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Turkey picadillo
Probably one of my favorite savory flavors is briny and salty.
I am always asking for extra extra dirty martinis.
And even then, I don’t think it’s briny enough for me.
I mean, might as well just dump the entire liquid contents of an olive jar into my drink.
This is also probably why I love pickleback shots.
Have you ever had them? Lol, they are probably the wrong decision to make but they’re so good.
Enough about drinking, let’s talk about turkey picadillo.
I hope I don’t get people coming after me for this because I know it’s not traditional to use ground turkey.
I do think that the beauty of recipes is the ability to be able to tweak to your taste preferences.
Anyway, this picadillo has got everything that I love in a savory dish.
It’s comforting, briny, sweet, and full of flavor.
I’m usually NEVER a raisin fan but if you find golden raisins (which of course I could not find) it would be excellent in this.
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What exactly is turkey picadillo?
Well, it’s actually just picadillo but I called it turkey picadillo because I used ground turkey in this instead of the traditional ground beef.
According to Wikipedia, it’s a traditional dish in many Latin American countries and also the Philippines that’s similar to a hash.
You can serve it with rice (which is what I did) or put it in tacos!
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Save the briny liquid!
I think what makes this turkey picadillo stand out is the briny flavor from the liquid of the olives and capers.
I know it’s probably easier to drain the liquid and then get out the olives and capers but just pour it all into a bowl if it’s that hard to get out.
You need to save the liquid! It is what makes this dish so special!
Well, at least in my opinion because I love all things briny.
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Can I substitute the manzanilla olives for black olives?
No, black olives just don’t do this dish justice.
Can I omit the capers?
You can and just use more olives but capers are definitely preferred.
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What if I don’t like raisins?
You can omit them or try another dried fruit.
Can I use another type of ground meat?
You can use ground beef as it is how it’s traditionally made but ground chicken would also work.
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What do you serve turkey picadillo with?
I served it over rice.
Check out other ground turkey recipes that you may like:
Asian orange turkey lettuce wraps
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Turkey Picadillo
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 1: 15- ounce can tomato sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 2/3 cup chopped manzanilla olives plus 1 tablespoon brine
- 2 tablespoons capers plus 1 tablespoon brine
- 1/3 cup golden raisins
- 2 bay leaves
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
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In a large skillet over medium high heat, add a little cooking oil. Brown and break up ground turkey. Add in the onions, bell pepper, and garlic and cook until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
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Add the cumin, paprika, and cayenne. Stir to incorporate.
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Add the tomato sauce, water, olives, capers, brine, golden raisins, and bay leaves. Stir.
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Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce to a simmer and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.
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Season with salt, to taste.
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Serve over rice and enjoy!