Are you wanting to try something new in your Slow Cooker? Look no further; this Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja is a unique but delicious meal to try!
The moment I saw this meal, I knew I must try it in the slow cooker. Shredded beef recipes in the slow cooker are where I shine, LOL.
Why is it called Ropa Vieja?
If you have never heard of Ropa Vieja, it’s a Cuban national dish that means old clothes; I’m guessing because the meat looks like really old shredded clothes?
Not a great name for a recipe, I know! Let’s move past that strange name and see what delicious ingredients create this beautiful dish.
This recipe is not spicy, but still full of great flavors. The sauce has diced tomatoes, tomato paste, beef broth, apple cider vinegar, turmeric, cumin, oregano, garlic, bell pepper, onion and green olives.
I wasn’t sure if the green olives would overpower this dish, they did not at all. The olives added a bit more vinegar flavor which lends to the overall character of the sauce.
How to make:
Ingredients:
- Beef flank steak
- Beef broth
- Canned tomato paste
- Canned diced tomatoes
- Salt and pepper
- Oregano
- Cumin
- Tumeric
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Bell peppers
- Spanish Olives
- Garlic cloves
Directions:
- Add the beef broth, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, turmeric, and apple cider vinegar to the slow cooker and stir. Add the flank steak and flip it around in that sauce.
- Add on top of the meat the onion, bell peppers, olives, and garlic cloves.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on low for 9 hours or high for 5 hours.
What to serve with Ropa Vieja:
- Yellow rice; homemade or store-bought
- Green salad and dressing
- Cuban black beans
I was on the hunt for yellow rice to serve with this, since I was in no mood to make it from scratch. Let me tell you that Mahatma Yellow Rice below is impressive. It tastes like chicken, but the flavor is from saffron and turmeric. I highly recommend trying this and get two bags because they are tiny.
Try this new recipe this week and you won’t regret it! I have made this over and over since first publishing this recipe. Enjoy!
Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja (Cuban Beef)
Equipment Needed:
- Slow Cooker Size: 4 quart or larger
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs. beef flank steak
- 1 cup beef broth
- 6 oz. can tomato paste
- 14 oz. can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 1 tsp. oregano
- 1 tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. turmeric
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 small white onion diced
- 2 bell peppers (orange and green) diced
- 1 cup Spanish olives
- 3 whole garlic cloves peeled
Instructions:
- Add the beef broth, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, turmeric and apple cider vinegar to the slow cooker. Stir.
- Add the flank steak and flip it around in the sauce so it gets coated. Add the bell pepper, onion, olives and garlic cloves, mix those items together to combine on top of the meat.
- Cover and cook on low for 9 hours on LOW or on HIGH for 5 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time. Shred the meat with 2 forks right in the slow cooker.
- Serve with yellow rice and enjoy!
How to Video:
Nutrition:
Want pork instead of beef?
Try my Slow Cooker Cuban Pork recipe, it has a citrus based sauce and is just as good as this Ropa Vieja.
Can you substitute the steak with a roast?
yes, that will work fine!
We love this recipe!! I have a question though, have you ever made it in the oven? I have my Cuban family coming in 3 weeks and we need more than my slow-cooker can accommodate! I was wanting to do it in a roasting pan, obviously low heat, but have you ever experimented with oven cooking?
Haven,t made it yet but can,t wait to try it. Looks great!
My family calls it Ropa Vieja because the day before my mom would boil the beef to make soup stock then the meat would make Ropa Vieja the next day. We also put the cooked meat in a large baggie and carefully smash it to shred it.
One of my most requested dishes.