Turkey Picadillo is hands down one of the most underrated dishes! As many of you know, I LOVE red meat. In fact, it’s one of my favorites but as I get older, I’ve found myself cutting back less and less on red meat. I now eat red meat on special occasions or during the holidays. As a result, I’ve remixed a lot of my favorite beef recipes using either chicken or turkey for a delicious surprise. Turkey Picadillo is no exception!
If you’ve had regular Picadillo then you know that I also call it Carne Molida. It’s a staple in Hispanic cooking since you can eat it with rice and beans or use it as a filling for Lasagna, Pastelon, Empanadas, and more! I personally love making Turkey Picadillo on Taco Night for a lean yet healthy take on a classic. Now before you scoff and think that nothing can beat regular Picadillo, know that you’re highly mistaken!
Turkey Picadillo is just as tasty as regular Picadillo. In fact, many of the seasonings are the same just in smaller quantities. The only difference is that Turkey is much leaner than beef and also more delicate. As a result, we don’t have to season as much and even better yet– ground turkey cooks faster than ground beef. Now like any dish, you always want to make sure to secure the best quality meat for the best results. I recommend using free-range or pasture raised turkey without any added hormones or antibiotics. As I age, I pay much more attention to what I eat, especially since I’m feeding my family.
As always, have fun whenever you’re making this dish. If you have a killer sofrito, go ahead and use it in this recipe. If you don’t have time to chop fresh onions and peppers, use your favorite onion or garlic powder. Just make sure that you’re using the good stuff that isn’t overly processed.
If you’d like to see a step-by-step tutorial on How to Make Turkey Picadillo, be sure to visit my YouTube Channel: Chef Zee Cooks!
And now for the recipe!
Ingredients
- 1lbs Ground Turkey
- ½ Onion Diced
- ¼ Green Pepper Diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves
- Black Pepper to Taste
- Salt to Taste
- ¼ tsp Cumin
- ¼ tsp Dominican Orégano
- ½ tbs Sazón
- 1 tbs Tomato Paste
- 1 tbs Spanish Olives
Instructions
- Dice onions, peppers, and garlic. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add onions, garlic, peppers, orégano, sazón, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Mix everything until it’s well combined.
- Over medium heat, warm up deep sided skillet and add olive oil. Once oil is hot, add seasoned ground turkey being sure to brown on all sides. As meat is browning, use the back of your cooking spoon or spatula to break up any chunks that may form.
- When turkey has browned and cooked completely, add tomato paste. Mix in tomato paste as best as you can and then add water. The water will help break up tomato paste. Continue mixing until all of the tomato paste is completely mixed in.
- At the very end, feel free to add Spanish olives. Serve dish with your favorite vegetables, rice, beans, or use as a filling in place of ground beef.