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This slow cooker ropa vieja is made with tender shredded flank steak, immersed in a flavorful broth with bell peppers, onion, manzanilla olives, and more. Serve this ropa vieja with yellow rice, black beans, and crispy tostones – you now have one amazing dinner!
What is ropa vieja?
Ropa vieja is a dish originally from the Canary Islands, with strong roots in Cuban cuisine.
Although each country and recipe includes different vegetables, they all contain shredded beef. This is where the dish gets its name, translating to “old clothes.” In other words, the shredded meat is said to look like old, tattered rags.
Beyond the beef, the dish often contains bell peppers, onions, olives, and a complex spice blend.
Why this ropa vieja recipe works
- Cooked in a crockpot, this ropa vieja is an excellent “set it and forget it” weeknight meal.
- This recipe uses deliciously seared steak. Searing the meat in a hot skillet allows a crust to develop; this will not only flavor the meat, but the other ingredients will benefit too when it slowly cooks all together.
- Slow cooking for seven hours makes the beef incredibly tender.
- Simple veggies add extra flavor and nutritional value to this dish.
- Complex and savory, this recipe uses an ingenious spice blend including smoked paprika, cumin, and cayenne.
- This recipe pairs well with any of your favorite side dishes, from classic steamed rice to crispy tostones.
Ingredients needed
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this ropa vieja slow cooker recipe…
- Flank steak
- Avocado oil
- Red bell peppers
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- White wine
- Crushed tomatoes
- Apple cider vinegar
- Tomato paste
- Better than Bouillon beef paste
- Sweet paprika
- Smoked paprika
- Dried oregano
- Ground cumin
- Cayenne
- Bay leaves
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Manzanilla olives
- Fresh parsley
- White or yellow rice
- Black beans
- Crispy tostones or sweet plantains
How to make ropa vieja
This ropa vieja slow cooker recipe is juicy, flavorful, and super easy to make. Here’s how to make it.
Step 1: Sear the steak
- First, season one side of 2 ½ lbs of flank steak with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
- Add 2 tbsp of avocado oil to your cast iron skillet and heat on high.
- In the hot cast iron skillet, place the seasoned side down, and allow it to brown for about 4 minutes.
- As the steak is searing, season the other side prior to flipping it over and repeating the searing.
- Set the seared steak aside.
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What is the best meat for this ropa vieja recipe?
For shredding purposes, I prefer to use flank steak, but you can also use a chuck roast or skirt steak. Flank steak can be tough, but cooking it for a long duration at a low temperature in the slow cooker gives you juicy tender meat.
Step 2: Sauté the peppers and onions
- In the same cast iron skillet, we are going to sauté the peppers and onions. Reduce the heat to medium and add 2 tbsp avocado oil to the pan along with 2 sliced red bell peppers and one sliced yellow onion.
- Raw onions can be overpowering and giving them a slight char will give the dish extra flavor. Once they begin to slightly char, add 6 cloves of minced garlic and 125 ml of white wine.
- Adding the white wine allows the pan to deglaze and you can scrape up all the delicious browned bits the steak left behind.
- Once the liquid has reduced to about half, remove your pan from the heat.
Bell pepper tip:
One of my favorite hacks is how to easily deseed a bell pepper.
Taking a paring knife, insert it at an angle on the crown of the bell pepper, and carefully cut around the top. Twist and pull the stem off and all the seeds should follow.
Next, cut the pepper in half, shave the white membranes out, and discard them (they are bitter).
Step 3: Create the sauce
- In the slow cooker, add a can of crushed tomatoes.
- I don’t like leaving any sauce behind, so add 1 cup of beef stock into the tomato can to get the remnants of the sauce, and then pour into the pot.
- Next, add all of your spices. For the spices, I used: 2 tsp sweet paprika, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp cayenne, and 2 bay leaves.
- Whisk the spices into the tomato sauce, along with 1 tbsp tomato paste, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and 1 tbsp Better than Bouillon beef paste.
- Add the seared flank steak, peppers, and onions to the crock pot and stir it all to combine.
Step 4: Slow cooking ropa vieja
- As I mentioned before, flank steak can be tough, but cooking it on low for many hours makes it juicy and tender. Slow-cook the flank steak for 7 hours – I do not recommend speeding up the cooking time or cooking on high heat, as it can make the meat tough and dry.
