Chicken Ropa Vieja

Name: Chicken Ropa Vieja
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 85 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast; 1 small onion, quartered; 1 tomato, quartered; 1 carrot, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces; 2 cloves garlic, peeled; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 small onion, thinly sliced; ½ green bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced; ½ red bell pepper, seeded and thinly sliced; ¼ cup tomato puree; ¼ cup dry white wine; 1 teaspoon ground cumin, or to taste; salt and pepper to taste

Rating: 4.05 stars

21 Ratings
13 Reviews
1 Photo

Ropa Vieja is a mainstay of the Cuban-American diet. It's traditionally made with skirt steak, a stringy cut of meat with the poetic name fajita (girdle) in Spanish. This recipe uses chicken breast and is fantastic; the leftovers are even better. It is wonderful served with white rice and fried plantains or a pineapple-coconut slaw.

By crcowley

Gallery

Recipe Summary

prep:

40 mins

cook:

45 mins

total:

1 hr 25 mins

Servings:

Yield:

4 servings

Nutrition Info

Directions

Step 1
Place chicken, onion, tomato, carrot, and 2 cloves of garlic into a large pot. Add water to cover, then bring to a boil. Skim and discard the foam that has floated to the surface. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered until the chicken is tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Place the chicken into a bowl and shred it into strips as thick as a pencil; set aside. Strain the cooking liquid and discard the vegetables.

Advertisement
Step 2
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, onions, green peppers, and red peppers. Cook and stir until the vegetables have softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomato puree, white wine, chicken, and enough of the reserved broth to create a thick sauce. Season with cumin, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 5 minutes more to reduce the sauce slightly and coat the shredded chicken.

Cooks Note

The chicken breasts may be cooked in a slow cooker, covered, on High for 3 to 4 hours.

Nutrition Facts

Per Serving:

291 calories; protein 34.7g; carbohydrates 10.6g; fat 10.6g; cholesterol 87.9mg; sodium 151.1mg. Full Nutrition

Reviews (13)

Most helpful positive review

crcowley

03/26/2008

I am the author of this recipe. I agree with one of the reviews stating that it came out bland. I always add 2-3 tbsp cumin - hence "to taste". Read More

Helpful

(26)

Most helpful critical review

cooking in cow town

09/27/2007

this was ok it needs a lot more flavor...I added some salsa at the end and it helped Read More

Helpful

(3)

21 Ratings

5 star values: 8
4 star values: 9
3 star values: 2
2 star values: 1
1 star values: 1

Reviews: Most Helpful

Most Helpful Most Positive Least Positive Newest

crcowley

03/26/2008

I am the author of this recipe. I agree with one of the reviews stating that it came out bland. I always add 2-3 tbsp cumin - hence "to taste". Read More

Helpful

(26)

Golan's Girl

05/15/2008

My boyfriend really enjoyed this recipe, but only after I added lots of Adobo seasoning, garlic powder, and cumin after I tasted it. I still feel that it is a really great base recipe, and a great idea to use healthier chicken breast as opposed to steak. I am making it again tonight! Read More

Helpful

(19)

Aimee'

09/28/2007

I doubled the sauce portion of this recipe and served it with black beans and rice and fried plantains. It turned out great! Read More

Helpful

(13)

cooking in cow town

09/27/2007

this was ok it needs a lot more flavor...I added some salsa at the end and it helped Read More

Helpful

(3)

K-GURTNER-BARNES

04/29/2013

I have made this recipe twice now. The first time I followed the directions verbatim and it was okay. The second time I made it for a baby shower and decided to add some some extra flavor to it. I tripled the garlic that is added to it the second part of the recipe and for the tomato puree I used a can of Rotel and just pureed it in the food processor. I also bumped up the cumin A LOT also added Adobo seasoning to taste and used a little white pepper. I made 6 lbs and left with an empty dish. It was amazing. Thank you so much for the recipe. Read More

Helpful

(2)

BAM

04/26/2010

This was a real disappointment because it was so bland- tasted like chicken in tomato sauce. I assume the menu really called for tomato paste and not puree since paste mixed with the broth might at least have given the sauce more body. We doctored it as best we could with more cumin and cuban hot sauce but this really wasn't very flavorful. Read More

Helpful

(2)

joannarod85

11/12/2013

I love love loved it my kids devoured it. I did add a little adobo but other than that a favorite for my family. Great recipe thank you =) Read More

Helpful

(1)

Linda T

Allstar

10/14/2012

This was delicious. I threw the chicken and veggies in corckpot and cooked for 4 hours. Did the rest on the stove. I did add 2-3 T of cumin and added nearly a whole can of tomato puree. Served this with white rice and baked plantain chips.. yumyum Will make again. easy dinner Read More

Helpful

(1)

Mikel Holland

01/10/2012

I served this recipe to High School Students as a School Lunch Chef Display - I used slightly baked Pita bread ( in place of a tortilla ) and served it Fajita Style being a school meal I had to omit the Wine but replaced it with RED WINE vinegar and it turned out nice served it with a Red Bean and Rice Side dish and topped it with a Pineapple Mango Salsa. Great Dish - the students gave it a thumbs up. Read More

More Reviews

Back to Chicken Ropa Vieja

All Reviews for Chicken Ropa Vieja

- of Reviews

Chicken Ropa Vieja

Servings Per Recipe: 4
Calories: 290.6

% Daily Value *

protein: 69 %

carbohydrates: 3 %

dietary fiber: 9 %

sugars:

fat: 16 %

saturated fat: 10 %

cholesterol: 29 %

vitamin a iu: 69 %

niacin equivalents: 133 %

vitamin b6: 38 %

vitamin c: 68 %

folate: 7 %

calcium: 5 %

iron: 12 %

magnesium: 17 %

potassium: 15 %

sodium: 6 %

thiamin: 14 %

calories from fat:

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

**Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-)Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.