Cuban Picadillo – Instant Pot Recipe

Cuban Picadillo is one of our quick and easy favorites.  It’s fast enough for a busy weekday of work, school, and sports, but also special enough to enjoy for Sunday dinner.  While the ground beef browns, and prep the rest of the ingredients.  Then the picadillo just needs 15 minutes in the Instant Pot.  Whip up some minute rice, and you have *the* perfect healthy meal.

I often ask myself what I can make with ground beef when bolognese or tacos get a little tired (we have some picky little eaters over here).  Without fail, I always have what I need to whip up some picadillo, and problem solved!

This recipes calls for chopped tomato, onion, red pepper, alcaparrado (olives, pimentos, and capers), garlic, some seasoning, and plain tomato sauce.  If you also have picky eaters like I do, you can finely mince ingredients up by hand, or just use a food processor to quickly chop everything up super small.

If you’ve been around for awhile or follow my Instagram, you know I love a good meal prep.  I make a double batch so we have lunch for a few days.

Here is how I make Cuban Picadillo in the Instant Pot:

Ingredients:

• 3lb lean ground beef

Sauce

• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium onion, very finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, very finely diced
• 1 large tomato, very finely diced
• 1/4 cup alcaparrado, chopped nice and small + a few tablespoons of the salty brine
• 8oz plain tomato sauce

Seasonings

• 2 tsp sea salt
• pinch of black pepper
• 2 tsp cumin
• 2 bay leaves*
• handful of chopped cilantro (use kitchen scissors to make it easy!)

*If you are pulsing “sauce” ingredients in a food processor, be sure to leave out the bay leaves & cilantro and just add them into the Instant Pot before turning it on.  You will want to remove the bay leaves before serving.

I like to serve with jasmine rice and top with some avocado slices.

Directions:

1. Press sauté on the Instant Pot.
2. While it heats up, mince up your “sauce” ingredients.
3. Add the ground beef to the pot, using a wooden spoon to break up the meat.  I like to monitor this step so the meat doesn’t stick and burn (it happens!) to the bottom of the pot.  Once completely browned, add in the sauce ingredients, stir and cook just a few minutes.
4. Turn off sauté mode.  Add the bay leaves and lock the cover.  Make sure the vent is set to closed.
5. Turn on pressure cooking to high for 15 minutes.
6. Serve with rice and top with some sliced avocado.