Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja (Cuban Beef)
186 Comments May 10, 2024
Updated May 10, 2025
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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.
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)
How to Video
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!
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.
Growing up in Mexico we made another Mexican version of Ropa Vieja adding chipotle peppers and garbanzos. Gives it a spicy and Smokey flavor …
Can you use London broil instead of flank steak?
Made this and it gets 5 stars. The flavor is fantastic. Flank Steak is a bit expensive, and some aren’t fond of the “stringy-ness” of it, but that’s OK. I would imagine a chuck roast or big london broil would also work, if you too aren’t a fan of Flank steak stringy-ness. But if you’re on the fence about this one, dont be. It was a great meal, and I will be making this again.
Made this for the first time in my slow cooker and WOW! The flavor was so good and rich, infused with the garlic, jalapeno and bell peppers. I did leave out the onion to save some time, but I don’t think it affected the flavor much. I’m now going to try several other of your recipes. Thank you!
Can I add potatoes? Would it suck up too much if the sauce?
I think it would be fine!
I couldn’t find flank steak so I’m using a pork butt that’s a little over 3lbs. Any idea what the cook time would be?
I would do 9 hours on low or about 6 on high.
Thank you! Cooked on low for 9 hrs, turned out great!!
You can but I wouldn’t add it. This Cuban dish normally doesn’t contain potato.
I only have 2 lbs of flank steak. Do I need to adjust the other ingredients? If so, what measurements should I use?
You could try to cut back everything by 1/3 or I personally would make everything as is (except 2lbs of steak) and you will just end up with extra sauce.
Could you use a skirt steak for this recipe ?
Yes! will work great.
That’s a very high sodium content, I’m gonna try it with low sodium broth.
I made this 2 days ago. It came out great! The only thing I would change is maybe use 1 1/2 pound of flank steak. I followed directions to the “T”. It didn’t seem to have enough liquid. Still great!! I could not believe the supermarket carried you yellow rice. Went fantastic together. Definitely will make this again.
No pressure cooker or sloow cooker. I was thinking of sealing it tight and cooking overnight on low. Will that work?
You can do it in the oven, here is a good recipe to follow for the times. https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/14657/ropa-vieja/
A co- worker made this at a party for work and cooked the everying thing in a presure cooker/ slow cooker at work as soon as he came in. We all ate it over califlower rice (he’s on keto diet) and everyone got at least 3 helpings each. EXCELLENT RECIPE. Thanks!