Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

Name: Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja: Old Clothes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 6 h
Total time: 6 h 15 min
Cuisine: Cuban
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon canola oil; 2 pounds London broil or boneless chuck roast (flank steak or brisket also work well); Kosher salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 carrot, scraped and sliced in half lengthwise; 1 Cubanelle pepper or green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced; 1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced; 1 medium yellow onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced; 1 whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and roughly chopped (10 cloves or 3 1/2 tablespoons); 1/2 cup dry white wine (Vermouth works well); 2 cups good quality canned tomato puree (such as Muir Glenn organic); 1 6-ounce can tomato paste; 1 cup low-salt chicken broth; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 bay leaf; 1/2 cup sliced green olives; 1 tablespoon white vinegar; Garnish:; 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves; 1 lime or two, cut into wedges

July 11, 2016 Updated March 21, 2025 by Lisa Goldfinger 113 Comments This post may contain affiliate links

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Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja: Cuba's famously delicious shredded beef stew with peppers!

I've lived way too long hearing about, being tempted by, but not cooking Cuba's national dish, ropa vieja: shredded beef stew.

Finally, last week I immersed myself in a week of research and recipe testing. The happy outcome is this scrumptious recipe for slow cooker Cuban ropa vieja.

Ropa Vieja means "old clothes" in Spanish.

Old clothes tend to be shredded and so is the beef in this stew, hence the name.

This kind of dish is perfect for the slow cooker. The long, slow braise tenderizes the meat and allows all the wonderful flavors to soak in.

How To Make Ropa Vieja in the Slow Cooker

My slow cooker lives deep in my pantry closet where it often stays for months. Occasionally I remember it's there, pull it out and fall back in love. It's great for those busy times when there just aren't enough hours in the day (my life lately). I love knowing the crock pot is chugging along for me all day long.

In a matter of hours, while you're off getting work done or (even better) enjoying the lazy days of summer, solid hunks of beef simmer with onions, garlic mild fruity peppers and a deliciously spiced tomato sauce. The meat is transformed to a beautiful tenderness, easily pulled into shreds using two forks.

After it's shredded, the meat goes back in the slow cooker for a half hour more, along with some sliced olives and a splash of vinegar, to build that final layer of flavor. The result is the most tender, succulent and irresistibly delicious shredded beef stew!

What to serve with Ropa Vieja

It's traditional to serve ropa vieja with rice and black beans. Fried plantains are often on the side as well.

Plain white rice will do just fine. There's plenty of flavor in the stew.

But if you're interested, here's what I did to take the rice up a notch: sauté a teaspoon of minced garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil for 30 seconds in a saucepan. Add 1½ cups of raw white rice and cooked it, tossing, for about a minute, in the garlicky oil. Add 3 cups of water and a teaspoon of salt, cover and cook on low, per the package directions, about 15 minutes.

Here's a great recipe for quick cuban black beans.

If you can get everything going in your crock pot in the morning, come dinner time, you're in for a treat - a delightful tender stew, ready to ladle over a bed of rice!

Other Delicious Slow Cooker Recipes to try

• Slow Cooker chicken tajine with apricots and chickpeas
• Slow Cooker Brazilian Feijoada
• Slow Cooker Chicken with Dried Cherries

Here's the recipe for slow cooker ropa vieja. If you make this I hope you'll come back to leave a star rating and a comment. I'd love to know what you think!

Recipe

Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja: Old Clothes

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 25 reviews

Author: Lisa
Total Time: 6 hours 15 mins
Yield: 6-7 1x

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Description

This delicious stew of tender shredded beef, bell peppers, tomatoes, olives and spices is Cuba's national dish and it's perfect for the slow cooker. Serve it with rice, black beans and/or fried plantains.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 tablespoon canola oil
2 pounds London broil or boneless chuck roast (flank steak or brisket also work well)
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 carrot, scraped and sliced in half lengthwise
1 Cubanelle pepper or green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced
1 medium yellow onion, peeled, halved and thinly sliced
1 whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and roughly chopped (10 cloves or 3 ½ tablespoons)
½ cup dry white wine (Vermouth works well)
2 cups good quality canned tomato puree (such as Muir Glenn organic)
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
½ cup sliced green olives
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Garnish:
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 lime or two, cut into wedges

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Instructions

Season meat on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Heat oil in a heavy (preferably cast iron) skillet. Brown meat over high heat for 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the bowl of a slow cooker. Toss in the sliced carrot.
Add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet along with the garlic, onions and peppers. Turn the heat down to medium. Cook for 6-7 minutes until the vegetables are softened and starting to caramelize, stirring constantly for the first minute, to make sure the garlic doesn't brown. Add wine and simmer for a minute, stirring and scraping the browned bits from the pan. Transfer the mixture to the slow cooker.
In a medium bowl whisk tomato puree, tomato paste, broth, dried spices and 2 teaspoons salt. Pour over meat. Cook on high for 6 hours. After 5 ½ hours remove the meat. Shred it by pulling it apart using two forks. Return it to the slow cooker. Stir in olives and vinegar. Continue to cook for 30 minutes more.
Serve ropa vieja with a sprinkle of chopped cilantro and lime wedges on the side.
Traditional accompaniments are white rice and black beans.

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 6 hours
Category: Dinner Stew
Method: slow Cooker
Cuisine: Cuban

If you're in the mood for more great crock pot recipes, check out this roundup of delicious healthy summer slow cooker recipes from Cooking Light.

Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

Ropa Vieja means "old clothes" in Spanish.