garlic, sazon, oregano, cumin, and vinegar, stirring well to combine. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the tomato sauce, olives, water, potatoes, and cilantro. Stir to combine, then cover and cook for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt as needed. Your Puerto Rican Picadillo is ready to enjoy!
summer conway says
great recipe,I made empanadas and it was delish…even the kids loved it,,,thank you!
Debbie Vargas says
Great recipe.
Catherine Arena says
Glad you enjoyed it Debbie! Thank you for taking the time to comment and rate!
Michi Garcia says
This was very tasty. First time I ever made un picadillo and I absolutely loved it. I always have some recao in the freezer and it was super easy to make. I just added a couple of bay leaves and 1/2 a cup of chicken stock instead of water. It is now in my weekly rotation. Thank you so much for your recipes!
Cathy says
Hey Michi! So happy to hear you really enjoyed it! And your suggestion of chicken stock is excellent! Picadillo is excellent because it can be used in so many ways…on top of rice, in empanadillas, stuffed plantains, spaghetti and so many other delicious dishes! Thank you for taking the time to let me know how much you enjoyed it and rating!
Manny says
Looks like a great recipe. ! am using tonight, New Year’s eve, for my alcapurias. I have one question, though. You never mention salt, why not?
Cathy says
Hi Manny! Oh alcapurrias would be so perfect tonight! Manny, below in the recipe card, I do mention salt but put it as (optional) to add because between all the flavors and the Sazon, some people will not want to add salt. So taste the carne when it’s cooked and see if you would like to add a little salt and if so, add a little bit at a time to the carne and stir, taste again and add more if needed and stir until you get it to your liking. I usually add very little to mine….I hope this helps! Happy New Year Manny! Let me now if there is anything else I can help you with and how the alcapurrias turned out! Thanks for stopping by! Appreciate you!
Gina says
This is like the 5th recipe I’ve tried so far and it was amazing!! I didn’t change a thing. I actually made your tamales as well for this meal and it was worth the work.My husband was very impressed as to the depth of the flavors. So very good, a must try!!!
This is now my go to recipe website!
Cathy says
Hello Gina! So happy to see you here! You have made my day with such a sweet comment!! I cannot thank you enough for those kinds words and for the 5 star rating! I am so so very happy that you and your husband are enjoying my recipes and that I have earned your faith to make me your go to recipe website. What an honor!! Thank you so very much again!! If you and your husband like pork, you must try my new recipe Puerto Rican Pinchos/Pinchos de Cerdo (Puerto Rican Pork Skewers). One of my favorite! But if you do make this recipe and are able to grill them, make sure to use lump charcoal, as it makes these pinchos truly authentic and a world of difference in flavor versus regular briquettes. Also try Rellenos de Papa (Stuffed Potato Balls) which is another favorite of mine! If you do make these, I hope you and your husband really enjoy these as well! Let me know if you do and how you and your husband enjoyed them! Thank you so much again Gina, you truly made my day!
Shashi at SavorySpin says
I haven’t ever had a Picadillo – and I’m wondering why not – this is such a tasty blend of meat and potatoes – I am so loving the addition of olives with pimentos in this – sounds so tasty!
Cathy says
Thanks Shashi! Yes it really is a delicious blend for a variety of dishes!
Toni says
Such a satisfying meal! My husband loved it! Thanks for the recipe!
Cathy says
You made my day! That’s wonderful to hear!
Sara Welch says
Wow! So much flavor in one bowl; I can’t wait to try this savory meal!
Cathy says
You will love it Sara!
Tawnie Kroll says
What a great meal!
Cathy says
Thanks Tawnie!
Sharon Chen says
This looks so yummy! Can’t wait to cook this at home.
Cathy says
You will love it Sharon!