We are no strangers to Picadillo in this household. One of my all-time favorite dishes is Chef Ofelia’s Cuban Picadillo. I’ve also made a superb Turkey Picadillo. And now we get to enjoy this delicious Mexican Chicken Picadillo.
In its simplest form, a picadillo usually includes some sort of sofrito, meat, raisins and olives. Different countries all prepare their picadillo differently. Regardless of where it comes from, they are all delicious!
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Unlike Ofelia’s Cuban Picadillo, this picadillo recipe does not have any alcohol in it. Which could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you are serving it to!
What is a Chayote
A chayote is a type of squash often used in Latin American cuisine. if you have a hard time locating chayote at your local grocery store you can substitute for zucchini. It will change the flavor profile but is an acceptable substitute. But if you do have access to Chayote’s, do yourself a favor and give them a try.
How Hot Are the Peppers
The Scoville Scale is the measurement that tells you the spiciness of a given type of pepper.
| Pepper Type | Scoville Rating (Heat) |
|---|---|
| Bell Pepper | 0-0 |
| Banana Pepper | 0-500 |
| Poblano Pepper | 1000-1500 |
| Jalapeño Pepper | 2500-8000 |
| Serrano Peppers | 10,000-25,000 |
| Manzano Pepper | 12,000-30,000 |
| Tabasco & Cayenne | 30,000-50,000 |
| Habanero Pepper | 100,000-300,000 |
| Ghost Pepper | 855,000-1,000,000 |
| Carolina Reaper | 1,500,000-2,300,000 |
How to Roast Poblano Peppers
Roasting Poblano Peppers might be a challenge for some especially if you’ve never done it before. But don’t stress, I wrote an article on 3 different ways on How to Roast Poblano Peppers.
Tips
- Don’t you hate it when raisins get stuck together in a big clump? To unstick the raisins, wet your hands with a little water then work the raisins apart.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Mexican Chicken Picadillo recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Ground Chicken, Yellow Onion, Chayote, Poblano Peppers, Green Olives, Raisins, Water, Chili Powder, Ground Cumin, Ground Cinnamon and Petite Diced Tomatoes.
How to Make Mexican Chicken Picadillo
- In a large pan, brown the chicken over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, crumbling it with a wooden spoon.
- Add all remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Let cook for 20 minutes.
- Serve hot with rice.
Mexican Chicken Picadillo
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 lb Ground Chicken
- 1 ½ cups Yellow Onion, chopped
- 1 ½ cups Chayote, peeled & diced
- 1 cup Poblano Pepper, roasted & chopped
- ⅓ cup Green Olives, chopped
- ¼ cup Raisins
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 Tbsp Chili Powder
- 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
- ¼ Tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 15 oz Petite Diced Tomatoes
Instructions
- In a large pan, heat olive oil. Brown the chicken over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, crumbling it with a wooden spoon.
- Add all remaining ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover with a lid. Let cook for 20 minutes.
- Serve hot with rice.
I doubled the veggies and spices and for some reason my spices seemed slightly bitter but I think it was a particular brand of chili powder I had that was very strong in cumin. So strong that I didn’t add any more cumin and added some plain dark red chili powder to balance it out. I added garlic salt and removed the bitterness and rounded out the flavors with 3 chicken bullion cubes, a little sugar, and some cocoa powder which is common in American Southwest cooking such as New Mexico and that really made it a great dish. I served it over a half black shirt grainy rice and half white Jasmine rice which added an interesting sweetness that was very nice especially with the raisins in the dish. Wasn’t sure I’d like this dish as I’m not used to this combination of ingredient flavors but after my tweaks to my own person tastes I am really nuts over it and will definitely make again. It is something different I will enjoy and husband liked it.