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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)
11 recipes using beef — Ropa vieja, moros y cristianos, lechón — bold, slow-cooked Caribbean flavours.
These 11 cuban beef recipes are ready in about 118 minutes on average, with 380–540 kcal per serving, and 45% are rated easy enough for a weeknight. Every recipe includes exact ingredient quantities, step-by-step instructions and full nutrition per serving.
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, olive oil, ground cumin, green olives and capers. 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.
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.
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.
Spiced ground beef with tomatoes, olives, raisins and capers in a fragrant sofrito — Cuba's most versatile everyday dish, served with rice and beans.
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.
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.
Cuba's beloved spiced ground beef with olives, capers, and raisins in a rich tomato sauce — a true Cuban classic.
Cuba's national dish — slow-braised flank steak shredded into tender strands in a vibrant tomato, pepper and olive sauce.
Cuban spiced ground beef with olives, raisins and capers in a tomato sauce — served over white rice.
Cuban crispy shredded beef with sour orange, garlic and onion — charred and caramelised in a hot pan.
Cuba's national dish — shredded flank steak braised in tomato, pepper and olive sauce, eaten with rice and black beans.
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.
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.
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.
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.
An excellent source of complete protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12; leaner cuts keep saturated fat in check.
Most of these 11 Cuban beef recipes are ready in around 118 minutes from start to finish. The quickest, Cuban Picadillo, takes about 40 minutes, while the slower-cooked dishes run up to 205 minutes.
Across this collection they range from about 380 to 540 kcal per serving, averaging 445 kcal — Vaca Frita is the lightest option at 380 kcal.
Ropa Vieja is a great place to start — it's rated easy and comes together in about 170 minutes. 45% of the recipes here are beginner-friendly.
In these recipes, beef is most often paired with garlic, onion, olive oil, ground cumin, green olives and capers. Cuban kitchens also lean on its own regional aromatics, fats and signature spice blends.
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.