Cuban Beef is a great dish to make in the Instant Pot or the Slow Cooker; check out this collection of ten different tasty Cuban Beef Recipes! And most of these can be a low-carb meal when you serve with cauliflower rice!
PIN the Cuban Beef Recipes to try some later!
One of the benefits to working on this blog is discovering recipe ideas that you might not have seen otherwise, and one of our discoveries is the Slow Cooker or Instant Pot Cuban Beef that’s called Ropa Vieja or Picadillo! Every time we noticed a different version of this Cuban Beef it looked so delicious that we decided to create a whole collection of recipes that are based on these Latin American dishes!
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 a low-carb meal if you just 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?
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.
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.
Lydia’s basic Cuban-inspired version of Slow Cooker Cuban-Style Ropa Vieja from The Perfect Pantry contains beef flavored with chopped tomatoes and green chiles, spices, and this gets a kick from your favorite salsa.
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-Style Beef Stew from My Columbian Recipes is a rich and comforting dish the whole family will enjoy.
Instant Pot or Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja (Cuban Style Shredded Beef) from Foodie With Family is a saucy, shredded, salty, sweet Cuban classic flank steak creation made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker; use whichever method you prefer.
Instant Pot Cuban-Style Shredded Beef from Amee’s Savory Dish could easily be low-carb by serving over your favorite veggie noodles or cauliflower rice.
Slow Cooker Ropa Vieja from Panning the Globe is a tender stew ladled over a bed of rice or served traditionally with black beans and rice. Fried plantains are often on the side as well.
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!
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!
Have you made Cuban Beef in the Instant Pot or Slow Cooker? Let us know in the comments about how that went for you!
Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) says
What a fun collection of recipes! And thanks so much for including one of mine from The Perfect Pantry.