Ground Chicken Picadillo

• Chicken thighs - As a chicken thigh aficionado, I love them in this recipe serving as ground chicken. Chicken thigh meat is wonderfully juicy and very forgiving, making it ideal for this recipe. You could do a 50/50 mix of chicken thighs to chicken breast to lighten up the calories.
• Chipotle en adobo peppers, plus chipotle en adobo sauce - Move over Frank's Red Hot, I put chipotle en adobo on everything because I can't quit that rich smoky sultry heat. It's incredible in this dish against juicy ground chicken thighs.
• My holy trinity - Garlic, green bell pepper, yellow onion. Garlic gets the food processor treatment, but please do a fine dice on the pepper and onion.
• Tomato sauce - I usually opt for plain old canned tomato sauce from my local grocery store, but you could use homemade.
• Cumin and oregano - To add earthiness and support the smokiness from the chipotle en adobo.
• Green olives, plus olive juice - The unexpected briny salty pops from green olives make this dish for me. It's such an addictive combination against the smoky picadillo. If you really don't care for them, leave 'em out. Or toss in some black olives instead - it won't be the same but it ups the comfort level of this dish.

A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below - keep scrolling!

Garden Variety Additions

This Chicken Picadillo recipe is perfect for sneaking in garden goodies! It’s kind of like a super thick stew, so naturally you can add in things like potatoes or carrots. If you are making additions like, say, adding in one cubed medium-sized potato, I would recommend cooking it separately and then stirring it in at the end. Possibly with a little more tomato sauce or maybe a tablespoon or two of broth (chicken or vegetable are good options). 

• Potatoes - 1 medium sized potato, like a Yukon Gold, diced
• Carrots - 1-2 carrots, sliced
• Zucchini - 1 medium-sized zucchini, diced
• Peppers of all kinds like: sweet peppers, jalapenos, poblanos, sliced or diced. I recommend adding 1-2 peppers, depending on type of pepper, pepper size, and heat level.

Spicy-ER Chicken Picadillo Variation

This Ground Chicken Picadillo has some underlying smoky heat thanks to the chipotle en adobo peppers, but it you really want to spice it up, try the following suggested additions:

• Add in a diced jalapeno, serrano, or other hot pepper
• Add in a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce, like Cholula or Tabasco
• Add in a few dashes of cayenne pepper or a few shakes of red pepper flakes
• Stir in a spoonful of jarred Calabrian chili or Harissa
• Instead of regular olive oil, use a spicy olive oil variation when you cook the chicken

How to Make Chicken Picadillo - Directions

Pulse chicken thighs, garlic, and chipotle en adobo peppers (and sauce) in a food processor for around 30 seconds checking every 10 seconds to scrape down the sides. You’re aiming for a nice grind, but not a paste. Pulse on the side of conservative.

Bring a large pan with olive oil in it to medium heat. Add ground chicken thigh mixture. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add diced peppers and onions. Cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring every minute or so.

Add cumin, oregano, tomato sauce, and olive juice to the pan. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Add the chopped green olives and reduce heat to medium-low. Put a lid on it until you’re ready to serve! 

Equipment Used

For this Chicken Picadillo recipe, I used a Cuisinart Food Processor (a 9-cup DLC-2009 Series, similar to this one) to quickly break down the chicken thighs.

I cooked the Picadillo in a toughened nonstick Le Creuset Brasier.

I recipe-tested and cooked the Chicken Picadillo on the stovetop of a Kenmore Gas Range (Model 790, an older model stove I’ve been using for the past 8ish years).