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Skillet Night
Mexican 3 min read

Skillet Pork Picadillo Rice

Skillet pork picadillo rice browns ground pork with warm spices, olives, and fluffy rice in about 35 minutes. Easy Mexican weeknight one-pan dinner.

Picadillo is the weeknight cousin of a long-simmered stew — ground meat, warm spices, a little briny olive, and rice that soaks up everything. This skillet version browns pork, then cooks the rice right in the same pan so you are not juggling pots.

Dinner lands in about 35 minutes with grocery-aisle ingredients and a 12-inch skillet. Lime and cilantro at the end keep it bright.

Ingredients

Pork and rice

  • 1 Tbsp (15 ml) olive oil
  • 1 lb (454 g) ground pork
  • 1 small yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup / 140 g)
  • 1 small red bell pepper, diced (about 1 cup / 140 g)
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 Tbsp (30 g) tomato paste
  • 1 cup (185 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed
  • 2 cups (480 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup (50 g) pimento-stuffed green olives, sliced
  • 2 Tbsp (20 g) raisins, optional
  • 1/4 cup (10 g) chopped cilantro
  • Lime wedges, for serving

Method

  1. Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork with 1/2 tsp salt and pepper; cook 5–6 minutes, breaking it up, until browned. Push pork to the sides.
  2. Add onion and bell pepper; cook 3–4 minutes until soft. Stir in garlic, cumin, oregano, paprika, and cinnamon 30 seconds.
  3. Stir in tomato paste 1 minute. Add rinsed rice; toast 1 minute until grains look glossy.
  4. Pour in broth, scraping the pan. Stir in olives, raisins if using, and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil.
  5. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 15–18 minutes until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed.
  6. Off heat, fluff gently. Rest covered 3 minutes. Scatter cilantro and serve with lime.

Cook's note

Picadillo loves a little sweet-salty contrast — the raisins are optional but classic. If your pork is very lean, add an extra teaspoon of oil so the rice does not stick.

What to serve with it

Warm tortillas, sliced avocado, or a quick cabbage slaw with lime. Hot sauce on the table for anyone who wants more heat.

Make-ahead and leftovers

Dice onion and pepper up to 1 day ahead. Leftovers keep 4 days; reheat in a skillet with a splash of broth. Freeze cooled portions up to 2 months.

Troubleshooting

**Rice crunchy?** Add 1/4 cup broth, cover, and cook 3–5 minutes more. **Too wet?** Uncover and simmer 2–3 minutes. **Pork greasy?** Spoon off excess fat after browning before adding the vegetables.