Ingredients:

  • 1.5 lb (680 g) lean ground beef or turkey (90% lean)
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil (optional, for browning)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1¼ cups / 150 g)
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tbsp / 9 g)
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup / 150 g)
  • 14 oz (400 g) canned diced tomatoes, undrained
  • 2 tbsp (33 g) tomato paste
  • ½ cup (120 ml) low-sodium beef or chicken broth (or water)
  • 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes (about 12 oz / 340 g) — OR 2 medium sweet potatoes
  • ⅓ cup (50 g) green olives, sliced (mild)
  • ¼ cup (40 g) raisins (or golden raisins) — optional
  • 1 tsp (2 g) ground cumin
  • 1 tsp (2 g) smoked paprika (or regular paprika)
  • ½ tsp (1 g) dried oregano
  • ¼ tsp (0.5 g) ground cinnamon (optional)
  • ½ tsp kosher salt (adjust to taste)
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf (optional)
  • 2 tbsp (8 g) fresh cilantro, chopped (for finishing)
  • Juice of 1 lime (about 1 tbsp / 15 ml)
  • 1-2 tsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp cold water (optional slurry to thicken)

Instructions:

  1. Prep ingredients: chop onion, bell pepper, garlic, and potatoes; slice olives; measure tomato products and spices.
  2. (Optional but recommended) Brown the meat: heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a skillet, sear ground meat until mostly browned and caramelized, breaking into bite-size pieces; drain excess fat.
  3. Deglaze pan with a splash of broth, scrape up fond, and pour the deglazed juices into the slow cooker if you browned the meat.
  4. Assemble in slow cooker: add browned or raw meat, onion, garlic, bell pepper, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, potatoes, olives, raisins, cumin, paprika, oregano, cinnamon, bay leaf, salt, and pepper; stir to combine.
  5. Cook: cover and cook on LOW for 4 hours (or HIGH for about 2.5 hours) until potatoes are tender and sauce has reduced slightly.
  6. Finish and thicken: remove bay leaf, stir in lime juice and cilantro. If sauce is too thin, mix 1-2 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp cold water, stir into a small amount of picadillo, return to pot and cook on HIGH 10-15 minutes to thicken.
  7. Taste and adjust: season with additional salt, pepper, or lime juice to taste. Serve over rice, in tortillas, or with a baked sweet potato; garnish with extra cilantro, avocado slices, and lime wedges.