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This Ropa Vieja recipe is my version of a well-known Cuban dish with shredded beef, tomatoes, peppers, onions, and spices. And when I was researching the recipe I found that many recipes include green olives which was a winner for me, but you can omit those if you like!

Pin the Cuban Ropa Vieja to try it later!


Ropa Vieja Recipe shown in serving bowl with side dish and limes.

I got inspired to try making Cuban Ropa Vieja when I went on a wonderful trip to Cuba with my friends Cristina and Carol! We traveled with Holbrook Travel, who did an amazing job of organizing everything! On the trip I met lovely people, toured Old Town Havana, and learned a lot about the history of relations between the U.S. and Cuba. We also saw interesting wildlife like the Bee Hummingbird and Red Crabs, visited an all-organic farm and farm-to-table restaurant, and got to ride in the famous old cars!

And of course I enjoyed trying authentic Cuban food! Cuban Ropa Vieja is a dish I sampled at two restaurants in Cuba and loved. Of course this is one of those classic recipes (like beef stew in the U.S.) where every Cuban cook has their own variation. But I liked it so much in Cuba that I decided to try creating a Ropa Vieja recipe to make at home.

For several weeks I researched and compared recipes I found in cookbooks and on the web. Then Kara and I tried it a few times and ended up with this version of Ropa Vieja that we loved! We decided the Instant Pot was perfect to make the tender shreds of beef this dish is known for. But I’m also giving stovetop instructions for people who don’t have an Instant Pot. You may not be able to go to Cuba, but I hope you enjoy making Ropa Vieja at home!

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What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)

What does the name Ropa Vieja mean?

The literal translation of ropa vieja is “old clothes” and it refers to the way the beef shreds apart. I’m pretty sure before I went to Cuba and researched this recipe I used to spell it Ropa Viejo! But the correct spelling is firmly in my mind now!

What cuts of beef can you use for Cuban Ropa Vieja?

This traditional Cuban dish is traditionally made with flank steak. I like using chuck roast which gives shorter shreds of beef. You could also use skirt steak or brisket for this recipe, Use the cut of beef you prefer.

Should you use green olives in Ropa Vieja?

The Ropa Vieja I had in Cuba didn’t have green olives, which are probably expensive and hard to get there. But when I researched the recipe, I saw many recipes with green olives. I’m a green olive fan so I love that extra pop of briny flavor, but you can definitely leave them out.

What side dishes are served with Ropa Vieja in Cuba?

In Cuba this would be served with black beans and white rice, or with the famous Moros y Cristianos. That combines black beans and rice in a dish where they’re cooked together. (I saw recipes for Cuban rice or beans online but many had ingredients like green pepper, red pepper, or bacon which wasn’t in the black beans and rice I had in Cuba.) Most of the Cuban lunches and dinners included what we started calling Cuban Salad! That was simply thinly sliced cucumbers, thinly sliced tomatoes, and shredded cabbage layered on a plate and the drizzled with oil and vinegar.

How low in carbs is this Cuban Ropa Vieja Recipe?

My Ropa Vieja recipe has only 7 net carbs per serving with 57 grams of protein!

Ropa Vieja Recipe collage image of recipe steps.

How to make Cuban Ropa Vieja:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe made in the Instant Pot; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe. Look after the complete recipe below for stovetop instructions.)

  1. Trim chuck roast and cut into pieces as needed. Combine garlic powder, kosher salt, dried oregano (or Mexican oregano), ground cumin, and black pepper. Rub meat well with that mixture.
  2. Heat olive oil in large frying pan and brown meat well. (Brown meat in the Instant Pot if you prefer, but I think meat browns better in a pan. This might need to be browned in two batches in the Instant Pot.) 
  3. Remove meat and deglaze pan with beef broth, scraping off any bits that are stuck to the pan. (Deglaze instant Pot if you used that.)
  4. Arrange meat in Instant Pot, in a single layer. Add beef broth, one cut onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaves.
  5. Lock lid on Instant Pot, make sure pressure valve is closed, and set Instant Pot to MANUAL (PRESSURE COOK), HIGH, 40 MINUTES.
  6. Let pressure release naturally and when all pressure has released, remove meat to a cutting board.
  7. While pressure releases, cut onion, red bell peppers and green pepper into slivers and cut green olives into slices.
  8. After you remove meat, add those ingredients to liquid in Instant Pot with petite diced tomatoes and tomato paste. 
  9. Set Instant Pot to SAUTE, HIGH HEAT, and let peppers, onions, and olives cook until peppers are starting to soften and liquid has slightly reduced. 
  10. As soon as meat has cooled enough to handle, shred meat apart with two forks.
  11. When peppers are softened and liquid has reduced slightly, reduce heat to MEDIUM and add shredded beef and lime juice into Instant Pot.
  12. Cook a few minutes longer, until meat is hot.
  13. Taste, then season as needed with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
  14. Serve the Ropa Vieja hot, with cut limes to squeeze on at the table if desired.
  15. Scroll down to see stovetop instructions if you prefer that method.

Make it a Low-Carb Meal:

If you’re watching your carbs, you don’t want black beans and rice with your Ropa Vieja! When Kara and I tested this we thought it was delicious over Pureed Cauliflower, like you see in the photos. My sister Sandee and my niece Jennica tried it at my house. They thought it would be great served in low-carb tortillas. It would also taste good with any of these low-carb side dishes:

Ropa Vieja Recipe close-up of Ropa Vieja in bowl with side dishes.

