I don’t know about you but I always have Cuban picadillo and white rice left over in the fridge.
You too?!
Well, I figured out the best way to repurpose all those leftovers is by making ajies rellenos aka Cuban stuffed peppers. Super easy-to-make and DELICIOUS! I also have a vegan Cuban stuffed peppers recipe too!
Have you ever made ajies rellenos before? Let’s make them!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Great option for leftovers. I don’t like wasting food so repurposing Cuban beef picadillo or turkey picadillo leftovers by stuffing and roasting bell peppers with leftover picadillo and white rice solved the problem immediately. A great option for meal prep too or to make ahead for a dinner party!
- Easy-to-make & versatile recipe. Use red, orange, yellow, or green bell peppers, mix the picadillo with rice, top the stuffed bell peppers with shredded mozzarella cheese, OR top with a homemade tomato-based sauce (recipe below!). Choose your own adventure!
- Bold Cuban flavors. Most Cuban foods are made from tomato-based recipes and picadillo is no exception. Your whole family will LOVE this comforting recipe!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Bell peppers. For this picadillo stuffed peppers recipe, I used 1 red bell pepper, 1 orange bell pepper, and 1 yellow bell pepper sliced lengthwise which makes 6 stuffed peppers. You can also use green bell peppers!
- Cooked picadillo. You can either make beef picadillo or turkey picadillo.
- The ingredients for picadillo are onions, green peppers, garlic, ground beef or ground turkey, tomato sauce, ground cumin, oregano, green olives, and raisins.
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- Cooked white rice. Totally optional but if you have leftover cooked white rice, you can mix it with the beef picadillo and stuff it into the bell peppers. Arroz con picadillo has never looked so good!
- Toppings. You can enjoy these on their own but if you prefer to top them with cheese or sauce, you can do so! Details are in the recipe card below.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Unless you’re using leftovers, make the picadillo. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and green peppers and, sauté for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Next, add ground beef and cook, breaking the meat apart, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat down to medium-low. Stir in cooking wine, tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, and, salt + pepper to taste. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until fragrant and saucy. Remove from the heat. Stir in olives and raisins (if using). Transfer the cooked picadillo to a bowl.
- If you’re using leftover cooked white rice, mix together the cooked picadillo with the cooked rice until well combined. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the sliced bell peppers on a 13×9 baking dish.
- Divide the mixture evenly into each bell pepper. Add 1/2 cup of water to the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake the stuffed peppers for 40-45 minutes until the peppers are moist and tender. Remove from oven. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
It’s that easy!
When you’re done with this recipe, make my Papas Rellenas (Fried Stuffed Potatoes) with the leftover picadillo!
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Love cheese? Feel free to add shredded mozzarella on top of each stuffed pepper.
- Prefer saucy stuffed peppers? Top each stuffed pepper with your favorite salsa, marinara/pasta sauce, or a homemade tomato-based sauce (recipe below!)
- In a saucepan, heat up 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup dry cooking wine, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until all is combined and the sauce is pourable. Spoon this sauce evenly over each stuffed pepper before placing them in the oven. Adapted from icuban.com.
- Storage. You can transfer these stuffed peppers to an airtight container and place them in the fridge for 3-4 days. Allow them to thaw before reheating in the oven.
Serving Tips
You can enjoy ajies rellenos with tostones, sweet plantains, a salad (something simple – romaine lettuce, red onions, cherry tomatoes), sweet potato fries, mashed potatoes, chipotle mashed sweet potatoes, or other roasted veggies.
They are also super flavorful on their own.
Freezing Tips
After baking the stuffed bell peppers, I’d wait until they were cooled completely before freezing. Once they are cooled, you can either transfer them to a freezer-safe airtight container or wrap each stuffed pepper individually in plastic wrap. They should last about 3 months.
Once you’re ready to cook, allow them to thaw and bake them at 350ºF for about 30 minutes until they are fully cooked.
Cuban Stuffed Peppers (Ajies Rellenos)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup diced green pepper
- 3-4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 lb ground beef or ground turkey
- 1/3 cup vino seco (dry cooking wine)
- 6 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon then adjust from there)
- 1/4 cup Spanish olives cut in half
- 2 tablespoons raisins or more to taste optional
- 3 bell peppers halved lengthwise and seeded
- White rice optional
Instructions
- Unless you're using leftovers, make the picadillo. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions and green peppers and, sauté for 2-3 minutes or until softened. Add garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Next, add ground beef and cook, breaking the meat apart, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat down to medium-low. Stir in cooking wine, tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, and, salt + pepper to taste. Simmer for 10-12 minutes until fragrant and saucy. Remove from the heat. Stir in olives and raisins (if using). Transfer the cooked picadillo to a bowl.
- If you're using leftover cooked white rice, mix together the cooked picadillo with the cooked rice until well combined. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place the sliced bell peppers on a 13×9 baking dish.
- Divide the mixture evenly into each bell pepper. Add toppings if using*. Pour 1/2 cup of water into the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.
- Bake the stuffed peppers for 40-45 minutes until the peppers are moist and tender. Remove from oven. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Love cheese? Feel free to add shredded mozzarella on top of each stuffed pepper before roasting.
- Prefer saucy stuffed peppers? Top each stuffed pepper with your favorite salsa, marinara/pasta sauce, or a homemade tomato-based sauce (recipe below!)
- In a saucepan, heat up 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup dry cooking wine, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until all is combined and the sauce is pourable. Spoon this sauce evenly over each stuffed pepper before placing them in the oven. Adapted from icuban.com.
LORRAINE M POLLACHEK says
This is a great idea for leftover picadillo, but it is not a recipe. It is merely instructions for stuffing the bell peppers. How about an actual recipe for Cuban Picadillo?
Jamie Silva says
Hi! If you click on the link for picadillo, the recipe is right there along with a full step by step video!
Lourdes says
From one cuban to another: this is a great way to use the left over picadillo!! Gracias!!
Jamie Silva says
You’re welcome!