Quick and Easy Ground Beef Picadillo with Potatoes and Carrots

Method

1. 1

   Chop the vegetables

   Chop the onion and garlic, and cut the bell pepper, potatoes and carrots into 1/2-inch dice so they cook evenly.

   
   ×

   Wooden board with small piles of chopped onion, garlic, red bell pepper, diced potato and carrot, next to a chef's knife.

2. 2

   Sauté the onion and pepper

   Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and bell pepper for 4 to 5 minutes; add the garlic and cook 1 minute.

   
   ×

   Cast-iron skillet with onion, red bell pepper and garlic sautéing in oil, stirred with a wooden spoon.

3. 3

   Brown the beef

   Raise the heat, add the beef and break it up; cook 6 to 8 minutes until browned with no pink left.

   
   ×

   Ground beef browning in the skillet with the red pepper and onion, stirred with a wooden spoon.

4. 4

   Add the tomato and spices

   Stir in the tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, salt and pepper, and cook 2 minutes, stirring.

   
   ×

   Tomato sauce poured from a bowl over the beef in the skillet while a hand sprinkles oregano, with a bay leaf on top.

5. 5

   Add the potatoes and carrots

   Add the potatoes, carrots and broth, stir well and bring to a boil.

   
   ×

   Diced potato and carrot sliding from a board into the skillet of beef in tomato sauce while broth is poured from a jug.

6. 6

   Simmer covered

   Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 to 18 minutes, stirring now and then, until the potatoes are tender and the beef reaches 160 °F (71 °C).

   
   ×

   Skillet with a glass lid slightly open and steam rising, the picadillo bubbling gently with tender potatoes and carrots.

7. 7

   Finish with olives and cilantro

   Uncover, remove the bay leaf, add the olives and cilantro and cook 2 more minutes so the sauce thickens.

   
   ×

   Hand sprinkling chopped cilantro over thick picadillo with green olives in the uncovered skillet, next to a wooden spoon.

8. 8

   Serve

   Serve the picadillo hot with white rice, sliced avocado and more cilantro on top.

   
   ×

   Shallow bowl of ground beef picadillo with potato, carrot, bell pepper and olives, with white rice and avocado slices.

The step photos are illustrative.