This Easy Turkey Ropa Vieja is my spin on a Cuban classic. Traditional Ropa Vieja is made with shredded beef and vegetables.
It also stands for "Old Clothes" in Spanish. But trust me, it tastes much better than "Old Clothes".
If you are a big fan of Cuban food like I am, you must give Ofelia's Cuban Picadillo a try. My absolute favorite Cuban dish to make (and eat)! Chef Ofelia is absolutely fabulous!
I decided to make this delicious dish using Turkey instead of beef. While I decided to cube my turkey for this dish, you can also shred it which is what is typically found in the traditional version of this dish.
💭 Serving Suggestions
I like to serve ropa vieja on a bed of rice and black beans, but you can also serve it with tortillas or fried sweet plantains.
For more great recipes with Turkey Breasts, I suggest you check these recipes out:
📋 Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Easy turkey Ropa Vieja recipe (see recipe card for quantities): Olive Oil, Yellow Onion, Green Bell Pepper, Garlic Cloves, Ground Cumin, Dried Oregano, Roma Tomato, Tomato Sauce, Spanish Green Olives, Salt, Ground Black Pepper, Turkey Breast and Lemon Juice.
🥣 How to Make Turkey Ropa Vieja
In a Dutch oven or a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the diced onions and green peppers. Cook for about 3 minutes or until softened.
Add the minced garlic, ground cumin and oregano. Mix well for about 30 seconds.
Stir in the Roma tomatoes, tomato sauce, olives, salt, and ground black pepper. Mix till combined.
Add the cooked turkey to the tomato mixture and mix well. Cover and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.
Add the lemon juice and mix well.
Serve on a bed of rice, black beans, fried sweet plantains or tortillas.
📖 Recipe
Easy Turkey Ropa Vieja
Equipment
- Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Small Yellow Onion, finely diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
- 8 oz Tomato Sauce
- ½ Cup Spanish Green Olives, chopped
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 2 lbs Turkey Breast, cooked & diced
- 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or a large saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the diced onions and green peppers. Cook for about 3 minutes or until softened.1 tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Small Yellow Onion, 1 Green Bell Pepper
- Add the minced garlic, ground cumin and oregano. Mix well for about 30 seconds.2 Garlic Cloves, 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin, ½ teaspoon Dried Oregano
- Stir in the roma tomatoes, tomato sauce, olives, salt, and ground black pepper. Mix till combined.2 Roma Tomatoes, 8 oz Tomato Sauce, ½ Cup Spanish Green Olives, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- Add the cooked turkey to tomato mixture and mix well. Cover and let simmer for 20 to 30 minutes.2 lbs Turkey Breast
- Add the lemon juice and mix well.1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- Serve on a bed of rice, black beans, fried sweet plantains or tortillas.
Nutrition
Nutritional information provided for this recipe is based on 1 serving. This information is an estimate and may vary based on several factors. If nutritional information is important to you and your diet, please verify this recipe with a Registered Dietitian.
Nick
This Easy Turkey Ropa Vieja is a delicious meal. I must say I only used 1 clove of garlic as that was what I had on hand and it was great. I served it on a bed of rice and I had leftovers for the following day as there are only 2 in the family. Very tasty.