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”.
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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.
Gather your Ingredients
You will need the following ingredients to make this Turkey Ropa Vieja recipe. For ingredient amounts please refer to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Olive Oil – Try to use the best quality olive oil you can
- Yellow Onion – sweet onion or white onions are good substitutes
- Green Bell Pepper – or you can use any mild green pepper you prefer
- Garlic Cloves – Use more to taste if desired
- Ground Cumin – Brings a warm, earthy, and slightly nutty flavor to this recipe
- Dried Oregano – brings a bold, earthy, and slightly peppery flavor
- Roma Tomato
- Tomato Sauce
- Spanish Green Olives – you can also use regular green olives
- Salt – a must for most recipes
- Ground Black Pepper – Freshly Ground as much as possible
- Turkey Breast
- Mexican Blend Cheese – try to use fresh lemon juice as much as possible
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.
Easy Turkey Ropa Vieja
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Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 Small Yellow Onion, finely diced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1 Tsp Ground Cumin
- ½ Tsp Dried Oregano
- 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
- 8 oz Tomato Sauce
- ½ Cup Spanish Green Olives, chopped
- ½ Tsp Salt
- ¼ Tsp Ground Black Pepper
- 2 lbs Turkey Breast, cooked & diced
- 1 Tbsp 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 Tbsp 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 Tsp Ground Cumin, 1/2 Tsp 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, 1/2 Cup Spanish Green Olives, 1/2 Tsp Salt, 1/4 Tsp 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 Tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- Serve on a bed of rice, black beans, fried sweet plantains or tortillas.
This is really good, I especially like the green olives as it gives it a kick of saltiness that balances over rice. Definitely a comfort type meal.
This turkey Ropa Vieja is a great and tasty dish. Everyone loved it.
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.