Recipe

Cuban Completa with Congrí and Picadillo

Name: Cuban Completa with Congrí and Picadillo
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 160 g dried red beans (about ¾ cup); Water for soaking and cooking the beans (about 6 cups for cooking); 2 cups long-grain white rice (360-400 g); 2 ¾ to 3 cups of hot bean cooking broth; 1 small onion, finely chopped; ½ green bell pepper or 2 ají cachucha peppers, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or lard; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; 1 bay leaf (optional); Salt to taste; Ground black pepper to taste; 600 g ground beef; 1 medium onion, chopped; ½ green bell pepper, chopped; ½ red bell pepper, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, crushed; 3 tablespoons oil; 150 g tomato sauce; 60 g pitted green olives, sliced; 2 tablespoons raisins (optional, but very traditional); 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed (optional); 60 ml dry cooking wine; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon oregano; Salt and pepper to taste; ¼ cup water, only if needed; 2 very ripe cooking plantains (machos), with very yellow skin and dark spots; Vegetable oil for frying (approx. 1 cm depth in the pan)

Red bean congrí, juicy picadillo a la habanera, fried ripe plantains and fresh avocado all in one dish: the classic Cuban Completa.

CiberCubaNovember 6, 2026

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Preparation30 min
Cooking1 h 15 min
Total time1 h 45 min
Servings4 servings
DifficultyMedium

In Cuba, when someone says they ate a Cuban Completa, everyone understands: a generous combination plate with rice, meat, root vegetables and salad, the criollo lunch that truly fills you up. This version brings together four classics of home cooking on one plate: red bean congrí, picadillo a la habanera with olives and tomato sauce, fried ripe plantains and slices of fresh avocado.

It is midday food, for Sunday family gatherings or any day you want to eat like at grandma's house. The trick is to organize yourself: while the congrí cooks over low heat, the picadillo simmers in another pan and the maduros are fried at the end, so everything arrives hot at the table.

Method

Congrí

The night before, wash the red beans and soak them for 8-12 hours in plenty of water.
Drain them, place them in a pressure cooker and cover with about 6 cups of clean water, without filling the pot more than halfway. Cook for 20-30 minutes from when the pot builds pressure, until they are tender but the skins remain intact; in a regular pot it will take about 60-90 minutes. Always follow your pressure cooker's instructions and let the pressure drop before opening. Drain and reserve the beans and 3 cups of the broth separately.
In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil or lard and sauté the onion and pepper for 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook for 30 seconds, without letting them burn. Incorporate the cooked beans and mix gently.
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Add the rice and stir with the sofrito for 1 minute. Pour in 2 ¾ to 3 cups of hot bean broth, depending on how much your rice absorbs, and add salt, pepper and the bay leaf if using. When it comes to a boil, cover and cook over very low heat for 18-22 minutes without stirring. Turn off, let rest covered for 5-10 minutes and fluff the grains with a fork: the congrí must be loose, not soupy.
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Picadillo a la habanera

While the congrí is cooking, heat the 3 tablespoons of oil in a wide pan and sauté the onion, green pepper, red pepper and garlic for about 5 minutes, until tender.
Add the ground beef, season with cumin, oregano, salt and pepper and cook for 7-10 minutes, breaking up lumps with a spoon, until it has completely lost its pink color.
Incorporate the tomato sauce, olives, raisins, capers if using, and dry wine. Stir and cook over medium-low heat for 12-15 minutes, until well stewed and juicy. If it dries out, add a splash of water, but do not let it become watery.
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Fried maduros

Peel the ripe plantains and cut them into diagonal slices 1 cm thick.
Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat and fry the slices in batches, 2-3 minutes per side, until golden and caramelized. Drain on paper towels. They must be tender and sweet: they are not tostones.
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Avocado and assembly

Just before serving, cut the avocados into wedges or slices. If you like, drizzle with a few drops of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
On each plate, serve a generous portion of congrí, one of picadillo with some of its sauce, 3 or 4 slices of fried maduro and several avocado wedges. Keep the four components well separated, not covering each other. Serve immediately, with the congrí, picadillo and maduros hot and the avocado fresh.
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Tips and variations

The congrí in this recipe uses red beans. Do not confuse it with moros y cristianos, which is made with black beans.

To save time, use between 1 ¼ and 1 ½ cups of cooked red beans and their broth, provided the broth is not too salty. If you do not have enough broth, top up with water until you have the liquid required by the rice and adjust according to the grain variety.

The picadillo can include raisins, olives and capers; it must be flavorful and juicy, never dry or watery. You can make it with a mix of beef and pork.

To get ahead, cook the beans the day before and store them in the refrigerator with their broth, and prepare the picadillo in advance. Freshly made rice and freshly fried maduros always taste better.

Storage: the congrí and picadillo keep for 3 days in the refrigerator, in covered containers; reheat them well until they are hot throughout. The maduros and avocado are best enjoyed immediately.