This Cuban picadillo with plantains is a quick and tasty Whole30 meal that covers all the flavor bases: sweet, savory, tangy, spicy, and creamy.
Big news! The third book in Melissa Joulwan’s best-selling Well Fed series is almost here, and in my opinion, it’s the best one yet. Well Fed Weeknights is packed full of creative and delicious dinner recipes that can all be made in 45 minutes or less.
I’ve been a fan of Mel’s scrumptious recipes ever since I first made her carnitas years ago, so I was super excited when I got my hands on a preview copy of the book. Since I love Cuban food and especially adore plantains, this picadillo with plantains called out to me right away.
Picadillo is sort of like a hash made with ground beef and various other additions depending on the country each version hails from. This Cuban one starts off with onion, garlic, and a fragrant mix of spices starring cumin, coriander, and cinnamon, and is finished off with chunks of green plantain, sweet raisins, and green olives.
The picadillo is then served with lime slices, scallions, cilantro, and–if you’re me and you like to try out food trends but usually do so several months late–avocado roses. The result is a dish that’s satisfying and interesting in the best way, with sweet pops of raisin, sour olives, perfectly spiced meat, chewy plantains, and creamy avocado coming together to make quite a flavor party.
The weeknight fun doesn’t stop there, though: the book has 128 recipes for complete meals, and they are all colorful, nutritious, and well-balanced. Some of the recipes are basic formulas with a bunch of unique variations. For example, Mel shares a technique for velvet stir-fry and then 8 different iterations, including Hoisin Mushroom Chicken and Orange Beef with Walnuts.
She also has 8 different burger ideas that make me want to spend 8 days a week eating burgers. I also can’t wait to try Moroccan Steak Salad with Fig & Pistachio Dressing, Bacon-Jalapeño Balls with Everything Carrots, Dan Dan Noodles, and Sesame-Almond Cod with Cauliflower Rice.
Ready to order and make your weeknights endlessly delicious? Get it right here!
To keep you well fed while you await the book’s arrival, why not whip up a batch of this picadillo with plantains right now? Only half an hour stands between you and all of this!
This Cuban picadillo with plantains is a quick and tasty Whole30 meal that covers all the flavor bases: sweet, savory, tangy, spicy, and creamy. YOU KNOW HOW YOU COULD DO THAT? Replace the beef with ground pork, turkey, or lamb. Make it Puerto Rican style: add capers and cooked potatoes instead of plantains. Make it Dominican: add hard-boiled eggs. Make it Filipino: skip the olives and add a fried egg on top of each serving. COOKUP TIPS Boil the plantains, make the spice blend, and prep the garnishes in advance. Store everything in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Just before eating, cook the meat and combine with the plantains. *Want to learn to make an avocado rose? Check out this video. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases. The nutrition label provided is an estimate for informational purposes only and may not be accurate. I am not a nutritionist or medical professional.
Picadillo with Plantains from Well Fed Weeknights
Ingredients
For the plantains:
For the picadillo:
For serving:
Instructions
Notes
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Size: 1 serving
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 826Total Fat: 38gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 20gCholesterol: 151mgSodium: 1789mgCarbohydrates: 71gFiber: 9gSugar: 33gProtein: 50g
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This was so good! I put cornbread on the side and it was a hit.
Made this tonight! The hubs and I loved it…kids were ok with it but I will definitely make it again!! Left out the olives and added fried egg for a Filipino version. Yummy!
I’m looking forward to making this. I love plantains! I have the first Well Fed cookbook that I love!
p.s. Your affiliate link doesn’t work.
Thanks, Heather! You’re going to love this book if you love the first Well Fed cookbook. Those links are from the pre-sale, which is over–I’ll go in and update them :).
Yellow or green plantains? Thanks!
Green!
Can you believe I’ve never had picadillo? I’m all about Cuban food and LOVE plantains, so I’m all over this healthy meal! All those spices look so inviting! I’m going to have to get my hands on Well Fed – it sounds like a marvelous book!!
You are going to love this dish AND the book!
Yum, this looks like my perfect comfort food (anything with plantains really)! And that avocado rose is so pretty, I still haven’t even tried to make one but maybe tomorrow I’ll gather up my courage. 🙂
Thank you, Kari! I love anything with plantains, too.
The avocado rose was so much easier than I expected. Check out the video I linked to in the notes for a quick visual and it’ll be a breeze! Now I want to put them on everything.