This Instant Pot Ropa Vieja is a Cuban recipe of beef and colorful vegetables.
It's one of the pressure cooker recipes that can be made in a crock pot as well.
Originally it's a slow cooker recipe that takes 4-5 hours, but using the Instant Pot you can have it in less than 2 hours.
So if you have a special dinner - The national dish of Cuba is a great option :]
Table of Contents
Recipe Video
Why is it called Ropa Vieja?
Ropa Vieja is also widely known as Cuban Beef. The word is originated in Spanish which means "old clothes". The dish has its story belonging to an old poor man who did not have the means to buy food for his family and torn his own clothes into pieces to cook and serve to his ménage.
The national dish of Cuba overflows with flavor with the compelled cooked meat, peppers, and seasoning!
Which cut of beef to use?
For this Instant Pot ropa vieja recipe, I used chuck roast. It works great with sirloin tip roast as well.
Can I add bell peppers?
Yes, you can.
After the cooking is done, open the lid and instead of taking out the beef, add 3 sliced bell peppers and saute for 5 minutes.
Then you can serve it over mashed potatoes:
What to serve it with?
I served it over mashed potatoes as you can see in the pictures. Here are some more options for side dishes:
Can I use the slow cooking function?
Sure. If you really want to it the old fashioned way, you can use the Instant Pot slow cooker setting.
This table may help you:
| Pressure cooking | 90 minutes + 5 minutes |
| Slow cooking (set to “High”) | 4 hours (240 minutes) |
| Slow cooking (set to “Normal”) | 8 hours (480 minutes) |
How to make Ropa Vieja
Here's a step by step guide of how to make this recipe using the pressure cooking function.
Gather the ingredients.
Add all the magical ingredients.
1 lb Chuck Roast
1 tomato diced
1 sliced onion
½ teaspoon Black Pepper
Set the instant pot to “Manual” at high pressure for 90 minutes. Then wait for the pressure to be released naturally.
Add the veggies, Sauté for 5 minutes and mix well.
Dish out the beef.
Voila! That's how the magic trick is done and you can enjoy a delicious dish.
Instant Pot Beef Recipes
Instant Pot Mississippi Pot Roast
Instant Pot Ropa Vieja
Ingredients
- 1 lb chuck roast
- 1 onion sliced
- 4 teaspoon garlic minced
- 2 ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 can tomatoes diced
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to the Instant Pot.
- Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 90 minutes.
- When cooking time ends, wait for a natural pressure release.
- Once done, open the lid and shred the beef.
- Serve and enjoy 🙂
My family is from Cuba. We always add green olives, and bell peppers
Is there an easy way to convert an instant pot recipe for a crockpot? Is just cook time (I can use trial and error for that).
I am wondering if this recipe can be made with pork since I do not eat any beef.
Yes, it absolutely can. Beef is traditional, but pork would be delicious too.