My husband is part Cuban which means that I get to sample the most delicious foods and recipes at all of his family’s gatherings. One of my absolute favorites is Ropa Vieja which is a Cuban dish consisting of shredded beef that usually is derived from either skirt or flank steak.
The term “Ropa Vieja” actually means “Old Clothes” in Spanish because that is what the shredded meat in this dish actually looks like. I’ve always loved this dish when it has been prepared by my In-laws because the beef is always tender and so very flavorful. Since I have committed to using my slow cooker a lot more lately, I wanted to try making this dish in it. Here is a delicious Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja recipe:
Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja Recipe
Yields: 4 Servings
Prep Time: 15 Minutes | Cook: 8 Hours
Ingredients:
1 15 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 ½ pounds skirt steak or flank steak
2 bell peppers (1 red and 1 green), sliced thin
1 jalapeno pepper, sliced (can leave seeds or remove depending on preference)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
¾ teaspoon salt
Optional: cilantro for garnish
Directions:
- Add crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, ketchup, apple cider vinegar, garlic, cumin, jalapeno and salt to a slow cooker. Stir once. Add the steak, bell peppers and onions. Toss in the tomato mixture to coat. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, undisturbed.
- Uncover and shred the meat with two forks. Serve over rice with chopped cilantro (optional) garnish.
As you can see, it is really easy to make this dish in the slow cooker. Being a busy Working Mom, I am always looking for the easiest ways to prepare delicious meals for my family that don’t require a lot of work. This delicious recipe is a convenient spin on a traditional Latin dish that does not disappoint when it comes to flavor!
Let’s Discuss: What are some traditional cultural dishes that you have tried making in your slow cooker?
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Love this recipe! The ingredients sound like they would go together so well in a slow cooker as well as looking colorful and appetizing. Best of all is the simplicity for those of us who are time poor and need quick but satisfying solutions.
I love slow cooker recipes, and this one looks simple enough that my kids would eat it too. Love recipes that the whole family can enjoy!
Oh my gosh I absolutely love cooking in the slow cooker! When I went to Cuba we didn’t get to try any traditional dishes – our resort didn’t make any so I’m really upset I couldn’t give Cuban food a try!
This does look like a dish my big kids would love. As for cultural dishes…I’ve made a Morrocan Chicken dish in the slow cooker. That was a big hit.
Your recipe for Ropa Vieja looks and sounds absolutely amazing! My family would surely enjoy this meal!
This ropa vieja looks delicious. I honestly had not even heard of it before. I will give the recipe a try since I am always on the lookout for more slow cooker ideas for our busy Fall season!
Oh yum this looks so good. I’ve never heard of Ropa Vieja before. But this looks like something my family would enjoy!
This look so delicious! I love crock pot meals because they are so easy and help to save so much time.
This looks so good.
It’s different from anything I have made.
Will want to make this soon!
This sounds amazing. I’ve never heard of Ropa Vieja before. I think I would like this, less the jalapenos. Thanks for sharing the recipe. I may give this a try!
Wow, this looks so amazing!!! I am going to pin this and give it a try. I think my entire family will love this dish.
This is looking yummy. I can’t wait to have it. I will try it soon.
This slow cooker recipe is calling my name! The shredded meat looks so tender and the spices and flavouring sounds absolutely scrumptious, I’m definitely going to give this one a try.
What an interesting concept – using the parts of meat that are normally discarded in a useful way. The recipe sounds wonderful. I may try this for my husband soon!
This looks delish! It would definitely be a good option for dinner for us! We will have to give it a go!
This looks so yummy! I love all of the flavor you have packed in here! I’m sure my son would love this!
I love that it means “old clothes!” That tickles my funny bone. I know my family would love this, so I am going to make it the next time we are all together.
This looks so moist and loaded with flavor. I think my grandmother use to make a dish like this that was so good.
I never thought to put skirt steak in a crock pot – I bet that would help it out quite a bit. I usually just pop it on the grill after soaking it for a few days in marinade.
Yum!! I need to add a few Cuban recipes into my mix, and this looks like a great one! Give me a simple slow cooker recipe any day. 🙂
This looks so good! I love using my slow cooker in the fall. I make BBQ pork a lot!
This looks and sounds delicious! I am so bad – I have two slow cookers and rarely use them. I need to start taking advantage of these amazing recipes sooner rather than later.
Oh yum!! I love Cuban food and ropa vieja is one of my favorite dishes! I never knew how to make it myself though so now I’m really excited to try this recipe!
My parents are Cuban and one of my favorite dishes is ropa vieja. We actually visited Puerto Rico a couple of years ago and went to a Cuban restaurant instead of Puerto Rican 🙂 and had the best ropa vieja ever. Even my mom frowned when I told her it was better than the one she makes. I love cooking it now for my friends so they can experience the same kind of love I have for my background.