By Melanie Edwards 32 Comments
If you’re looking for simple recipes with ground beef, you may want to give this carne molida recipe a try. Carne molida is a Puerto Rican ground beef recipe that is similar to picadillo (a name that might be more familiar). However, Puerto Rican carne molida is slightly different than Cuban picadillo and is cooked with potatoes and carrots. They’re both delicious dishes, though!
I grew up eating carne molida and it’s still a regular part of my weekly menu plan. It’s such an easy ground beef recipe and it’s pretty versatile too, since you can use it as a filling for other foods. I love to eat it served over white rice, as does my husband. Something I often do is substitute the ground beef with ground turkey to make my carne molida recipe a bit healthier! If you want to learn how to make the real deal, here’s my family’s recipe for Puerto Ricancarne molida!
Puerto Rican Carne Molida (Ground Beef) Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 lbs ground beef
- 1 Tbsp adobo
- 3/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 Tbsp meat tenderizer
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Sazón, 1 packet
- 1 1/2 Tbsp tomato paste
- 2 1/2 Tbsp tomato sauce
- 2 Tbsp sofrito (or recaito)
- 10-11 green olives (Spanish salad olives) + 1-2 tsp of olive liquid
- 2-3 small potatoes, peeled, rinsed, and cubed
- about 10 baby carrots, rinsed and chopped
Note:To see pictures and links for purchasing some of the ingredients used, read5 Must-Have Ingredients for Cooking Puerto Rican Food.
Directions
- Season ground beef with adobo, black pepper, and meat tenderizer.
- Heat a large pan to low-medium heat and add seasoned ground beef.
- Add olive oil, sazón, tomato paste, tomato sauce, sofrito, green olives, cubed potatoes, and chopped carrots.
- Cover pan and cook on low-medium heat until ground beef is browned, stirring occasionally.
- Turn heat down to low and continue cooking until potatoes are tender and ground beef is well cooked. Stir occasionally.
Serve your carne molida with a side of white rice (or right on top of the rice as I prefer). Here’s an easy white rice recipe using a rice cooker!
What is your favorite recipe for ground beef? Have you ever tried carne molida or picadillo?
All photos © Melanie Edwards/modernmami™
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Reader Interactions
Comments
Vanessa, De Su Mama saysThis looks so delicious! I love picadillo, and will totally try this recipe out! Thanks so much!
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- hangingwithangie says
Sounds delicious and looks delicious.
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- Dana says
looks ok…
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- J says
This looks delicious! So happy I stumbled about your website. I love it – thank you!
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- Melanie Edwards says
You’re most welcome! Enjoy the recipe. 🙂
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- Carol says
Looks delicious I’m going to try it. How many servings does this make?
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- Melanie Edwards says
I am not sure of the exact number of servings, but I know that it provides enough for our family of 4 and many nights it even provides leftovers.
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- Victor M Rodriguez says
Sabroso! Lo trate!
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- Melanie Edwards says
Que bueno!
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- cesar says
Its good but number 3 step should of been number 2 but its great thanx for the recipe 🙂
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- Melanie Edwards says
I guess it could be cooked either way. I always add the beef first, then other ingredients. 😉
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- Jackie says
This looks delicious! I can’t wait to make it at home
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- Melanie Edwards says
It really is delicious and so easy to make! Hope you enjoy!
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- Ellen says
Made this tonight was a big but with the family thanks for the recipe 🙂 will definitely make this again
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- Melanie Edwards says
You’re welcome! I’m so glad he family enjoyed!
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- tavoya says
Can I make this in my slow cooker?
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- Melanie Edwards says
I wouldn’t recommend it. Ground beef tends to clump up in the slow cooker, if you’re not stirring it and breaking up the meat.
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- Chiqui says
Mi mama cuando le hechaba las papas la freia crispy que ricoooooooo
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- Melanie Edwards says
Wow, nice touch! That sounds delicious!
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- vera says
Why can’t I just get the recipe? Why do have to get all the other pages that I’m NOT interested in? I don’t mind reading other’s opinions, I find them to be quite helpful, but I don’t want to waste my ink and paper printing them all out. Please, tell me how to get just the recipe!!! Nothing else! Thank you.
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- Melanie Edwards says
Vera, I would try looking at your print preview to see what pages specifically have the recipe and print just those. We’ll be adding a print recipe option in the future!
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- KC says
Also Vera, U very likely have an option checked that is “print all linked pages” [it may be worded somewhat differently- but essentially it’ll be something very close to that] I kno- because I used to wonder why I would get about 20 pgs printed when I really only wanted one recipe. So- please check that, I’m pretty sure that’s what it is. I can’t tell you EXACTLY where to look however- because every computer & operating system / printer has it’s options in a different spot. But DO look for that- and it is more than likely that…… Hope this helps.
KCReply
- CHARLENE ZACARIAS says
thank you for sharing your family recipe, I will be trying this recipe. looks so good!
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- Melanie Edwards says
You’re so welcome! Hope you enjoy!
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- Richard says
Wouldn’t it be better if you brown the meat first, drain the liquid and then add the ingredients??? Excuse the question if it’s dumb, but I am a novice cooker.
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- Melanie Edwards says
No problem at all, Richard – thanks for asking! I know that this is a very popular method for cooking ground beef, but in this case we wnt to retain the liquid. 🙂 However, if you wanted a lower-fat version, you could certainly brown the beef first, drain the liquid, then add all ingredients and simmer, as you’ve suggested. It would just not have the “gravy” that the above posted recipe provides.
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- Rachael Rios says
Thank you for your recipes. I made this and 2 others and everyone was shocked at how good it was and so easy too!
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- Melanie Edwards says
That’s so great to hear – thanks for making them and sharing with me!
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- Marge says
Thank you for the recipe it gave me a new variation on my family recipe. I was also accustomed to the fried potatoes version.
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- Melanie Edwards says
You’re so welcome!
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- Julie Davis says
So you don’t drain the meat?
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- Melanie Edwards says
You can to decrease the grease.
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