dinner
Ropa Vieja
Cuba's iconic national dish — long-braised beef flank steak shredded into tender strands and simmered in a richly seasoned tomato and pepper sofrito sauce.
⏱ 170 min🔥 420 kcalEasy
★4.8(1,534)
🇨🇺
Cuban Beef Recipes
14 recipes using beef — Ropa vieja, moros y cristianos, lechón — bold, slow-cooked Caribbean flavours.
These 14 cuban beef recipes are ready in about 99 minutes on average, with 380–560 kcal per serving, and 36% are rated easy enough for a weeknight. Every recipe includes exact ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions and full nutrition per serving.
14
recipes
99 min
average time
442 kcal
avg per serving
36%
easy recipes
How Cuban cuisine cooks with beef
Cuban cuisine — Ropa vieja, moros y cristianos, lechón — bold, slow-cooked Caribbean flavours — brings its own distinctive techniques and seasonings to every ingredient it touches. When Cuban cooks work with beef, they reach for its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends, and the techniques that come up most across these recipes are simmering, boiling, frying and caramelising.
A rich, deeply savoury red meat that rewards both fast, hot searing and long, slow braising depending on the cut. In this collection it's most often cooked with garlic, onion, ground cumin, olive oil, dried oregano and green olives. The dishes here span cuban classics ready in as little as 40 minutes to slower, more involved cooking that rewards a relaxed afternoon.
Reader favourite: Cuban Ropa Vieja is the highest-rated dish in this collection at 4.9★ from 3,654 ratings.
14 Cuban Beef Recipes
✨ Newdinner
Cuban Ropa Vieja
Tender shredded flank steak braised in a rich sofrito of tomato, peppers, onion and olives — Cuba's national dish and one of the great slow-cooked beef preparations.
⏱ 140 min🔥 480 kcalEasy
★4.9(3,654)
✨ Newdinner
Cuban Picadillo
Spiced ground beef with tomatoes, olives, raisins and capers in a fragrant sofrito — Cuba's most versatile everyday dish, served with rice and beans.
⏱ 40 min🔥 460 kcalEasy
★4.8(4,321)
dinner
Ropa Vieja Cubana
Cuba's national dish — shredded flank steak braised until meltingly tender in a rich sauce of tomatoes, peppers, olives, and sofrito, served over rice and black beans.
⏱ 140 min🔥 480 kcalMedium
★4.9(1,540)
dinner
Vaca Frita
Cuban pan-fried shredded beef — crispy and caramelized on the outside, tender inside, marinated in lime and garlic, served with moros y cristianos and fried plantains.
⏱ 110 min🔥 380 kcalMedium
★4.8(1,120)
dinner
Cuban Picadillo
Cuba's beloved spiced ground beef with olives, capers, and raisins in a rich tomato sauce — a true Cuban classic.
⏱ 50 min🔥 380 kcalEasy
★4.7(387)
dinner
Picadillo Cubano
Cuban spiced ground beef with olives, raisins and capers in a tomato sauce — served over white rice.
⏱ 50 min🔥 440 kcalEasy
★4.8(612)
dinner
Vaca Frita
Cuban crispy shredded beef with sour orange, garlic and onion — charred and caramelised in a hot pan.
⏱ 80 min🔥 420 kcalMedium
★4.8(534)
🔥 Trendingdinner
Ropa Vieja
Cuba's national dish — shredded flank steak braised in tomato, pepper and olive sauce, eaten with rice and black beans.
⏱ 170 min🔥 420 kcalMedium
★4.9(1,123)
✨ Newdinner
Ropa Vieja (Cuban Shredded Beef in Sofrito Tomato Sauce)
Cuba's national dish — flank steak slow-cooked then shredded into a deep, garlicky sofrito-and-tomato sauce with peppers, olives and capers, served over fluffy white rice with sweet plantains.
⏱ 205 min🔥 540 kcalMedium
★4.9(820)
✨ Newdinner
Cuban Golden Cumin-Tomato Stuffed Peppers (Ajies Rellenos)
Bell peppers stuffed with a spiced ground beef, rice and tomato filling, based on ajies rellenos, a Cuban home-cooking classic.
⏱ 65 min🔥 400 kcalMedium
★4.7(356)
✨ Newdinner
Albóndigas Cubanas (Cuban Meatballs in Tomato Sauce)
Cumin-and-oregano beef meatballs simmered in a charred-lemon tomato sauce until they soak up all the sofrito flavor.
⏱ 55 min🔥 420 kcalMedium
★4.7(356)
✨ Newdinner
Cuban Picadillo-Stuffed Peppers
Bell peppers filled with sweet-savory Cuban picadillo -- ground beef, olives, raisins and a hint of lime.
⏱ 65 min🔥 390 kcalMedium
★4.7(241)
✨ Newdinner
Cuban Frita (Cuban-Style Burger)
A paprika-spiced beef and chorizo patty on a soft bun, topped with crispy shoestring potatoes.
⏱ 40 min🔥 560 kcalMedium
★4.6(198)
Choosing & preparing beef
How to choose
Tender cuts (sirloin, ribeye) suit quick cooking; tougher, collagen-rich cuts (chuck, brisket, shin) are built for stews and braises. Look for bright-red colour and fine marbling.
Prep & storage
Season generously and let steaks come to room temperature before searing. Rest cooked beef 5–10 minutes so the juices redistribute; slice against the grain to keep it tender.
When is it done?
Steaks: 52°C / 125°F for rare up to 71°C / 160°F for well done. Ground beef should always reach 71°C / 160°F.
Nutrition
An excellent source of complete protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12; leaner cuts keep saturated fat in check.
Classic flavour partners: onion, garlic, red wine, black pepper, mushrooms, rosemary
Cuban Beef Recipes — FAQ
How long do Cuban beef recipes take to make?
Most of these 14 Cuban beef recipes are ready in around 99 minutes from start to finish. The quickest, Cuban Picadillo, takes about 40 minutes, while the slower-cooked dishes run up to 205 minutes.
How many calories are in Cuban beef dishes?
Across this collection they range from about 380 to 560 kcal per serving, averaging 442 kcal — Vaca Frita is the lightest option at 380 kcal.
What is the easiest Cuban beef recipe for beginners?
Ropa Vieja is a great place to start — it's rated easy and comes together in about 170 minutes. 36% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.
What goes well with beef in Cuban cooking?
In these recipes, beef is most often paired with garlic, onion, ground cumin, olive oil, dried oregano and green olives. Cuban kitchens also lean on its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends.
How do I know when beef is properly cooked?
Steaks: 52°C / 125°F for rare up to 71°C / 160°F for well done. Ground beef should always reach 71°C / 160°F.
More Cuban Recipes by Ingredient
Beef Recipes from Other Cuisines
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