This Instant Pot Ropa Vieja is made with beef round bottom, bell peppers, onions, white wine, broth, tomato sauce, olives and cilantro.
This is one of Cuba’s most popular dishes. I had many Cuban friends when I lived in Florida. When I would go over to my friends house to make Ropa Vieja, it was an all-day cooking endeavor. Thanks to the Instant Pot, we can make Ropa Vieja in 60 minutes – and it tastes JUST as good, if not even better.
Ropa Vieja is a juicy shredded beef stew. We will be using a very tough meat, either beef round bottom or a chuck roast, which is why it requires a long time to cook. Ropa Vieja literally translates to “old clothes” because the shredded beef and vegetables resemble colorful rags. Ropa Vieja pairs well with Tostones and Rice and Beans.
If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Tinga de Res and Cochinita Pibil.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- Flank Steak or Beef Round Bottom
- Olive oil
- Onions
- Red bell pepper
- Garlic
- White wine
- Beef broth
- Tomato sauce
- Sherry vinegar
- Paprika
- Oregano
- Ground Cumin
- Bay leaves
- Olives
- Cilantro
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Start by hitting the sauté button for 8 minutes, add oil and wait for it to shimmer. Toss in the onions and bell peppers and toss for 4-6 minutes, until soft.
Stir in the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add the beef, white wine, vinegar and toss for 2 minutes. Add the beef broth.
Sprinkle in the paprika, oregano, ground cumin, pepper, salt, 2 bay leaves and stir well.
Pressure cook on high for 60 minutes.
With tongs, remove the meat and place into a large bowl.
Add the olives and cilantro and toss. There is enough salt in the olives but you can salt to taste.
Hint: Use two forks to shred the beef. Another trick is to use a Kitchenaid mixer using the whisk attachment.
Substitutions
- Chuck roast: You will need a tough meat for this recipe that can be simmered for a long period of time. You can use other tough meats can be chuck eye, shoulder roast, shoulder steak, or another lean cut beef like top round roast or bottom round roast. All work perfectly fine for this recipe.
- Olive oil: You can use olive oil although vegetable oil works just as well.
- Onion: I used a white onion but you can use a red or yellow onion as well.
- Tomatoes: You can use fresh blended tomatoes or canned tomato sauce. I would also used diced tomatoes in a can if you have that too.
Variations
Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes in the pot before pressure cooking.
- Deluxe - serve with tostones and black beans.
- Kid friendly - add shredded beef on a bun.
Check out these Keto Ribs.
Equipment
Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. I love using my Instant Pot for this recipe.
Storage
This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or frozen for up to three months.
Top tip
Cut the meat into cubes to be able to pressure cook for less time. The longer you cook, the more tender the meat will be.
Instant Pot Ropa Vieja
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Ropa Vieja is made with beef round bottom, bell pepper, onions, garlic, white wine, beef broth, spices and pressure cooked to perfection.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Beef Round Bottom, cut up into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons extra olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 red bell peppers, chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, finely grated
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1 (4 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 4 teaspoons paprika
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Salt and pepper, as desired
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ cup olive stuffed with pimientos, sliced
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Salt and pepper as desired
Instructions
- Start by hitting the sauté button for 8 minutes, add oil and wait for it to shimmer. Toss in the onions and bell peppers and toss for 4-6 minutes, until soft.
- Stir in the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Add the beef, white wine, vinegar and toss for 2 minutes. Add the beef broth.
- Sprinkle in the paprika, oregano, ground cumin, pepper, salt, 2 bay leaves and stir well.
- Pressure cook on high for 90 minutes.
- With tongs, remove the meat and place into a large bowl. Add the olives and cilantro and toss. There is enough salt in the olives but you can salt to taste.
Notes
- Use a kitchenaid attachment to shred the meat.
- The longer you cook, the more tender the meat will be.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Pressure Cooker
- Cuisine: Cuban
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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