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!
Shredded beef is wonderful in the slow cooker! In addition to this recipe, also try Amish Pot Roast, Carne Asada or Mexican Shredded Beef.
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.
Recipe 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
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. Add the flank steak and flip it around in that sauce.
Step Two – Add on top of the meat the onion, bell peppers, olives, and garlic cloves.
Step Three – 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 Yellow Rice from Mahatma 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.
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.
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Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja (Cuban Beef)
Equipment Needed:
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 Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
Claudita4908 says
This recipe is delicious, the family loves it. I have a hard time finding flank steak, but it is worth the effort. I wonder what other veggies I could add to it though? Green beans, corn?
Perri says
I love this dish! It is absolutely delicious! Flank steak turned out very tender, shredding was no problem. The gravy was so good over Basmati rice. It’s a keeper.
Sally Fridge says
Hi, Sarah. This was SO easy to put together and the flavors are incredible. I love it with the saffron rice, too. I didn’t have any bell peppers and did not feel like going to the store so found some sliced carrots and sliced up some celery and used that instead. It is fine with that, too, though the next time I make it I will make sure I have the peppers. Also, we like it so much, we want more “gravy” or “sauce” with it so we are going to increase the beef broth-probably double it and maybe double the tomatoes and increase the apple cider vinegar just a little bit and see how that works out. May have to adjust some other ingredients to make it right. Maybe I should just double all the liquidy stuff but for the paste…hmm, that’s a thought. I don’t know if I should double the herbs/spices though-probably not since I am not planning to double the meat. Also, we will double the olives, or more. We LOVE olives and the flavor they add to this dish. So good! Thanks for the recipe! Sally
Sarah Olson says
I think all your additions will be great next time. In fact I never make anything the same twice!
Marlene Almaguer says
I forgot to put earlier do you think 6 hours on high would be ok?
Sarah Olson says
I think so!
Reuben says
My mother would cut the onions long ways so it would go with the strands of beef when you shred it which is bestly done by using your hands and a fork. Some add green peas, etc etc. olives are fine as well and are seen often, but the ones with peppermint in them, medium sized olives, and not too many.
Michelle says
I.don’t eat any beef but i came across this recipe and the sauce looks delicious. I think I’m going to try it with chicken and chicken stock. Obviously it will be a completely different dish but any thoughts on the flavor combination? Thanks
Natalie says
I made it without tomato paste can. i recook it with the paste to thicken it up?
Sarah Olson says
I don’t see why not, it may only need a half can at this point.
Natalie says
Trying it now
Natalie says
Came out great
Cara Castiglio says
My husband and I just made this recipe. We may have cooked it for a little more than 9hours, while it was on warm–the flavor was delicious–but the beef–although easily shredded, was very tough and chewy. We saved it by cutting the strands down with a scissor. What do you think I did wrong—I am wondering how it would turn out with stew beef–cubed or ground?
Carlos Llarena says
If you use stewing beef (I wouldn’t recommend ground) it would be just as tasty (I’ve done that). Just don’t call it Ropa Vieja. You may want to try it on high for 6 hours. My preference is a pressure cooker and have never done it in a slow cooker. Good luck
Anonymous says
Cara Castiglio, if you use flank steak ,the meat will be tough if you cook it more than 15 min. If you use Brisquet no more than 25 but the truth is that in Cuba we did not use the crock pot for ropa vieja ,we used pressure cooker.
Gina says
Can u use a londen broil
Sarah Olson says
I think that would be great!
Linda Pong says
My family small only 4 of us, my kids are 1 and 5. Can I make the portion size smaller of what the recipe calls for? Will it still taste good?
Sarah Olson says
I think so, if it was me I would cut a flank steak in half and freeze the other half. Follow the recipe as written, but less salt. You’ll have extra sauce but it will still be good!
Linda Pong says
Thank you can’t wait to try it. Never made cuban food before lol
Carlos Llarena says
It freezes well
Kristy says
I’m having a hard time finding flank steak what is your best substitute?
Sarah Olson says
Hi Kristi! Any beef roast would do fine, chuck roast you would have to degrease the sauce at the end. Bottom roast may be a good option too. Flank steak lately in my stores has been in plastic packs with black backing. Not packaged by the in house butcher.
Terri says
Kristy, I recommend a sirloin tip. I use it for my Italian beef and it’s also stringy, tender, shreds well and it’s amazing!
Danielle says
Could this be made in a pressure cooker? Such as an instant pot?
Sarah Olson says
I’m sure it could! Here is a recipe I found. https://fueledbyinstantpot.com/instant-pot-ropa-vieja/
Carlos Llarena says
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/79301/cuban-ropa-vieja/