Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja (Cuban Beef)
182 Comments May 10, 2024
Updated Jul 23, 2024
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The moment I saw this Ropa Vieja meal, I knew I must try it in the slow cooker. Shredded beef recipes in the slow cooker are where I shine and I have no doubts you’ll love this flavorful meal as well.
Shredded beef is wonderful in the slow cooker! In addition to this recipe, also try Amish Pot Roast, Slow Cooker Carne Asada, Slow Cooker London Broil, or Mexican Shredded Beef.
Table of Contents
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 this is because the meat looks like really old shredded clothes. It’s 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 lent to the overall character of the sauce. Other cuban recipes we love are Slow Cooker Cuban Sandwiches, or Slow Cooker Cuban Pork.
Recipe Ingredients
- Beef flank steak: I like to use a flank with lots of marbling for good flavor and texture. A chuck roast can be used as well. We also use this cut in our slow cooker flank steak recipe.
- Beef broth: Helps flavor the steak during cooking.
- Canned tomato paste: Creates a nice tomato flavor.
- Veggies: Canned diced tomatoes, one sweet onion, olives, and green and orange bell peppers add flavor and heartiness to the dish.
- Seasonings: Fresh garlic, kosher salt, black pepper, oregano, cumin, apple cider vinegar, and turmeric adds a flavor combo that’s out of this world. (Find the full recipe in the recipe card below the photos).
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – Add the beef broth, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, turmeric, and apple cider vinegar to the slow cooker and stir.
Step Two – Add the flank steak.
Step Three – Flip the steak around in the sauce.
Step Four – Add on top of the meat the onion, bell peppers, olives, and garlic cloves.
Step Five – Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on LOW for 9 hours or HIGH for 5 hours.
Step Six – Shred the beef right in the crockpot with two forks, softly stir to combine, and serve. Enjoy!
How to Serve Ropa Vieja
- Yellow rice, either homemade or store-bought, pair well with this recipe. Yellow Rice from Mahatma (pictured 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.
- Green salad and dressing and/or cuban black beans are tasty and complimentary side dish options.
- This delicious recipe can be turned into tacos by serving the shredded beef in warm tortillas with your favorite taco toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheese, and salsa.
- You can also use the shredded beef as a filling for bell peppers. Simply stuff the peppers, top with cheese, and bake until the peppers are tender and the cheese is melted.
Recipe FAQs
Try my Slow Cooker Cuban Pork recipe, it has a citrus-based sauce and is just as good as this Ropa Vieja.
Pour any remaining ropa vieja in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Feel free to add other vegetables, such as carrots, celery, or peas, to enhance the flavor. You can also add some spice with chili powder, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce.
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Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja (Cuban Beef)
Equipment
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
Sarah’s Notes
- Pork shoulder can be used instead of flank steak.
- Pour any remaining ropa vieja in an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
- Feel free to add other vegetables, such as carrots, celery, or peas, to enhance the flavor. You can also add some spice with chili powder, cayenne pepper, or hot sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
I grew up in Florida and love Cuban food. This recipe excited me immediately and is a perfect, easy going version of this Cuban classic. Yep, even my Cuban friends applauded this dish!
I just visited Cuba for three weeks and I had this dish there several times. Sooo delicious! Now I’m looking for a good recipe to cook it at home. It seems I found it. Thank you! The Cubans told me it’s called “old clothing” because it originates from using leftover meat that isn’t enough to feed the whole family, so you stretch it into a stew with vegetables and whatever you have on hand. Just like upsycling old clothing.
Can you leave out the olives? I am the oddity of the world because I DO NOT like them!
They do add a little vinegar flavor, but you can leave them out if you want.
I made this recipe in the crockpot using a 3 lb beef brisket. It was bland until I doubled the cumin, turmeric and oregano called for. Served it over yellow rice and it went over very well the group of 10 I served.
Amazing! My kids favorite meal and the ONLY way I make Ropa Vieja for my family which has both Cuban and Puerto Rican roots. Thank you for making this amazingly good and easy!
Excellent!!!
My Cuban husband misses Ropa so much from growing up in Florida. I’ve tried other recipes in the past and they were lack luster. He said the olives were very unique as he’s never seen them in the dish before but that it was really good and pretty spot on for the flavor profile. Our 7 year old also really liked it. I have a feeling this will be cooked many times in our house.
So I made it for a potluck at my job and it was a hit. I kept getting compliments. The only difference is I added 1 tsp of Adobo and 1 tsp of Sazon and I added 2 Bay leaves, it was also cooking for 10 hours and then at work it was on the warm setting from 8:30 A.M. to about 2 P.M. dunno if that in itself intensified the flavor but it was all gone
I agree, for my taste I added 2 tsp each of adobo, cumin, and oregano. Very tasty, and my mom used to makes Ropa Vieja for my dad all the time. She is from PR and he was Cuban.
I’ve made this recipe before and it is just delicious. My family begs me to make it for them often.
Some questions I had as I am preparing to make it this weekend!
Would you recommend any other cut than flank beef steak? Do you use the olives with pimento?
A chuck roast would work great. And yes, the olives with pimento are the correct ones.
I’ve made this twice it was liked both times but ide like to make it a little more Spanish how much Sazon and/or Adobe should I add
I have not tested, you could add a little at the beginning, then add more later if needed.