Ropa Vieja Recipe close-up of Ropa Vieja in bowl with side dishes.
Yield: 8 servings

Ropa Vieja Recipe (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Additional Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

After I was lucky enough to travel to Cuba, I became obsessed with the idea of making Ropa Vieja at home. After much research and experimenting Kara and I created this Ropa Vieja Recipe that we thought was absolutely delicious, and you can make it in the Instant Pot or on the Stove.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs. chuck shoulder roast
  • 2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp. Kosher salt
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano (or Mexican oregano)
  • 1 T ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp. coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 T olive oil
  • one 14 oz. can low sodium beef broth
  • 2 small onions
  • 3 garlic cloves (or more)
  • 3 large bay leaves
  • 2 red bell peppers
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • one 14.5 oz. can petite dice tomatoes, drained
  • 2 T tomato paste
  • 1 cup green olives, sliced
  • 1/4 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice (more or less to taste)
  • salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste
  • fresh lime pieces for serving, optional

Instructions

  1. Trim the chuck roast, cut into pieces as needed.
  2. Combine garlic powder, kosher salt, dried oregano (or Mexican oregano), ground cumin, and coarse ground black pepper and rub each piece of meat on both sides with that spice mixture.
  3. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in large frying pan over medium-high heat and brown meat well, about 3 minutes on each side.
  4. (You can also brown meat in the Instant Pot if you prefer, although I think meat browns better in a pan on the stove and this much meat might need to be browned in two batches if you use the Instant Pot.) 
  5. Remove meat and deglaze pan with low sodium beef broth, scraping off any bits of meat or browned bits that are stuck to the pan. (Remove meat and deglaze instant Pot if you used that.)
  6. Arrange browned meat in Instant Pot, in a single layer if possible.
  7. Add the beef broth, one onion cut into quarters, garlic cloves, and bay leaves.
  8. Lock lid on the Instant Pot, make sure pressure valve is closed, and set Instant Pot to MANUAL (PRESSURE COOK), HIGH, 40 MINUTES.
  9. Let Instant Pot release pressure naturally and when all pressure has released, remove meat to a cutting board.
  10. While the pressure releases, cut the other onion, red bell peppers and green pepper into slivers and cut green olives into slices.
  11. After you remove meat, add those ingredients to the liquid in the Instant Pot with drained petite diced tomatoes and tomato paste.
  12. Set Instant Pot to SAUTE, HIGH HEAT, and let peppers, onions, and olives cook uncovered until peppers are starting to soften and liquid has slightly reduced. (This will be at a slight boil to reduce the liquid but if it seems to be boiling too much you can turn down to medium.)
  13. As soon as meat has cooled enough to handle, shred meat apart with two forks.
  14. When peppers are as soft as you prefer and liquid has reduced slightly, about 10-15 minutes, reduce heat to MEDIUM and add shredded beef and lime juice back into Instant Pot.  Cook a few minutes longer, until meat is hot..
  15. Remove bay leaves and discard, Taste and then season with additional salt and fresh ground black pepper if desired.
  16. Serve the Cuban Ropa Vieja hot, with fresh lime to squeeze on at the table if desired.

STOVETOP INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. Trim meat and rub with spices as above.
  2. Heat 1 T olive oil over medium-high heat in large heavy dutch oven (big enough to fit the meat in one layer if possible.) Brown meat well on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
  3. When meat is brown add the beef broth, one onion cut into quarters, garlic cloves, and bay leaves.
  4. Cover the pan and cook at a very low simmer until meat is tender and will shred apart easily, about 2 hours. Remove meat to a cutting board.
  5. While meat cooks, cut the other onion, red bell peppers, and green pepper into slivers and cut green olives into slices.
  6. Add those ingredients to liquid in the dutch oven with drained petite dice tomatoes and tomato paste,
  7. Turn heat to medium-low and let the mixture cook uncovered at a low boil to soften the vegetable and slightly reduce the liquid.
  8. As soon as meat has cooled enough to handle, shred meat apart with two forks.
  9. When peppers are as soft as you prefer and liquid has reduced slightly, about 10-15 minutes, turn heat to low and add the shredded beef and lime juice to the dutch oven.
  10. Cook until meat is hot, about 5 minutes more.
  11. Remove bay leaves and discard, Taste and then season with additional salt and fresh ground black pepper if desired.
  12. Serve hot, with fresh lime to squeeze on at the table if desired.

    Notes

    This Cuban favorite is traditionally served with black beans and rice if you don't care about the carbs!

    This Ropa Vieja Recipe was created by Kalyn and Kara after much research in cookbooks and on the web, and after Kalyn had loved Ropa Vieja when she tried it in Miami's Little Havana and then in Cuba!

    Nutrition Information

    Yield

    8

    Serving Size

    1
    Amount Per Serving Calories 416Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 6gUnsaturated Fat 12gCholesterol 168mgSodium 889mgCarbohydrates 9gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 57g

    Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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    © All images and text ©Kalyn Denny for Kalyn's Kitchen.
    Category: Instant Pot
    Square image of Ropa Vieja shown in serving bowl with limes and side dish.

    Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
    Everything in this Cuban Ropa Vieja is perfect for low-carb or Keto diet plans. If you use well-trimmed beef this recipe would be suitable for the original South Beach Diet as well.

    Find More Recipes Like This One:
    Use Instant Pot to find more recipe made in the Instant Pot. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

    Historical Notes for this Recipe:
    This recipe for Ropa Vieja was posted in 2024 after I visited Cuba and loved it there! The recipe was last updated with more information in 2026.

    Pinterest image of Ropa Vieja Recipe (Instant Pot or Stovetop)

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