Picadillo with Olives and Raisins {with Venison, Beef or Bison}
Today I have a new picadillo recipe for you. It’s a picadillo with olives and raisins, and is an easy 20 minute one-pot main course that can be made with either ground beef, venison or bison. It’s incredibly saucy and delicious.
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe For Picadillo with Olives and Raisins
Have you had Picadillo? If you haven’t had it, you are in for a treat! Picadillo is a Spanish or Latin American hash made with ground beef, spices and cooked vegetables. It is variable by region, but generally, it is thick and saucy and sometimes has small pieces of potatoes and olives. It is often served with tortillas, rice and hard boiled egg. Our version is based on a Cuban-style picadillo.
It is a favorite quick dinner to make because it is so fast! I love that it can be made with any ground meat. This one today can be made with beef, bison or venison! You can serve it over rice or with tortillas, or you can pair with cauliflower rice or almond flour tortillas for a Whole30-compliant meal. You can even wrap it in lettuce or cabbage or use to top off a salad.
As the name suggests, this picadillo has olives and raisins in it. And don’t worry, the first time I heard of raisins and olives in picadillo, I thought this was kind of strange. But after trying it, I realized the sweet raisins and the briny olives are the best part of it! I also love the dusting of cinnamon in it.
Since the first time I tried it 20 years ago it had become one of my favorite 20 minute dinners. I even make picadillo style chili.
I particularly love the fact that it works so well with gamier meats like grass-fed beef, bison or venison. The seasoning in picadillo is great because it masks any strong gaminess of the beef. When I made it with Venison, I don’t think my husband or kids even could tell that it was venison. So if you are a hunter, or have venison on hand from a hunter you know, this is an awesome way to prepare it. The sauciness of the tomatoes really makes the ultra-lean meat seem more tender.
Key Ingredients For This Recipe
Ground beef, venison or bison
As I mentioned above, you can use whichever you prefer. It really is whatever you have on hand at the time. All options are great, but try to get organic or grass-fed when you can. You’ll need about 1 pound.
Tomatoes
You can either use canned chopped tomatoes or drained canned diced tomatoes.
Olives
Sliced green olives work best with this recipe in my opinion. You can either buy pre-sliced olives or you can buy them whole and slice them yourself.
Raisins
I prefer to use regular (not golden) raisins in this picadillo recipe. They help to add a bit of sweetness to the recipe without adding too much flavor. I also love the texture they add.
Additional Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil or organic canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup chopped cilantro leaves
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make This Recipe
Step 1: Cook meat
Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add beef (venison or bison) and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon until browned and no-longer pink, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the skillet to a plate or dish.
Step 2: Add aromatics & broth
Return the skillet to medium-high heat, then add oil, garlic, onion and salt, and cook, stirring often until the onion is starting to soften and brown, and the garlic is fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle the onion mixture with chili powder, cinnamon, chipotle and stir to coat. Cook, stirring often until fragrant, and the spices are starting to darken, 40 to 90 seconds. Pour in the broth and stir to combine.
Step 3: Add remaining ingredients & simmer
Add the beef (venison or bison), tomatoes, olives and raisins and increase heat to high. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often until the sauce is thick and reduced, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro if using.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Make it the day before or morning-of if necessary and store in an airtight container in the fridge (wait until completely cooled). Once ready to serve, reheat in a pot or in the microwave. You can also freeze in individual containers for up to one month.
You can always substitute a broth with water and bouillon instead.
If you like your food spicy you can add a chopped jalapeño or chili pepper in step 3.
To make this more of a stew you could add more broth and diced potatoes.
Additional Recipes to Try
- This recipe for 20-Minute Ground Chicken Tacos with Poblanos is a life saver for busy nights.
- Did someone say Healthy Sloppy Joes? Yes please!
- I also loveeeee these Chicken Taco Sloppy Joes.
- For a meat-free option check out these vegan Veggie Tacos.
- If you have a chance to cook with wild boar, these Wild Boar Tacos are phenomenal.
Thanks so much for reading! If you are new here, you may want to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free weekly menu plan and the latest recipes right to your inbox. If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought!
Happy Cooking! ~Katie
PrintPicadillo with Olives and Raisins
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 cups 1x
Description
This is a savory meat hash with a sweet twist. It’s made with lean ground grass-fed beef, venison or bison, and has tons of flavor and sauce. Serve with corn tortillas and shredded cabbage with lime dressing. Or wrap in lettuce or cabbage leaves for a grain-free paleo option.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lean ground beef, venison or bison
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil or organic canola oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes or drained canned diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup sliced green olives
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Coat a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray and set over medium-high heat. Add beef (venison or bison) and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon until browned and no-longer pink, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the skillet to a plate or dish.
