Ropa Vieja Recipe
Ropa vieja, originating in Spain but made famous in Cuba, delivers succulent stewed beef in a well-seasoned tomato base. And a slow cooker makes it easy enough for a crazy weeknight meal, while still being a party-worthy main course.
Today, my friends, I’m excited to share a super flavorful, tender beef recipe from Cuba. Even though I’ve enjoyed it countless times in restaurants, I had never made it at home until recently. I’m in love with the name, which literally means old clothes. The shredded beef resembles rags, but I guarantee it tastes a whole lot better.
I used to live within walking distance of a super popular Cuban restaurant in Los Angeles, but I’m not in LA anymore. And since it was hot out and I didn’t want to heat up the oven, I broke out my Crock-Pot.
Which Roast Is Best
The flank steak is standard because it has long muscle strands and becomes amazingly tender when braised in the oven or simmered in a slow cooker. If you don’t have flank steak, skirt steak (less fat) or a chuck roast will work fine. You can even use a leg of lamb or pork roast.
How to Make Ropa Vieja
- Trim and season the flank steak, sear it, make the sofrito, and add the broth.
- Add the flank steak, cover, and simmer or braise until tender. Let the beef cool slightly, then shred it and add it back to the sauce.
Recipe Tips
- If you prefer using a slow cooker, sear the flank steak, make the sauce, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cook it on high for 4-6 hours, or low for 8-9 hours. Shred the beef, return it to the slow cooker, and simmer for another 20-30 minutes to bring it all together.
- Searing the beef and sautéing the aromatics add flavor, but if you’re short on time, just put all of the ingredients in the Dutch oven or slow cooker, and call it good. The difference is not a deal-breaker, and done is better than stressed.
- Replace half of the broth with dry white wine for more umami.
Make Ahead and Leftover Makeovers
Feel free to make this dish a day or two ahead and keep it in the fridge for more flavor development. Leftovers will last 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or the freezer for up to 6 months.
Delicious ways to take advantage of leftovers include empanadas, tostados, tacos, and sandwiches. One of my favorite ways to use leftover meat is a breakfast hash.
What to Serve With Ropa Vieja
The traditional sides are rice and beans with a side of fried sweet plantains. Tostones or yuca fries are also common. A citrus salad (chopped Romaine, sliced radish, cherry tomatoes, and a bright vinaigrette), sliced avocados, and pickled onions will balance everything out.
More Fabulous Latin-American Recipes to Try
By Imma
Ropa Vieja
Ingredients
- 2-2½ pounds (1kg) flank steak, skirt steak, or chuck roast
- 1½ teaspoons (9g) salt
- 2½ tablespoons (35g) Sazon (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil (more as needed)
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1 large onion, sliced
- 4-5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips (red and green work fine)
- 2 tomatoes, sliced into strips
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 teaspoon (3g) smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon (3g) ground cumin
- 2½ teaspoons (12g) Sazon (or beef or chicken bouillon)
- 1-2 cups (236-472ml) beef broth
- 2-3 tablespoons (8-12g) chopped parsley or cilantro
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim the beef of excess fat, then season it with salt and Sazon to taste.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium heat, and sear the beef on both sides until browned (3-4 minutes per side). Set it aside.
- Add more oil if necessary, then toss in the bay leaves, onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatoes, tomato sauce, thyme, paprika, cumin, and more Sazon. Saute for 3-5 minutes, then pour in the broth. Turn off the heat and pour about ¾ of the sauce into the slow cooker (reserving the rest of the sauce for later).
- Add the meat back, cover with the lid or aluminum foil, and simmer on low until tender and easily shredded (3-4 hours). You could also braise it in a 325℉ (160℃) oven. Check the liquid level occasionally and add more broth if needed. Remove the steak from the pan, and set it aside to cool slightly. As soon as you can touch it without burning yourself, shred it using two forks.
- Add the shredded beef back to the pan with the sauce, and stir well. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste, and garnish with chopped parsley or cilantro. Serve with rice, black beans, and tostones.
Tips & Notes:
- Instead of the Sazon blend, you can mix 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon ground coriander seeds, and ½ teaspoon smoked paprika. As always, adjust to taste.
- Optional but delicious add-ins include green olives, capers, and pimientos.
