Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo) is a staple in my dinner rotation, which is similar to my Cuban picadillo, but it surely’s made with potatoes and sofrito.
Carne Molida (Puerto Rican Picadillo)
I really like a dish I can prepare dinner as soon as however use a number of occasions all through the week! Carne Molida, a flavorful Latin traditional, is a kind of meals. My Puerto Rican husband loves once I make it for dinner! This versatile recipe, which is made many various methods from nation to nation and even from home to deal with, is simple to whip up any evening of the week. And relying on the scale of your loved ones, you possibly can simply double it. It’s scrumptious over rice with my fast cabbage salad on the aspect. For extra Puerto Rican recipes, don’t miss my fast 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 model of picadillo, which my mother all the time made for me rising up. Though I’m not Puerto Rican, I’ve cousins who’re and so is my husband. Making this dish brings me again to my childhood and the summers I spent in PR visiting my household.
In the event you make this easy carne molida recipe, I might like to see it. Tag me in your images or movies on Instagram, TikTok, or Fb!
Carne Molida Components
Carne molida packs an enormous taste punch with components like sazon, sofrito, and alcaparrado. The recipe card comprises the precise measurements.
- Meat: Use no matter lean floor meat you favor–turkey, beef, or bison!
- Aromatics: Onion and garlic
- Sofrito is a Puerto Rican sauce that’s the base for quite a few dishes, resembling stews and beans. It’s a taste booster containing onion, garlic, cubanelle peppers, bell peppers, and culantro. You possibly can comply with my selfmade sofrito recipe or purchase it on the grocery store–Goya sells it.
- Liquid: The meat simmers in canned tomato sauce and water.
- Potatoes: I exploit a Russet potato, however Yukon Gold can even work.
- Seasoning: Kosher salt, cumin, sazon (a Latin spice mix whose key ingredient is achiote) or floor achiote. You may also use Adobo seasoning, simply use much less salt.
- Olives: You should use chopped, pitted inexperienced olives, or, for extra genuine carne molida, make it with alcaparrado, a Latin condiment with olives, pimientos, and capers. It’s offered within the Latin part of the grocery retailer. In the event you hate olives, simply omit them.
- Herbs: Contemporary cilantro and bay leaf. In the event you hate cilantro, it’s OK to skip it.
Variations:
Add some veggies like carrots or poblano peppers.
Methods to Make Carne Molida
To make this straightforward carne molida, prepare dinner the meat, onions, and garlic, add the remaining components, and simmer. See the recipe card for printable directions.
- Brown the Meat: Warmth a big skillet on excessive warmth and add the meat and salt. Brown it till it’s damaged up. Then, cut back the warmth to medium-low, add the onions, garlic, and sofrito, and prepare dinner for five minutes.
- Cook dinner the Remaining Components: Add the tomato sauce, potatoes, olives/ alcaparrado with some brine, water, cumin, sazon, cilantro, and bay leaf. Cowl and prepare dinner on low till the meat and potatoes are tender and the sauce thickens.
Methods to Serve Carne Molida
You can also make carne molida with any floor meat you want. I sometimes use floor turkey (it’s leaner and extra tender than lean floor beef). It’s scrumptious over rice with my fast cabbage salad on the aspect, and the leftovers can be utilized as the bottom for a lot of completely different meals. Listed here are a number of of my favorites:
- Shepherd’s Pie (with a Latin twist!): Layer the carne molida within the backside of a casserole dish, high it with mashed potatoes (or mashed cauliflower for a low-carb choice), and bake in a 400-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
- Empanadas are scrumptious baked or (even higher!) air-fried. My daughter Madison loves these for lunch! Place 2 tablespoons of carne molida within the heart of every empanada disc (Empanada dough is within the freezer part of most supermarkets; I exploit the Goya model). Then, fold, seal the perimeters, and brush the highest of the empanadas with egg whites. Bake at 350°F till golden, or air-fry at 325°F for 8 minutes.
- Tacos and Tostadas: Wrap in a tortilla or place on a tostada shell and high with cheese, diced onions, and cilantro.
- Quesadillas: Put meat and shredded cheddar on half of a tortilla, fold over, and prepare dinner in a skillet till the cheese melts.
- Breakfast Scramble: Add it to scrambled eggs the following morning and high with sizzling sauce.
- Stuffed Peppers: Comply with my Sluggish Cooker Picadillo Stuffed Peppers, swapping out picadillo with carne molida.
- Use it on this Candy Plantain Lasagna.
Storage
Carne molida is ideal for meal prep because it reheats properly, and you may serve it varied methods.
- Refrigerate in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days.
- Freeze for six months.
- Reheat within the microwave or a skillet on the range till heat.
Extra Latin Recipes You Will Love
Yield: 4 servings
Serving Measurement: 1 ¼ cups
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In a big skillet over excessive warmth brown the meat, season with salt and prepare dinner breaking it up because it cooks with a wood spoon into small items. Cut back warmth to medium-low, add the onions, garlic and sofrito and prepare dinner, stirring 4 to five minutes.
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Add the tomato sauce, diced potatoes, pitted inexperienced olives or alcaparrado with 2 tablespoons of the brine, water, cumin, achiote and prepare dinner, stirring. Add the cilantro and bay leaf, cowl and prepare dinner on low till the meat and potatoes are tender and the sauce thickens, about half-hour.
Final Step:
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Serving: 1 ¼ cups, Energy: 362 kcal, Carbohydrates: 18 g, Protein: 40.5 g, Fats: 17 g, Saturated Fats: 4 g, Ldl cholesterol: 129 mg, Sodium: 816 mg, Fiber: 3 g, Sugar: 6.5 g