Today’s Instant Pot ropa vieja recipe is an easy guide to a meltingly tender and fulfilling meal with beef. The tender and juicy shredded beef is braised in the rich and flavorful tomato-based sauce with onions, bell peppers, green olives, raisins, and capers.
What Is Ropa Vieja?
Ropa vieja is a Cuban savory slow-cooked meat dish, and is also one of the national dishes of this country. This dish originated in the Iberian peninsula of Spain and became a staple across the Caribbean, Cuba, and many Latin American countries.
Ropa vieja is made by stewing steak for hours with aromatic spices and vegetables such as onions, bell peppers, olives, and capers. After a quick sear, the beef is simmered in a tomato-and-red-wine-infused sauce until fork-tender and then torn into thin threads.
“Ropa vieja” loosely translates to “old clothes” in Spanish. It gets the name from the resemblance between the stringy pulled beef and the tatters of old clothing.
But don’t worry, the given name was based purely on its appearance. Ropa vieja doesn’t taste old or ragged at all!
Is Ropa Vieja Healthy?
Considering that it calls for chuck roast, fresh vegetables, and aromatic spices, we can confidently say that Ropa Vieja is a healthy dish.
Our fulfilling, protein-packed ropa vieja has all the unique flavors of the original version but is cooked faster and with less fat included. One serving of this dish has 496 calories and only 83.8 mg of cholesterol.
Just a reminder, however, that it’s not kid-friendly due to the presence of red wine.
The Best Beef Cuts for Ropa Vieja
The authentic cut for ropa vieja is flank steak, with skirt steak being the second most common choice. However, for today’s recipe, neither of those was our cut of choice.
Instead, we opted for a beef chuck roast to add a little more fat and tenderness to the dish. Chuck roast has shorter meat fibers but in exchange, it’s juicier and much more affordable.
With a chuck roast, the visual appearance will be slightly different from the traditional version. It won’t be as ropy and stringy as the traditional version that’s made with flank steak or skirt steak.
Main Ingredients for Instant Pot Ropa Vieja
First, the chuck roast is lightly seared with the seasonings, then pressure-cooked in the rich broth infused with tomato sauce, red wine, wine vinegar, and a bay leaf. After being pulled into thin threads, the beef is returned to the pot to cook with green olives for a few extra minutes before being served hot with white rice.
Red bell peppers add sweetness to balance out the tang and heat, and generally complement the whole stew. Feel free to substitute them for your favorite vegetables.
The spice blend of salt, ground black pepper, oregano, cumin, turmeric, paprika, capers, raisins, lime juice, and homemade tomato sauce livens up the dish and adds depth to the overall flavor. If you like the flavor of the olives, you might as well love the briny tang of capers too.
Instead of red wine and wine vinegar, you could use apple cider vinegar or lemon juice for a similar taste and fragrance. We also combined our homemade tomato sauce with chicken broth for an even richer taste.
How to Make Ropa Vieja in the Instant Pot
Today’s Instant Pot version of this classic dish will give you super tender and flavorful beef in just one hour of pressure-cooking. Here are all the steps:
On the “Sauté” setting, quickly sauté the garlic and onion in heated olive oil.
Add the red bell peppers. Sauté for 2 minutes until softened.
Add the beef to the pot with the spice blend. Lightly sear the beef for 2 minutes, then remove to a plate and set aside.
Add the red wine.
Stir in flour and wine vinegar. Cook for 1 minute.
Add the chicken broth and bay leaf, stirring constantly.
Close the lid, seal the valve, and cook on the “Meat/Stew” setting for 35 minutes. Quick-release the pressure.
Transfer the beef to a separate bowl and shred it with two forks.
Add the green olives and return the pulled beef to the pot. Cook on “Sauté” for 10 minutes.
Portion out the ropa vieja onto serving plates with cooked rice. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
How to Store and Reheat the Leftover Ropa Vieja
Ropa vieja is an easy make-ahead choice for busy weeks. It can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
In the freezer, ropa vieja can last well for up to 3 months. Be sure to defrost it overnight in the fridge, then reheat it in the microwave or the Instant Pot the next day before serving.
What to Serve With Instant Pot Ropa Vieja
Here are some common tasty ways to enjoy a ropa vieja:
- Serve it authentically Cuban with white rice, black beans, tortillas, or fried plantains on the side.
- Stuff it in tacos, a burrito bowl, or enchiladas.
- Put it in toasted sandwiches.
For this Instant Pot ropa vieja, we prepared a bed of hot steamed rice and also two more side dishes to pair with our flavorful pulled beef:
- Pico de Gallo: This Mexican salsa made from chopped tomatoes, onion, and jalapeno, with salt, lime juice, and cilantro creates the perfect Latin combo with ropa vieja. It’s bright, acidic, and captivating in every bite.
- Cucumber and lemon juice: Finally, grab a chilled glass of this refreshing beverage to cleanse your palate and fill your body with nutrients at the end of the meal.
| Recipes | Course | Calories | Saturated fat | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instant Pot Ropa Vieja | Main Dish | 496 | 2.8 g | 582 mg |
| Pico De Gallo | Side Dish | 189 | 1.0 g | 262 mg |
| Cucumber And Lemon Juice | Beverage | 71 | 0.1 g | 5 mg |
| Total | 756 | 3.9 g | 849 mg | |
Love This Recipe? There’s More!
Here are some tasty, easy instant pot beef meals that we just couldn’t help but fall in love with:
Instant Pot Ropa Vieja Recipe
Ingredients
- 20 oz beef chuck chopped into large chunks
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp garlic minced
- 2 oz yellow onion finely diced
- 4 oz red bell peppers diced
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 0.25 oz brined capers
- 0.5 oz raisins
- 2 tsp lime juice
- 1/4 cup homemade tomato sauce
- 1 fl oz red wine
- 1 tbsp wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 2.5 oz green olives
- 3 cups cooked medium-grain white rice
- 2 tbsp parsley chopped
Instructions
- Set the “Sauté” setting on the Instant Pot. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil, wait until it's hot, then add 1 tbsp minced garlic and 2 oz finely diced yellow onion. Quickly sauté for 1 minute, stirring often.
- Add 4 oz diced red bell peppers and sauté for 2 minutes until softened.
- Add 20 oz beef chuck to the pot with the spice blend of 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp oregano, 1/2 tsp ground cumin, 1/4 tsp ground turmeric, 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 0.25 oz capers, 0.5 oz raisins, 2 tsp lime juice, and 1/4 cup homemade tomato sauce. Lightly sear the beef (but don't cook them all the way through) for 2 minutes. Transfer the beef to a plate and set it aside.
- Add 1 fl oz red wine.
- Stir in 2 tbsp all-purpose flour and 1 tbsp wine vinegar. Cook for 1 minute until they slightly reduce in volume.
- Add 1 1/2 cups unsalted chicken broth and 1 bay leaf, stirring constantly.
- Close the lid, set the valve to the sealing position, and cook on the “Meat/Stew” setting for 35 minutes. Quick-release the pressure.
- Transfer the beef to a separate bowl and start shredding it with two forks.
- Add 2.5 oz green olives and return the pulled beef to the pot. Cook on “Sauté” for 10 more minutes.
- Portion out ropa vieja onto serving plates with 3 cups cooked medium-grain white rice. Garnish with 2 tbsp chopped parsley and serve hot.
Nutrition
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