Tender, juicy Cuban-style shredded beef stews in a tomato and sofrito base flavored with warm spices and salty green olives to make easy Instant Pot ropa vieja. Complete the meal with piping hot rice and frijoles negros.
For more Cuban recipes, try boliche and beef picadillo!
What is Ropa Vieja?
Ropa vieja means ‘old clothes,’ referring to the tattered appearance of the slow-cooked, shredded beef. It also happens to be the national dish of Cuba. However, ropa vieja is well known in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Philippines – each region with a unique variation.
Can You Make Ropa Vieja in the Instant Pot?
Ropa vieja is a delicious Cuban dish, traditionally cooked over a long period to achieve its tender, rope-like consistency. Using an Instant Pot significantly speeds up the cooking time while producing the same juicy shredded beef.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Olive Oil: Saute the vegetables in olive oil.
- Sofrito: I prepare homemade sofrito with onions, bell pepper, and a whopping ten garlic cloves to make Instant Pot ropa vieja. You can also purchase store-bought sofrito.
- Spices: Season the beef dish with warm spices like kosher salt, ground cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, and dried oregano.
- Tomato Paste: Adding a spoonful of tomato paste intensifies the tomato flavor and deepens the color of the stew.
- Tomatoes: Canned San Marzano tomatoes are my go-to for making ropa vieja, though you can also use 2-3 fresh tomatoes. However, I prefer buying canned whole tomatoes and crushing them by hand before adding them to the Instant Pot.
- Skirt Steak: For tender and flavorful ropa vieja, opt for cuts of beef like skirt steak, flank steak, chuck roast, or brisket. These cuts benefit from pressure cooking and become tender and juicy.
- Green Olives: Olives add a perfect salty touch to the dish; you can also use capers.
- Lime Juice: Finish the meal with freshly squeezed lime juice before serving it.
Additions and Substitutions
Replace the beef in this recipe with chicken breast or pork shoulder for a tasty variation, and you can make our Instant Pot ropa vieja recipe even more hearty and filling by adding vegetables like carrots.
Expert Tips
- Depending on the size of the skirt steak you use, pressure cook our Instant Pot ropa vieja on manual high pressure for about 40 to 60 minutes before simmering it with the other ingredients on saute mode; this will result in tender and easily shredded beef.
- Once the meat cooks, carefully remove it from the Instant Pot and let it rest for 10 minutes so the juices have time to redistribute. Then, use two forks to shred the beef. If it’s not easily shredded, I recommend pressure cooking it for an additional 10 minutes.
If you love this recipe, try one of these Instant Pot favorites!
What to Serve With Ropa Vieja
- Yellow Rice, White Rice, Cilantro-Lime Rice, Quinoa
- Black Beans, Moro, Congri
- Air Fryer Plantains
- Avocado Cucumber Tomato Salad, Homemade Coleslaw with Cilantro and Lime
- Pickled Red Onions, Mango Pico De Gallo, Pico De Gallo
- Roasted Potatoes
- Blackened Mahi Mahi
What to do with the Leftovers
- Refrigerate – Store the beef in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freeze – Let the dish cool and transfer it to a freezer-safe container or bag. Instant Pot ropa vieja freezes for three months.
- Reheat – Warm the leftovers in the microwave or stovetop until heated through.
- Repurpose – Use any leftover shredded beef as a filling for tacos or a burrito bowl. Better yet, use it as a filling for an empanada!
Frequently Asked Questions
What type of beef is used in ropa vieja?
Use skirt steak to make traditional ropa vieja, which has long, thick strands of muscle fiber. Flank steak or chuck roast is a tasty alternative that produces similar results.
What does ropa vieja consist of?
For the characteristically long fibers that earned the name “old clothes,” flank steak is the star of most recipes, along with onions, peppers, garlic, olives, and warm spices like cumin, coriander, and oregano.
What is the difference between ropa vieja and vaca frita?
Vaca frita is closely related to ropa vieja in terms of appearance and ingredients, but they differ in preparation. Ropa vieja undergoes a single cooking process, whereas vaca frita is braised and then pan-fried for its distinctive flavor.
Instant Pot Ropa Vieja
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 6-8 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2½ tablespoons ground cumin
- 2½ tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 can whole tomatoes, 28-ounce, peeled, and drained except for ¼ cup
- 2 pounds skirt steak
- 1 cup green olives with pimento, sliced
- 3 tablespoons lime juice, about 2 limes
- Warm olive oil in the Instant Pot in saute mode. Then, add the onions and bell pepper. Saute until the onions become translucent and soften, for about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute for another minute.
- Add the tomato paste, ground cumin, ground coriander, black pepper, and oregano; cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Deglaze the pot by crushing the canned tomatoes with your hand and adding them to the Instant Pot with ¼ cup of the sauce.
- Nestle the skirt steak into the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and set the Instant Pot to manual high pressure for 20 minutes with a 20-minute natural release.
- Remove the lid and use two forks to shred the beef, moving the onions and peppers aside. Then, stir in the sliced olives and fresh lime juice. Simmer in saute mode for about 15 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a serving bowl and garnish with lime wedges.
- Depending on the size of the skirt steak you use, pressure cook our Instant Pot ropa vieja on manual high pressure for about 40 to 60 minutes before simmering it with the other ingredients on saute mode; this will result in tender and easily shredded beef.
- Once the meat cooks, carefully remove it from the Instant Pot and let it rest for 10 minutes so the juices have time to redistribute. Then, use two forks to shred the beef. If it’s not easily shredded, I recommend pressure cooking it for an additional 10 minutes.
- The nutritional information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for professional advice.
Charlotte
Friday 18th of August 2023
Ropa vieja is my favorite and making it in the instant pot makes it so tender and delicious and saves a ton of time! Thanks for the wonderful tips you shared in the recipe!
Tressa Jamil
Friday 18th of August 2023
Using the Instant Pot for recipes like this is my favorite!