Here’s a great collection of Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Cuban Beef Recipes to help you wake up your tastebuds with some Cuban flavors! In Cuba Ropa Vieja or Picadillo would be served with black beans and rice, but most of these can be a low-carb meal if you serve with cauliflower rice!
PIN the Cuban Beef Recipes to try some later!
One of the benefits to working on this site is discovering recipe ideas that you might not have seen before, and I’m intrigued by these Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Cuban Beef Recipes! This type of spicy beef that’s called Ropa Vieja or Picadillo is something that every Cuban cook has a slightly different take on, so this post has 15 different amazing Cuban Beef Recipes!
And of course Cuban beef can be served in a variety of ways, but traditionally it would often be served with black beans and rice. That would be a delicious combination, but for those who are watching their carbs, most of these recipes can be good for a low-carb meal if you serve with Cauliflower Rice! And we hope you enjoy discovering Cuban Beef if it’s new to you!
What is Cuban Beef?
Ropa Vieja is a shredded beef dish that originated in the Canary Islands and migrated to the Americas with Spanish traders. Ropa Vieja means “old clothes”, which means the meat can be easily shredded into long, thin, ropy pieces like tattered old clothes. Another type of Cuban Beef recipe is the ground beef dish called Picadillo, which is served in a variety of ways.
What ingredients are traditional in Cuban Beef Recipes?
Cuban Beef traditional contains beef, onions, garlic, tomatoes or tomato sauce, broth, bay leaves, and cumin. Many recipes for Cuban Beef include green olives too, which is definitely a plus for green olive fans. And this is the kind of recipe where every cook has their own version, so there are lots of variations of Cuban Beef in this collection; enjoy!
How do you get the complete recipe?
Just click any recipe title to see the full recipe on the original site. All photos are copyrighted to the blog that posted the recipe.
When I went to Cuba one of the dishes I most wanted to try was Ropa Vieja, and when I came home I researched and experimented to create this Ropa Vieja Recipe from Kalyn’s Kitchen that can be made in the Instant Pot or on the stove.
Sarah says this Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja (Cuban Beef) from The Magical Slow Cooker needs 9 hours of cooking time so this is an awesome recipe if you go to work all day. Add the ingredients to the slow cooker in the morning, turn it on to do it’s magic, and when you get home your dinner is ready to eat!
Instant Pot Picadillo from Skinnytaste is a quick and easy Cuban recipe (cooks in just 15 minutes in the Instant Pot) and would be delicious served over brown rice or cauliflower rice. Gina has also included Slow Cooker and Stovetop directions in this post if you prefer one of those methods.
Ropa Vieja from Two Sleevers is classified as a Mexican dish from the Veracruz region, but this does have the ingredients and flavors that are traditional in Cuban Beef!
Slow Cooker Cuban Ropa Vieja from Taste and Tell is an easy recipe the whole family will love, and this recipe has flank steak that is slow cooked with tomatoes, peppers and onions.
Instant Pot Picadillo from Simply Happy Foodie might become one of your favorite ways to cook ground beef!
Instead of flank steak this Ropa Vieja (Instant Pot and Slow Cooker) from My Heart Beats uses beef chuck roast because it has more fat, more flavor, and results in tender juicy meat. Ashley says her favorite way to eat ropa vieja is in a bowl, like stew, but with toppings like diced onion, diced jalapeños, avocado, chopped cilantro, and a big squeeze of lime. Sounds delicious!
Lisa from Panning the Globe says that in this Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja “solid hunks of beef simmer with onions, garlic mild fruity peppers and a deliciously spiced tomato sauce. The meat is transformed to a beautiful tenderness, easily pulled into shreds using two forks.”
More Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Cuban Beef:
- Slow Cooker Cuban-Style Ropa Vieja from The Perfect Pantry
- Instant Pot Cuban-Style Shredded Beef from Amee’s Savory Dish
- Instant Pot Cuban Picadillo from An Edible Mosaic
- Instant Pot Cuban Ropa Vieja from Latina Mom Meals
- Pressure Cooker / Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja from A Calculated Whisk
- Instant Pot Ropa Vieja from Skinnytaste
- Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja from The Lemon Bowl
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
What a fun collection of recipes! And thanks so much for including one of mine from The Perfect Pantry.