Pressure cooker ropa vieja is a time-saving Instant Pot version of the traditional Cuban beef dish, and is naturally gluten and dairy free. There’s also a slow cooker version! This post is sponsored by Pomí.

Have you tried ropa vieja? Don’t worry about the fact that the name is Spanish for “old clothes”–this is supremely delicious comfort food, with nothing old or ragged about it. To make this pressure cooker ropa vieja, beef is quickly seared, then cooked until tender in an addictive sauce made with Pomí tomatoes, bell peppers, onion, garlic, smoked paprika, and other spices.

Next, capers, raisins, and pimiento peppers are added for pops of color, sweetness, and tart, briny flavor. The result is a dish so soothing and satisfying that Ben and I aren’t even close to being tired of it, despite having eaten three giant batches over the past two weeks.

No pressure cooker? Don’t fret (but I do highly recommend the Instant Pot*<–this and all others marked with * are affiliate links and I earn from qualifying purchases). This ropa vieja is just as delicious made in a slow cooker*. I was surprised to find the two versions indistinguishable in taste and texture, so it’s really just a question of how much time you have and which appliance you want to use.

I used Pomí Organic Strained Tomatoes* for this recipe. They’re similar to crushed tomatoes and provide all the great umami-packed flavor of fresh tomatoes grown in the Italian sunshine. (By the way, I also tested this recipe with Pomí’s chopped tomatoes and they worked great, too!) I love that they’re organic and non-GMO certified.

This pressure cooker ropa vieja is a satisfying meal on its own or atop a bed of rice (white, yellow, or cauliflower!), but it’s even more exciting with a few extra trimmings. Here I served it with tostones (fried green plantains) and guacamole.

Last week I made maduros (fried sweet plantains) to go with the previous batch of ropa vieja, but this week I could only find green plantains at the market so I had to go with tostones. I couldn’t even pick a favorite plantain side because I love both of them so much.

I hope you give this pressure cooker ropa vieja (or the slow cooker version) a try!

If you’re looking for more delicious Cuban food, check out my recipes for picadillo with plantains and slow-cooker Cuban short ribs or this recipe for lechón asado in the Instant Pot or slow cooker from The Curious Coconut.

If you’re looking for more Instant Pot recipes, try my five-ingredient Instant Pot carnitas, Instant Pot fesenjan (Persian chicken stew with pomegranate and walnuts), and Instant Pot tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes. If you’re doing a Whole30, check out my roundup of 40 Whole30 Instant Pot recipes.

Note: To make this recipe Whole30 compliant, replace the wine with a tablespoon of sherry or white wine vinegar. Taste before adding additional vinegar to finish the dish.

If you enjoyed this ropa vieja, come join me on Instagram to stay in the loop as I develop new recipes!

This post is sponsored by Pomí. Thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that keep A Calculated Whisk up and running! This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase on Amazon after clicking one of my links, I receive a small commission (the price you pay is not affected). Thank you so much for supporting my site!