Bell peppers filled with sweet-savory Cuban picadillo -- ground beef, olives, raisins and a hint of lime.
These stuffed peppers borrow directly from picadillo, Cuba's signature ground beef dish known for its distinctive sweet-savory-briny balance: raisins and a touch of sugar against green olives and capers, all built on a tomato sofrito. Stuffing that filling into bell peppers turns it into a complete, portioned dinner, with the pepper itself softening in the oven until it practically melts against the filling. The key to good picadillo is letting the sofrito and tomato cook down properly before the meat goes back in -- a rushed sauce tastes thin and one-note. Raisins get added toward the end so they plump slightly in the sauce rather than turning hard, and the olives and capers go in last so their brine stays bright instead of cooking away. A squeeze of lime and fresh herbs at serving time lifts the richness of the beef. Baked until the peppers are tender and the tops are lightly browned, this dish turns a Cuban skillet classic into a dinner-party-worthy presentation without much extra effort.
Serves 4
Preheat oven to 375F (190C). Stand peppers upright in a baking dish and set aside.
Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Brown ground beef, breaking it up, about 6 minutes. Remove and set aside, draining excess fat.
In the same skillet, cook onion until soft, 5 minutes, then add garlic and cook 1 more minute.
Return beef to the pan with tomato sauce, diced tomato, cumin, oregano and sugar. Simmer 10 minutes until thickened.
Stir in raisins, olives, capers and lime juice. Simmer 3 more minutes, then fold in rice if using.
Taste before stuffing -- picadillo should taste distinctly sweet-salty-briny, not flat.
Spoon the picadillo into the peppers, packing gently. Cover with foil and bake 30 minutes until peppers are tender, uncovering for the last 10 minutes to lightly brown the tops.
Sprinkle with cilantro or parsley before serving.
Choose peppers with a flat bottom so they stand upright without tipping in the baking dish.
Drain excess fat after browning the beef, or the filling turns greasy once baked.
Let the picadillo cool slightly before stuffing -- hot filling can make the peppers collapse.
Ground turkey version: swap in ground turkey and add an extra tablespoon of olive oil for richness.
Cheese-topped: sprinkle shredded queso or mozzarella over the peppers for the last 10 minutes of baking.
Rice-free: skip the rice in the filling and serve the stuffed peppers with a side of black beans instead.
Refrigerate stuffed peppers in an airtight container up to 3 days. Reheat covered in a 350F (175C) oven for 15 minutes, or microwave individually until hot throughout.
Picadillo is one of Cuba's most iconic home-cooked dishes, its sweet-salty-briny profile -- raisins and sugar against olives and capers -- reflecting the island's blend of Spanish, Caribbean and African culinary influences. Stuffing it into peppers is a common way Cuban and Cuban-American cooks repurpose the filling into a heartier baked dinner.
Yes -- the filling actually improves after resting overnight in the fridge, so you can cook it a day ahead and just stuff and bake the peppers when ready.
You can leave them out, but they're part of what makes picadillo distinctive; a diced apple or a spoonful of extra tomato sauce can round out the sweetness instead.
This usually means they need more time -- thicker-walled peppers can take closer to 40 minutes covered; check for tenderness with a knife tip before uncovering.
Per serving (330g / 11.6 oz) · 4 servings total
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