This Puerto Rican picadillo recipe is full of authentic flavor and so easy to make. Ground chicken, veggies, and classic, bold seasonings create a dish that brings the flavors of Puerto Rico straight to your kitchen.
I've always loved big, bold flavors. From chili lime chicken tenders to Bangkok shrimp, I love a dish that packs a punch of flavor with every bite. These dishes are perfect for adding big flavor to the table with very little work, and now I have a new one to add to my rotation.
My Puerto Rican picadillo packs a huge amount of flavor into every bite, and it's made with ground chicken, so it's healthier than traditional beef while still being just as flavorful.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: You can find everything you need to make this recipe with one quick trip to your grocery store.
- Easy: This recipe only takes a few steps and about 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Bold Flavor: Adobo, bold seasonings, veggies, and ground chicken create a dish full of big flavor.
- Versatile: Easily adjust the heat level or use different meats to suit your taste.
Ingredients
- Ground Chicken: I use Springer Mountain Farms ground white chicken. I love its high quality and the company's commitment to never using animal by-products in their feed, antibiotics, or added hormones.
- Vegetables: A mix of red and green bell peppers and onions adds sweet and savory notes with a little bite.
- Green Olives: Green olives add a salty, tangy flavor to the dish. w
- Tomato Sauce and Chicken Broth: This combo creates the base for the flavorful sauce.
- Seasonings: A blend of adobo, garlic powder, oregano, and cilantro gives the dish a rich, deep, savory flavor with a touch of sweetness.
- Sofrito: Sofrito adds extra layers of sweet, savory, herbaceous flavor.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for a full list of ingredients and their exact amounts.
Flavor Variations
- Protein: You can also use ground beef, ground pork, or even chorizo.
- Spicy: Add diced jalapenos for more flavor and a kick of heat.
- Black Olives: Although not as authentic, black olives are a good substitute if you don't like the flavor of green olives.
- Vegetables: Try adding sliced boiled potatoes, carrots, and fresh garlic.
Instructions
1: Saute the vegetables in oil over medium heat until slightly softened. Then, add the sofrito and cook for 2 minutes.
2: Add the ground chicken and adobo and cook until browned.
3: Add the tomato sauce, more adobo, and the remaining spice, and stir well. Then, add the olives and chicken broth, cover, and cook until everything is heated through.
Hint
Use a spatula to break up the ground chicken as you brown it to prevent clumping.
Storage
Refrigerated this picadillo for up to 3 days in an air-tight container. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months in an air-tight, freezer-safe container.
To reheat the dish, defrost it if frozen. Then cook it over medium-low in a saucepan until heated through.
Pairing Suggestions
Enjoy this picadillo the traditional way over a bed of white rice or alongside plantains.
You can also serve it over mashed potatoes or with salsa and chips or black beans on the side.
Expert Tips
- Cook your ground chicken until browned, but don't overdo it. Overcooking chicken will make it super dry, tough, and rubbery.
- Only cook your vegetables until they're slightly softened. They'll continue to soften as you cook the rest of the recipe.
- The ground chicken is fully cooked by the time you get to the end of the recipe, so only cook your completed dish long enough for it to heat through.
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📖 Recipe
Puerto Rican Picadillo Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- ½ red bell pepper thinly diced
- ½ green bell pepper thinly diced
- ½ onion thinly diced
- 3 tbsp sofrito
- 1 lb ground chicken breast
- 1 ½ teaspoon adobo divided
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cilantro
- ¼ cup pitted green olives
- ½ cup chicken broth
Instructions
- In a large skillet, saute the bell peppers and onions in olive oil for 3 to 4 minutes until slightly softened.
- Add the sofrito and saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the ground chicken and ½ teaspoon of adobo and saute for 4 to 7 minutes until browned.
- Add the tomato sauce, ¼ teaspoon salt, ¾ teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon oregano, ¼ teaspoon cilantro, and 1 teaspoon adobo, and stir well.
- Add the chicken broth and olives, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Notes
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days in an airtight container.
- This recipe can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
- To reheat, defrost overnight in the refrigerator if frozen. Then, cook over medium-low in a saucepan until heated through or microwave at 1- minute intervals.
- It's SO important not to overcook your chicken. It's already very lean, so overcooking it will make it extremely dry and rubbery.
- The chicken is done as soon as it's no longer pink.
- Cook the vegetables until just tender so they don't get mushy as the rest of the dish cooks.
Sonja says
I love that your Puerto Rican Picadillo is made with ground chicken, having it fit perfectly into my weight loss plan. I would never have thought to include olives, but they really make the flavor sing!
Criss says
I tried this recipe, and the Puerto Rican picadillo is incredible! It’s packed with bold flavors and so easy to make. Definitely a recipe I’ll be coming back to!
Swathi says
This picadillo is so yummy and delicious great with turkey this wholesome dish.
Anonymous says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Tisha says
Thank you for sharing this recipe, it was so easy to follow!
Genevieve says
I've never heard of Puerto Rican picadillo, but this looks incredible! I love that it uses olives too!
Criss says
I made this Puerto Rican Picadillo, and it’s amazing! Perfect with rice or as a filling—so flavorful and easy to make!
NKendrick says
Thank you!!!!
Amy says
This worked exactly as written, thanks!
Irena says
It's one of the tastiest ground chicken recipes I've made recently. The leftovers got even better with all the flavors infusing overnight in the fridge. Thanks!
Tisha says
This recipe turned out great! It is going to be a great addition to my meal prepping!
NKendrick says
lol!!! Absolutely you can! I often use yellow or whatever color I have on hand!
Nora says
I tried this Puerto Rican picadillo, and it was absolutely delicious! The bold seasonings and tender ground chicken made every bite so flavorful. Such a simple yet authentic dish—I’ll be making this again for sure!
Jean says
Absolutely heaven! My family lived it.
ieva says
Love it! And we didnt even miss beef in this recipe - the rest of the flavours really make up for it, and we didn't feel guilty having seconds! 😀
Marie says
I love a comfort dish with olives. It was so heartwarming on a cold night. Thanks!
Swathi says
This Puerto Rican picadillo is so filling dish, I enjoyed with homemade soup so yummy. Love that it has olives adds nice taste.