Minced Beef – Dry Flavor

Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo) is my go-to dinner dish. It is very similar to Cuban picadillo but is made with potatoes and sofrito.

Ground Beef (Puerto Rican Picadillo)

I love dishes that can be cooked once but used multiple times throughout the week! Carne Molida, a flavorful traditional Latin dish, is one such meal. My Puerto Rican husband loves it when I make him dinner! Made in different ways from country to country and even home to home, this versatile recipe is easy to make any night of the week. And you can easily double it depending on your family size. It’s delicious served over rice with a simple cabbage salad on the side. For more Puerto Rican recipes, don’t miss my quick Puerto Rican-style beans and Arroz con Gandules (Rice and Pigeon Peas).

Why You’ll Love This Carne Molida Recipe

Carne molida is the Puerto Rican version of picadillo, which my mom always made when I was growing up. I am not Puerto Rican, but I have cousins ​​and so is my husband. Making this dish made me reminisce about my childhood and the summers I spent visiting family and doing promotional work.

I would love to see if you make this simple carne molida recipe. Tag me in your photos or videos on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook!

minced beef ingredients

Carne molida packs a huge flavor punch with ingredients like sazon, sofrito, and alcaparrado. The recipe card includes exact measurements.

• meat: Use your favorite lean ground meat, like turkey, beef, or bison!
• Aromatic: onion and garlic
• tease This is a Puerto Rican sauce that serves as the base for various dishes such as stews and beans. A flavor booster containing onion, garlic, cubanelle pepper, green pepper and culantro. You can follow my homemade sofrito recipe or buy one from the supermarket. Sold by Goya.
• liquid: The meat is stewed in canned tomato sauce and water.
• potato: I use Russet potatoes, but Yukon Golds will work too.
• seasoning: Kosher salt, cumin, sazon (a Latin spice mixture whose main ingredient is achiote) or ground achiote. You can also use adobo seasoning. You can use less salt.
• olive: You can make it with chopped, pitted green olives, or for a more authentic carne molida, with alcaparrado, a Latin condiment with olives, pimientos, and capers. It is sold in the Latin section of grocery stores. If you don’t like olives, omit them.
• Hub: Fresh coriander and bay leaves. If you don’t like cilantro, you can omit it.

strain:

Add vegetables like carrots or poblano peppers.

How to Make Carne Molida

To make easy carne molida, cook the meat, onion, and garlic, then add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. See recipe card for printable instructions.

1. Grind the meat: Heat a large skillet over high heat and add the meat and salt. Brown until crumbly. Then lower the heat to medium, add the onion, garlic and sofrito and cook for 5 minutes.
2. Cook the remaining ingredients: Add the brine, water, cumin, sazon, coriander, and bay leaves to the tomato sauce, potatoes, and olives/alcaparrado. Cover and cook over low heat until the meat and potatoes are tender and the sauce has thickened.

How to Serve Carne Molida

You can make carne molida with any ground meat you like. I typically use ground turkey (it’s thinner and more tender than lean ground beef). It’s delicious served over rice with a simple cabbage salad, and the leftovers can be used as a base for a variety of dishes. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Shepherd’s Pie (With a Latin twist!): Spread the carne molida in the bottom of a casserole dish, top with mashed potatoes (or mashed cauliflower for a low-carb option), and bake in a 400-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
• Empanadas are delicious baked or air-fried. My daughter Madison loves this for lunch! Place 2 tablespoons of carne molida in the center of each empanada disc (empanada dough is found in the freezer section of most supermarkets; I use the Goya brand). Then fold over, seal the edges, and brush the tops of the empanadas with egg white. Bake at 350°F until golden or air fry at 325°F for 8 minutes.
• Tacos and Tostadas: Wrap in a tortilla or place on a tostada shell and top with cheese, chopped onion and cilantro.
• Quesadilla: Fold the meat and shredded cheddar cheese into half the tortillas and fry in the skillet until the cheese is melted.
• Morning Scramble: The next morning, add it to scrambled eggs and top with hot sauce.
• Stuffed Peppers: Follow the Slow Cooker Picadillo Stuffed Peppers and replace the picadillo with carne molida.
• Use it in this sweet plantain lasagna.

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Carne molida is perfect for meal prep because it reheats well and can be served in a variety of ways.

• Refrigerated storage You can store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
• hang tightly For 6 months.
• reheat Place in the microwave or skillet on the stove until warm.

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