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Slow-Cooker Ropa Vieja

Category: Meals (Cuban-FL, citrus, pork, chicken, rice) Yield: 4 servings (scale 2/4/6/8 in the app) Prep 20 min Cook 490 min Total 510 min Method: SLOW_COOKER Main: beef

Ropa vieja is shredded beef simmered with peppers, onions, and tomato until it falls apart into tender strands. The slow cooker does most of the work; serve it with white rice and black beans. Scale the people count in the app to 2, 4, 6, or 8 — ingredients adjust from this base of 4 servings.

Open interactive cooker (change people count)

Food safety

Start with fully thawed beef and keep the lid on so the slow cooker stays hot. Beef is safe at 145°F with a 3-minute rest, though it must cook much hotter to shred. Do not cool leftovers in the crock; move them to shallow containers and chill within 2 hours (1 hour if above 90°F).

Allergens: None listed

Equipment

  • slow cooker (5- to 6-quart)
  • large skillet
  • tongs
  • two forks
  • knife
  • cutting board
  • instant-read thermometer

Ingredients (for 4 servings)

  • 2 pounds flank steak or beef chuck roast, thawed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • 15 ounces canned crushed tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup beef broth
  • 2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 bay leaves

Directions

  1. 1. Use fully thawed beef — never put frozen meat in a slow cooker. Pat the beef dry, cut it into 3 or 4 pieces to fit, and season with the salt and pepper.

  2. 2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef 3 minutes per side, then move it to the slow cooker. Wash hands and tools after handling raw beef.

  3. 3. Wash the bell peppers under running water before slicing. Scatter the onion, peppers, and garlic over the beef.

  4. 4. Whisk the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, broth, cumin, and oregano, pour over the beef, and tuck in the bay leaves.

  5. 5. Cover and cook on LOW 8 hours (or HIGH 4 to 5 hours), keeping the lid on, until the beef shreds easily with a fork.

  6. 6. Check the beef with an instant-read thermometer. Beef is safe at 145°F with a 3-minute rest, but it only shreds when cooked much hotter, typically 195°F or above.

  7. 7. Remove the bay leaves. Shred the beef with two forks right in the cooker, stir it into the sauce, and let stand 10 minutes.

  8. 8. Serve over rice. Move leftovers out of the crock into shallow containers and chill within 2 hours (1 hour if the room is above 90°F).

Skill taught

Slow-cooking a tough cut of beef until it shreds easily.

Affordable substitution

Beef chuck roast is often cheaper than flank steak and shreds just as well.

Optional variation

Stir in 1/2 cup sliced green olives during the last 30 minutes.

Leftovers & storage

Cool and refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (within 1 hour if above 90°F). Store at 40°F or below. Reheat to 165°F until steaming hot.

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