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My hearty, filling Cuban Ropa Vieja recipe is made all in one pot for an easy-yet-comforting dinner any time of year! Slow-cooked to perfection after just 15 minutes of prep, ropa vieja is comfort food at its best.
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How to Make Ropa Vieja
- Slice flank steak into 8 large pieces and season generously with sea salt. Set a large pot (such as a Dutch Oven) over medium-high heat, then add olive oil. Once hot, sear the steak on both sides, approximately 5 minutes total just to brown.
- Set the steak aside. In the same pot, add the remaining olive oil. Add sliced peppers and onion and saute until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, cumin, and oregano, and cook until softened and well-mixed.
- Pour in wine. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and simmer until reduced by half, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add tomatoes with their juices, and the bay leaves. Smash tomatoes in the pot with a wooden spoon to break them up.
- Add the steak back to the pot along with water. Cover the pot. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until tender enough to shred, approximately 3 hours.
- Once tender, transfer the steaks to a cutting board and shred with forks.
- Add the steak back to the stew and simmer until the liquid reduces to a thick sauce, about 10 minutes.
- Mix in green olives and season with additional salt and pepper. Spoon over rice and beans, and serve topped with cilantro if desired.
Alternative Cooking Methods
Slow Cooker
You can make slow cooker ropa vieja following these instructions:
- Follow all of the same directions to sear the beef and saute the vegetables.
- Cook on HIGH for 4-5 hours or LOW for 8-9 hours.
While you can simply add everything to the slow cooker and cook hands-off, which is what I do when I'm short on time, the flavor is way better if you prep it beforehand!
Instant Pot
You can also make ropa vieja in the Instant Pot with these instructions:
- Follow all of the same directions to sear the beef and saute the vegetables. You can do this using the Instant Pot's "saute" function.
- Once seared, cook all ingredients on HIGH for 45 minutes, then naturally release the pressure.
Ropa Vieja Recipe Tips
- Stew the beef until it shreds easily with two forks. This usually takes about 3 hours. If it doesn't shred easily, it's not ready yet.
- Use smoked paprika, not regular paprika, for an even more intense taste!
- Flank steak is the best choice for making true ropa vieja, but you can also use skirt steak, chuck roast, or any other stew beef that shreds well.
- If you love this dish, you will surely love my Chicken Birria Tacos or Carne Picada Tacos. They are truly delicious!
FAQ
Ropa vieja is a Cuban dish consisting of flank steak in a tomato-based stew with onions, bell peppers, garlic, and a blend of seasonings. The beef braises in the stew until it's tender enough to shred into thin shreds with a fork.
Although flank steak is the traditional choice for ropa vieja, you can also use skirt steak or chuck roast. Or, you can forego beef and use chicken or pork. As long as the meat stews well and shreds easily, you can make ropa vieja.
If you enjoyed the recipe, leave a comment and a rating below!
Cuban Ropa Vieja
The first time I tried Ropa Vieja was at a Cuban restaurant here in Florida. The deep flavor of the stew was so satisfying, I knew I had to learn how to prepare it at home to have again!
Cuban Ropa Vieja is essentially shredded beef stew. It's the national dish of Cuba, with Ropa Vieja translating to "old clothes". Complete with peppers, onions, garlic, and plenty of seasoning and sauce, it's a hearty meal ideal for serving with a side of black beans, sweet plantains, and Spanish rice.
But, you can serve it in so many more ways! You will love this Cuban ropa vieja recipe served over crispy potatoes, in pulled beef sandwiches, or scooped into taco shells and pan-fried like quesabirria.
Cuban Ropa Vieja
Equipment
- 1 Large pot such as a Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds flank steak
- 3 teaspoons sea salt - divided, plus more
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil - divided
- 2 bell peppers - preferably 1 red and 1 yellow, seeded and sliced
- ½ yellow onion - sliced
- 4 cloves garlic - minced
- 4 Tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 28 ounce whole peeled tomatoes - canned
- 3 dried bay leaves
- ½ cup spanish olives
- fresh cilantro for garnish - optional
Instructions
- Slice flank steak into 8 large pieces and season generously with sea salt. Set a large pot (such as a Dutch Oven) over medium-high heat, then add 2 Tablespoons olive oil. Once hot, sear the steak on both sides, approximately 5 minutes total just to brown.2.5 pounds flank steak,3 teaspoons sea salt,4 Tablespoons olive oil
- Set the steak aside. In the same pot, add the remaining olive oil. Add sliced peppers and onion and saute until softened, 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, paprika, cumin, and oregano, and cook until softened and well-mixed.4 Tablespoons olive oil,2 bell peppers,½ yellow onion,4 cloves garlic,4 Tablespoons tomato paste,1 Tablespoon smoked paprika,1 teaspoon cumin,2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Pour in wine. Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, and simmer until reduced by half, about 4-5 minutes.1 cup dry white wine
- Add tomatoes with their juices, and the bay leaves. Smash tomatoes in the pot with a wooden spoon to break them up.28 ounce whole peeled tomatoes,3 dried bay leaves
- Add the steak back to the pot along with water. Cover the pot.2.5 pounds flank steak
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer until tender enough to shred, approximately 3 hours. Once tender, transfer the steaks to a cutting board and shred with forks.
- Add the steak back to the stew and simmer until the liquid reduces to a thick sauce, about 10 minutes.
- Mix in olives and season with additional salt and pepper. Spoon over rice and beans, and serve topped with cilantro if desired.½ cup spanish olives,fresh cilantro for garnish
Notes
- Stew the beef until it shreds easily with a fork, about 3 hours.
- Use smoked paprika for deeper flavor.
- Other than flank steak, you can also use skirt steak, chuck roast, or any stew beef.
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