Spiced Picadillo with Sweet Potatoes and Olives

By AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-04-13 · Updated 2026-04-13

Ground beef simmered with sweet potatoes, olives, and warm spices for a deeply flavored, one-pot dinner. This Puerto Rican one-pot recipe, ready in about 50 minutes, pairs Ground beef, Onion, and Garlic for a weeknight-friendly dinner. Each serving lands at about 450 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Build a week of meals around this recipe" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 lb Ground beef
• 1 medium Onion
• 3 cloves Garlic
• 2 medium Sweet potatoes
• 1 cup Tomato sauce
• 1/2 cup Olives
• 1 tsp Cumin
• 1 tsp Paprika
• 1 Bay leaf
• 2 tbsp Olive oil
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper

The chef’s knife we’d prep this with → Best Chef's Knives for 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide

Instructions

1. Step 1: Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add 1 medium diced onion and cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
2. Step 2: Add 1 lb ground beef, breaking it up with a spoon. Cook for 5 minutes until browned.
3. Step 3: Stir in 2 medium diced sweet potatoes, 1 cup tomato sauce, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp paprika, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Bring to a simmer.
4. Step 4: Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.
5. Step 5: Stir in 1/2 cup pitted olives and cook for 5 more minutes.