Delicious Slow Cooker Cuban Ropa Vieja
I’ve got an pretty great main dish recipe for you today! This awesome and delicious slow cooker Cuban Ropa Vieja recipe is great all times of year!
I don’t remember the first time I was introduced to Cuban food. I know it was in my early twenties.
Growing up in Brooklyn I’d always been eating Latin food, and when I met my Puerto Rican husband at 15 years old, I REALLY fell in love with Spanish cuisine. His mom was the best cook!
Cuban food was different though. It was Latin cuisine with a twist. I never made it at home, I’d always frequent the many Cuban spots in NYC. There are SO many good cuban restaurants in NYC!
Then, a few years ago I was introduced to a famous eatery in Miami called Versailles. The food was just out of this world. My friends and I may or may not have eaten there 3 different times during our 4 day trip. It’s THAT good.
There are so many Cuban main dishes that I LOVE but my absolute favorite is ropa vieja which is flank steak beef cooked slowed and pulled apart just like it’s a rope. Very much like skirt steak!
What is Ropa Vieja?
Ropa vieja is one of the national dishes of Cuba, but is also popular in other areas or parts of the Caribbean such as Puerto Rico and Panama, as well as in Spain and the Philippines. It consists of shredded or pulled stewed beef with vegetables. In the Cuban cuisine of Miami, Florida, it is typical for ropa vieja to have a sweet undertone.
Ropa Vieja is served with white rice and plantanos— or plantains that are fried or boiled. I can pretty much eat this dish for the rest of my life. You slow cook 2 pounds of flank steak for 4-5 hours, separate it with two forks and boom a delicious dinner that is so yummy!
Related: Easy Crockpot Pepper Steak Recipe
This recipe is so easy because you are just throwing everything in a slow cooker and letting it do it’s thing. The flavors and the spices marinate perfectly (and the house smells amazing too!!). You know how much I love my slow cooker–especially these amazing cheddar mashed potatoes!
What should I eat my ropa vieja with?
Ropa Vieja is classically served with white rice, but yellow rice works too! A spring salad is always a nice addition and if you are truly looking for an authentic experience friend plantains is the way to go!
Delicious Slow Cooker Cuban Ropa Vieja
A super yummy main dish of Cuban Ropa Vieja slow cooked to perfection!
Ingredients
- 2 pounds flank steak
- 1 28-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes, drained
- 2 red bell peppers, sliced
- 1 medium onion, cut into chunks
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 cup long-grain jasmine rice
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Instructions
- In the bottom of a slow cooker, add the tomatoes, peppers, onion.
- Stir to combine.
- Add the oregano, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Stir to combine.
- Place the steak in the crock pot.
- Cover on the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours.
- Prepare your rice as directed and set to the side.
- When the meat is done, shred the beef using two forks.
- Stir to combine all flavors.
- Serve the beef over the rice, topped with cilantro.
- ENJOY!!
Hi! I’m Nellie. I am a busy mama of three, wife to my high school sweetheart who loves to cook, workout and stay organized! I love to share helpful printables, the best recipes and fitness tips for the modern mom. I strongly believe that every mom can feed their family well, take proper care of themselves and have fun along the way! Read my story.
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