- Then, pull the steak out and shred it with two forks; the meat should be very easy to shred.
- After shredding the flank steak, place it back in the slow cooker and add ¾ cup sliced manzanilla olives.
- Mix it all together and allow to cook for 30 more minutes.
- At this time you can also taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- After you put the shredded flank steak back into the slow cooker, I utilize that time to make my favorite sides like white or yellow rice, black beans, sweet plantains, or tostones.
- After cooking for 7 1/2 hours on low, this ropa vieja is tender, juicy, and full of flavor.
- Garnish with plenty of fresh parsley for a bright finish.
How to serve ropa vieja
When I make this ropa vieja, I like to serve it with simple but tasty sides like white or yellow rice, black beans, and homemade crispy tostones. You can also serve them with sweet plantains or fried yuca sticks.
As this dish is quite rich, it might also benefit from a nutritious, veggie-focused side like a salad with lemon dijon vinaigrette or honey roasted coriander carrots.
Finally, try adding optional toppings for extra flavor like pickled red onions, sliced avocado, crema, lime wedges, and fresh diced tomatoes.
How to store ropa vieja
This ropa vieja crockpot recipe stores well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To store, allow the dish to cool completely. Next, add it to an airtight container, then refrigerate. When you’re ready to eat, simply add your portion to a saucepan and heat on medium until warm through, taking just a few minutes.
You can even freeze this recipe using the same method, storing it for up to two months. If you’re reheating from the freezer, make sure to first thaw the ropa vieja in the refrigerator overnight.
Love this slow cooker dish? Check out these other recipes:
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Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 pounds flank steak (see note #1)
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil, divided (or high smoke point oil of choice)
- 2 red bell peppers (seeded and sliced)
- 1 large yellow onion (sliced)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 125 milliliters white wine
- 28 ounces crushed tomatoes ((1 large can))
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon beef paste
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- 2 bay leaves
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 cup sliced manzanilla olives
Garnish/Sides
- Fresh parsley
- White or yellow rice
- Black beans
- Crispy tostones or sweet plantains [see note #2]
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Equipment
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Instructions
- In a slow cooker, add the can of crushed tomatoes. Pour the beef stock into the empty can of tomato sauce to get the remnants of the sauce, then pour into the slow cooker. Add in: paprika, cumin, cayenne, apple cider vinegar, tomato paste, better than bouillon beef paste, and pinch kosher salt/freshly ground black pepper. Whisk all the ingredients together to combine.
- In a large cast iron skillet over high heat (8 out of 10 on my stove), add 2 tbsp cooking oil. Season one side of the flank steak with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Once the skillet is hot, add the flank steak season side down, and sear for 3-4 minutes until a brown crust forms. While it’s searing, season the other side with kosher salt and black pepper. Flip and sear the other side. Once both sides are seared, remove from heat and using tongs, carefully add seared flank steak to slow cooker into sauce.
- In the same cast iron pan, over medium heat, add 2 tbsp oil and add the bell peppers and onions. Sauté for 5 minutes until onions begin to char and soften. Add in the minced garlic, sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scrape the bottom of the pan with wooden spoon to loosen up the delicious browned bits left behind by the steak. Once liquid has reduced by half (about 4 minutes) carefully add to the slow cooker.
- Mix all the ingredients in the slow cooker, add bay leaves, cover, and set on low for 7 hours.
- Once the 7 hours are up, using tongs, remove the flank steak only and place on a cutting board. Using two forks, shred the flank steak. Add the shredded flank steak back into the sauce, add the manzanilla olives, and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary and then allow it to cook for 30 minutes longer.
- While the ropa vieja cooks for it’s final 30 minutes, you can use this time to prepare sides. I like to serve with white or yellow rice, black beans, and homemade tostones. All of these are optional. Top ropa vieja with fresh parsley once done cooking.
Notes
- You can substitute skirt steak or chuck roast
- Recipe for homemade crispy tostones
- Flank steak should be cooked on low for at least 6 hours. I do not recommend cooking on high or lessening cook time or the meat will be tough and dry.
- Store in refrigerator for 3-5 days in airtight container or can freeze in a flat freezer bag for up to 6 months.
This recipe isn’t complete unless you cook all of the dishes
It’s another winner and frequently on my cooking rotation