Puerto Rican Picadillo: beef hash seasoned with sofrito. Great with rice, or as a filling for empanadas, papas rellenos and tacos! (Popular in Cuban and Latin American cuisine).
My Puerto Rican recipe series continues. Today I have 2 recipes.
The first is for Puerto Rican Picadillo, which is a ground beef hash.
Picadillo can be served as-is over rice, used in Papas Rellenas (another Puerto Rican favorite), or even as an alternative taco filling (shh don’t tell my Mexican grandmother…).
Here, it serves as the filling for savory empanadas.
They make a great meal on their own with a green salad, as a side to any Puerto Rican meal or even rewarmed the next morning for breakfast!
Heck, I’ll even eat them cold! They’re also pretty tasty dipped in mayoketchup – a three ingredient wonder sauce.
This recipe employs some Puerto Rican ingredient staples: sofrito, tomato sauce and olives.
Sofrito is the base of most Puerto Rican cooking, along with tomato.
Pimento stuffed olives are also common and really add a pop of briny tang.
This recipe uses pre-made empanada dough/wrappers, which can be found in the freezer section of Hispanic supermarkets.
Since moving, I haven’t had access to this convenient product.
Be on the lookout for a 100% from-scratch recipe! Sign up for my emails below so you’ll get notified.
UPDATE: you can find my homemade empanada dough recipe here!
Another note: the orange color you see is from the annatto seed, which is used frequently in Puerto Rican cooking. The empanada dough also comes in “plain.”
Puerto Rican Picadillo
Puerto Rican Picadillo
Ingredients
Instructions
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 242 Total Fat: 14g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 1g Unsaturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 67mg Sodium: 239mg Carbohydrates: 8g Fiber: 1g Sugar: 1g Protein: 21g
Pastelillos de Carne – Puerto Rican Picadillo Empanadas
Ingredients:
- 1 recipe for Picadillo
- 1 package empanada shells, thawed (I use Goya Discos found in the frozen section)
- OR you can make your own empanada dough
- Oil, for frying
Directions:
Separate empanada shells and thin with a rolling pin.
Fill half of disk with about 2 tablespoons of picadillo, leaving a half-inch rim around the edge.
Fold dough over filling and crimp the edges with a fork to seal well.
Fry in hot oil a few at a time, about 3-4 minutes per side, or until crust is golden brown and bubbly.
Yield: 10 empanadas
Belinda says
Loving my Puerto Rican meals from my childhood
Michelle says
Thanks for the wonderful recipe. We add chopped onions and garlic. I would love you empanadas dough recipe, thanks!
Rebekah says
Thank you, Michelle! Here’s the recipe: https://www.kitchengidget.com/2018/02/26/empanada-dough/
Edward says
Thanks You Rock!
Rebekah says
Thank you 🙂
Diana says
Hi REBEKAH, I’m German & Puerto Rican, I’m 61 years old and have been making Empanadas/Pastelillos forever. We call it by BOTH names, depending on our mood I guess, lol. And my son’s friends can never remember the name so they decided to call them “Chinchillas”, lol. I love it when they request me to make them.
Anyway, I wanted to say that I make mine very similar to your recipe and I am definitely going to try yours.
I also add minced garlic and a chopped onion to the meat while it’s cooking. It really adds amazing flavor to it. I hope you give it a try, you won’t be sorry!
Rebekah says
That sounds delicious, Diana. Thank you so much for sharing!
Cindy says
I am thinking about using shredded chicken. How would you recommend I do that? Boil the chicken first and shred then do the picadillo?
Rebekah says
Yes, cook and shred the chicken first. Then saute the sofrito, tomato sauce and seasonings and add the chicken. You may need to add more tomato or water to moisten since the chicken will soak up a lot of the juice. Hope that helps!
Rene says
I have made this recipe a few times and it is spot on. Just like the Abuela makes!! So happy to have found a recipe that tasteds so familiar! Great job Rebekah!!
Rebekah says
Thank you so much! 🙂
Ria says
Love your blog! especially the PR recipes 🙂 wish i was able to add these on Pinterest!!
Rebekah says
Thank you! Is my pin button not working? You should be able to pin them!
Chelsea says
Any body try it as tacos???
Carlos says
In reply to Shirley: Well, I’m Puerto Rican, and they have been called empanadillas in my household all my life… and we also “do not” put cheese over our Pastelon De Platano that’s a Nuyorican thing..
Sonia, Humacaeña living in NY says
Hi Rebekah, new to your site. Another ingredient that we add to the picadillo, for those of us that enjoy sweet and salty, is to add raisins to the recipe. I love raisins and love the combination of olives and raisins.
Gracias & God bless you always!
Rebekah says
Yes, thank you! Good tip. I don’t like raisins personally, but I do like it with the sweetness of maduros!
Kimberly says
My family is puerto rican and cuban and Italian and Scottish..I made this and it was awesome!!!!! Everyone went nuts over it and i will tell you one thing! Puerto Ricans Rock! Please post more of your recipes!!!
Thank you n God Bless you!!
Kimberly
From Pensacola Florida
Shirley says
I’m Puerto Rican and have never heard of this name. We call them pastelillos. Can you explain please?
Rebekah says
Hi Shirley, they are definitely called pastelillos! Empanadas is the general term and some Puerto Ricans call them empanadillas…I only say pastelillos if it has beef filling, but I’ve heard other Boricuas say “pastelillos de pollo”, etc. Maybe it’s a regional thing?
Cary says
Oh, this is a wonderful Website. I adore when people take time to share our recipes. I was wondering why Goya promotes this product in the state by the name of Empanada when in Puerto Rico its name is “pastelillo or empanadilla”. For the dough is the same, they call them discos instead of plantillas or masa (para empanadillas) which is the way we do really call them here. I have gather a series of promotions from Goya in which the name changes. Everything for increasing sales works! LOL. Perhaps is a regional thing like Rebekah said.
Elaine Fuoco says
Yes i would like you to send me the recipe to make the fresh dough for the empanadas also Thank you. Love this recipe. Will be using this one as a staple in my home.
Pamela M says
Hi yes I would like to be notified for the empanada from 100% scratch recipe.
Thank you
Pamela
Linda Santos says
Delicious and just like mama made!
Rebekah says
Thanks so much!
Melissa says
Do you drain the meat after it is browned?
Rebekah says
If there is a lot – yes. Mine usually doesn’t have too much and there should be about a tablespoon left in the pan so the sofrito can cook up.
Marta Buhay says
I am puerto rican and would love to receive your 100% from scratch dough recipe. Can they be baked instead of frying? At what temperature and time?
Thank you,
M. Buhay
Rebekah says
Hi Marta! This is actually my next project. I’m currently taking a little break after the holidays (it’s the busiest time for us food bloggers) and visiting with family. They can be baked however, at 400F for 15-20 minutes.