- Please keep in mind that the nutritional information is approximate and can vary immensely based on the ingredients used in the recipe.
Hello! I’m not a very intuitive cook so I need some clarification The instructions say to put half the ingredients into the crockpot. I assume we are refrigerating the remaining half? And then at the end, we scoop 2 cups of sauce from the crockpot and…add it to the refrigerated sauce? And then heat it up on the skillet? And then pour it over the beef?
Hi Chelsea. It’s been a while since I’ve created this recipe, and honestly, I take more shortcuts now. What I do now is use one cup of broth and add all the sauce at the same time. You can add more broth later if it seems too dry. Please let me know if you try it. I will definitely put it on my schedule to update the recipe with clarifications. Thanks 🙂
I bought tomato paste by accident instead of sauce. I read the recipe wrong. Should I add more broth so it’s not too thick?
That will work. I’ve done the same thing when I ran out of sauce and only had paste. Add an equal amount of broth to paste, Then season it with a little garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano for a more sauce-like flavor. Happy cooking!!
Never worked with sazon before, I see there a few different blends- which one works best for this recipe? Is this seasoning where the heat comes from? We are family of tender mouths.. if it’s spicier than milk, we have a hard time with it. How do we lessen the heat in the recipe? The ropa I had as child wasn’t spicy and was one of my absolute favorite meals!! <3
Hi Jenna.
Sazón is a popular Latin seasoning blend that can vary in ingredients depending on the brand or regional recipe. It often contains a mix of spices like garlic powder, onion powder, and sometimes cumin, along with achiote (annatto) for color. Generally, sazón is not particularly spicy, but it’s always a good idea to check the ingredient list for any hot spices if you’re concerned about heat.
If you’re concerned about spiciness, you can make your own sazón blend at home to control the heat level. Simply mix garlic powder, onion powder, and a bit of cumin and coriander to taste. You can also add a pinch of turmeric or paprika for color, if you like.
Hope this helps.
Ok I am pumped for this meal, I have cooked in the past but struggle with any type of beef in the crock pot as sometimes I find it just so tough and not at all soft or fork ready to pull apart any suggestions I don’t want to mess this recipe up!
I’m so glad you’re going to try it. Normally, when a beef cut that does well cooked low and slow is still tough, it just needs more time (and maybe more liquid because dry meat is tough). Everyone’s slow cooker, climate, altitude, etc. is different so adjust accordingly. Please let me know how it goes:heart_eyes:
Do you have a recipe for the rice and tostones?
Of course! Here’s the link for the tostones- https://www.africanbites.com/how-to-make-tostones/
I love it with coconut rice- https://www.africanbites.com/savory-coconut-rice/
Hope you enjoy them!
It was amazing omg wow sooo good thx
WOW the flavor of the beef is amazing. It’s spicy but not hot. I also made the tostones. Interesting but good. But the Ropa Vieja is now going to be my slow cooker chuck roast recipe. It’s great as is but will workout great in taquitos, quesadillas, tacos, burritos. Yes it that good. Thanks for the recipe.
Have you ever made this in an instant pot? Just wonder if anyone has had success with that and if it required any adjustments.
Hi Debbie! I haven’t tried it but yes, you can cook it in the instant pot (just maybe give 45 minutes per pound of meat) with the pressure cooker setting. You can also cut the beef into smaller pieces to easily soften the meat, then just follow the rest of the recipe instructions. Let me know how it goes!
Could I make this with bone in chicken?
Yes you can.
Can not wait to try and make this…looks awesome! I would like to know what sazon flavor packet you used since there is a few to chose from and I have never used it before and want to get this recipe right. Thanks for your great recipes and the info!!
For this recipe, I used Coriander & Annatto. Any variety would do just fine. No need to sweat it
Its “Tostones”. Not “tontones”. Means dumb people
Can you put all the sauce from the pan into the crockpot and also why are you using only 2 cups from the crockpot and not all of it? Going to make tomorrow. Thanks
Hi Beth. I leave some of the sauce in the pan to use in making the final “sauce” for this dish. Also, I use only 2 cups of sauce from the crockpot so that I have a thicker sauce for the shredded beef. Feel free to adjust the consistency to your liking. Do let me know how it turns out for you :).
Thanks for the fast replay. It turned out amazing, everyone loves it. Thanks again.