Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja

Slow cooking Ropa Vieja, a flavorful shredded beef and vegetable stew, yields a delicious version of the traditional Cuban recipe. It’s the perfect comfort food when served with rice or warm tortillas.

Servings per Recipe: 6 servings

Calories per Serving: 239

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 6

Total Time: 6 10

Ingredients

8 ounce can tomato sauce
¼ cup water
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper, to taste
1.5 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into 1-2” cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, undrained
Fresh cilantro, chopped (optional for garnish)

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low until the meat begins to fall apart (about 6 hours). Be mindful of how hot your slow cooker cooks since they all heat differently. Larger volume slow cookers will cook the same amount of food much faster than a smaller volume slow cooker.
Garnish with chopped cilantro if desired and serve.

Notes

Serve with yellow rice, Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice, or tortillas.

If you prefer a sweeter version of Ropa Vieja, use a ripe red bell pepper in place of the green bell pepper.

For richer flavor, add a few tablespoons of tomato paste.

Nutrition