- Return the skillet to medium-high heat, add oil, garlic, onion and salt, and cook, stirring often until the onion is starting to soften and brown, and the garlic is fragrant, 4 to 6 minutes. Sprinkle the onion mixture with chili powder, cinnamon, chipotle and stir to coat. Cook, stirring often until fragrant, and the spices are starting to darken, 40 to 90 seconds. Pour in broth, and stir to combine.
- Add the beef (venison or bison), tomatoes, olives and raisins and increase heat to high. Bring to a simmer, stirring often. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often until the sauce is thick and reduced, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro if using.
Notes
Cooking Tip:
Make it the day before or morning-of if necessary and store in an airtight container in the fridge (wait until completely cooled). Once ready to serve, reheat in a pot or in the microwave. You can also freeze in individual containers for up to one month.
66 mg Cholesterol, 0 g Added Sugar
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stove-top
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 310
- Sugar: 10 g
- Sodium: 860 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Carbohydrates: 18 g
- Fiber: 4.5 g
- Protein: 22 g
Love the sweet and salty flavors from the raisins and olives. Terrific recipe. Thank you!
I made this picadillo for dinner las night and my whole family loved it! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
This looks so hearty and delicious!! Perfect for an easy family dinner!
Yum! What a fantastically savory dish. Can’t wait to try this!
I made this with ground beef and the flavor is so good! We love olives and the sweetness from the raisins was super good too!
This is a new favorite at our house! It’s like a more interesting version of the sloppy joe. Love!
I think you’re right Alexis. It is sort of like sloppy joe meat. Glad your familiy is onto it too. It is so easy.
Oh your pup is so adorable! and yum….. tacos with raisins AND olives. mmmm….
Glad it sounds good to you Trish. It is a hard sell for some, but so delicious!
Oh man, these tacos look amazing! And the puppy… that face! Coriander is my vote – Corey for short?? When we got our kitty a few years ago, the very first thing he did was knock down a plant and eat it. It was a variety that is apparently toxic to cats, but he was fine. Now our running joke is that if Catamus likes something, we say “it must be toxic to cats.” Haha. Wait, maybe you should name her Cactus? 😉
Thanks so much for the link love Katie, pretty lady! 🙂
Oh my goodness! That is so funny. I love it. She is chewing on my desk right now. How would Desk sound? Lol. Glad to share your chilaquiles. They look amazing.
your pup pup has MELTED my blackened heart, uch what a cutie!! I really love Frito, btw 🙂
these look sooo good, and I love that you threw in olives!
My younger daughter Frito by mistake when we were discussing famous artists’ names. (Frida Kahlo.) We all thought it was perfect and so funny because she is the color of a frito. But then we realized everyone would think she was a boy since it ends in an “o.” Oh well.
Oh, that puppy! Good luck with your little charge. This picadillo sounds great. I’m not sure about the raisins but I’m willing to try! We eat venison those years my husband is lucky enough to bag a deer. Unfortunately, there’s only one package left in the freezer. I have never tried polenta or quinoa so they are both on my radar for this year. You will do puppy updates, right?
The puppy, I hear her in the next room chewing on something. She sure is keeping me on my toes. Did you see the update this morning? We settled on a name- Judy. And yes, I won’t be able to stop myself from updating about her. She has only been home with us a week and she is already changing so much.
great tip! we do that as well. I think it’s imporatnt to get in nutrients from various types of fruits, meats, fish, vegetables and more! Love the sound of these
Thanks Lindsay. I am sure you and Olivia would have a lot of fun talking fitness and nutrition! Fish! Yes, I need more fish in my life. Tuna for lunch gets pretty boring. I am so adding that to my list of recipes to work into the lineup for the next few weeks. Glad you popped by for a visit.
I am obsessed with sweet and savoury combinations and this looks like another winner!
Me too! There is something about it that I just love.
What a face! We lost our beloved dog and waited about a year before we got a new puppy {who is 1 now} love her to death. Best wishes with your new furry friend. Great recipe, I have never cooked with venison.
It is so hard to decide that you’re ready for another dog emotionally, and then to actually decide that you’re ready for all the work is another matter all together. I am glad we waited, because our little pup is perfect. {I hope you try the venison- it is so lean!}
That face! Such a sweetheart! I want a dog now :/
She is a sweetheart for sure. We feel like we really lucked out with choosing a puppy with a sweet temperament.
Oh, those puppy eyes are way too cute! I’m glad you’ve welcomed another furry friend into your home. I don’t eat meat, but this recipe sounds warming and perfect for winter weather!
She is such a little doll (when she is not chewing on something she isn’t supposed to be.) Thanks so much for coming by Genevieve.