It’s hot outside, y’all. Too hot to turn on the oven and make my AC work overtime. So, today I let my slow cooker do all the work and it made me this wonderfully delicious Chicken Ropa Vieja.
I had Chicken Ropa Vieja for the first time at a restaurant recently and loved how it was both extremely flavorful and very uncomplicated. This delicious dish is basically just chicken stewed down with tomatoes, peppers, onions, and spices until everything is tender and flavorful. Almost like chicken fajita stew. How can that NOT be good? Once I realized it would be an excellent candidate for the slow cooker, I knew I had to make some of my own.
This post contains some affiliate links, which means that we make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
What is Ropa Vieja?
Wait, let me start with what it isn’t. Ropa Vieja is not traditionally made with chicken. It’s a Cuban braised beef dish that translates to “old clothes” because everything is just kind of thrown together like a pile of old clothes and braised until tender and flavorful. But since I loved the flavors and cooking method so much, I wanted to see if I could apply it to chicken, and that’s how we got to this Chicken Ropa Vieja, or chicken “in the style of” ropa vieja.
If you want to try a traditional ropa vieja recipe and learn more about the roots of this awesome dish, check out these authentic recipes:
- Ropa Vieja from Chef Zee Cooks (Youtube)
- Ropa Vieja from Hispanic Kitchen
- Instant Pot Cuban Ropa Vieja from Latin Mom Meals
How to Serve Chicken Ropa Vieja
I served my Chicken Ropa Vieja over rice, but you could also use it to fill a taco or burrito. OR, if you’re doing the low-carb thang, just eat it in a bowl on its own! A little dollop of sour cream would be awesome on top, too. (I added a little cilantro to liven up the photos, but the dish has plenty of flavor on its own.)
What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?
I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because that was the best price at the store yesterday. You can easily sub boneless skinless chicken breasts with no further modifications to the recipe. If you have bone-in chicken, that will also work. Just be sure to remove the skin first (if any) and remove the bones after cooking.
Slow Cooker Chicken Ropa Vieja
Servings 6 (3/4 cup each)Ingredients
- 1.5 to 2 lb.s chicken pieces (boneless skinless) ($3.41)
- 4 cloves garlic ($0.32)
- 1/2 Tbsp oregano ($0.15)
- 1 tsp cumin ($0.10)
- 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes ($0.02)
- Freshly cracked black pepper ($0.05)
- 1 medium yellow onion ($0.37)
- 1 medium green bell pepper ($0.69)
- 1 medium red bell pepper ($1.79)
- 1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes ($0.75)
- 3 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.22)
- Salt to taste (1/2 to 1 tsp) ($0.02)
Instructions
- Trim the chicken pieces of excess fat, if desired. Place the chicken pieces in the bottom of the slow cooker (4qt. or larger). Mince the garlic and add it to the slow cooker. Sprinkle the oregano, cumin, red pepper flakes, and some freshly cracked pepper over the chicken.
- Slice the onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper into strips. Place the onion and bell peppers on top of the chicken in the slow cooker. Add the can of diced tomatoes (with juices) and tomato paste to the slow cooker. The tomato paste can be added in dollops and will be stirred in after cooking.
- Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours. After four hours, remove the lid and use tongs to stir the contents. Break the chicken into shreds as you stir the slow cooker. If the juices in the slow cooker are too thin, allow the pot to continue simmering on high without the lid for about 15 minutes to reduce the liquid. Taste and season with salt as needed (I added 1/2 tsp).
- Serve the ropa in a bowl, over rice, or in a warm tortilla.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Slow Cooker
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Chicken Ropa Vieja – Step by Step Photos
I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe simply because that was the best price at the time. I used one pack, which was 1.75 lbs, but you could use anywhere from 1.5 to 2 lbs without any further modification. Or, if you want to cut the meat in half and replace it with some black beans, that would work as well. Boneless, skinless chicken breast can also be used.
Trim the fat from the chicken if you want (honestly, I don’t bother), then place the chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker (it should probably be 4 quarts or larger). Add four cloves of garlic (minced), 1/2 Tbsp oregano, 1 tsp cumin, 1/8 tsp red pepper flakes, and some freshly cracked pepper (10-15 cranks of a mill).
You’ll also need a yellow onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper. Cut each one into strips.
Place the peppers and onion on top of the chicken in the slow cooker.
Add one 15oz. can of diced tomatoes (with the juices) and 3 Tbsp tomato paste. You can just plop the tomato paste on top because it will get stirred in later. Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours.
After four hours the chicken and vegetables will let off quite a bit of liquid that the chicken then stews in. YUM. You can see that the tomato paste is still in clumps on top, but you may notice its darker color. The natural sugars in the tomato paste have caramelized a bit and given it a deeper flavor.
Use tongs or another utensil to stir the chicken ropa vieja. Shred the chicken as you stir. It should be so tender that it just falls apart when its touched. The mixture will be a tad soupy, but if you want a thicker sauce you can let it simmer without a lid for 15 minutes or so longer. Taste the dish and season with salt to your liking. I added about 1/2 tsp.
TIP: Adding salt at the end helps it be more pronounced, thereby allowing you to use less. If it was added before cooking, the saltiness would be much more subdued and you’d probably need to add more.
There are several ways to serve this chicken ropa vieja. It can be spooned over rice to soak up that extra yumminess, or it can be stuffed into a warm tortilla like a taco or burrito. It’s so good, though, that I wouldn’t mind eating it straight out of the bowl! A little sour cream would also be awesome.
Kroger stores normally have a section with ugly/older produce, so I got 3 tri-colored bell peppers for a $1 that way. They were small so I ended up throwing all 3 in, along with 1/2 a red onion I had leftover. I used 2 big chicken breasts, doubled the spices per other comments, and used crushed tomatoes instead of diced. Turned out great, not soupy at all. Thanks, Beth!
I didn’t think it was too watery but we found it very bland tried it as called for before doubling the spices like some had suggested (except the red pepper flakes because husband is sensitive to spicy foods) and still found it on side of lack laster.
Ended up adding some lime juice, sugar and cocoa powder and found it vastly more appealing but not sure I’d make it again even with the improvements.
The recipe was very tasty – but super watery. Seems like you should drain the diced tomatoes. Also agreed with the other commenters about doubling the spices.
Good flavor and super easy. If you’re willing to take an extra step, I would just put the chicken and crushed tomatoes in the crockpot and “stir-fry” the veggies separately before serving so that they are still a little tender. When they all go in the crockpot together, the mouthfeel for all ingredients feel the same which is a little weird.
Also would recommend adding green chiles and jalapenos with the chicken for a little extra spice.
Super bland and watery
Added a can of pinto beans at the end, lime juice and lots of garlic salt. So yummy.
I accidentally used crushed tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes but it still came out delicious! I put mine on a tortilla with some sour cream and grated cheddar and ate it as a fajita. This recipe is a keeper!
I about tripled the seasoning, and it was really yummy!(:
This recipe looks yummy! I am doing keto, so I always check the carb count. For this recipe without the rice, the nutrition info is below if anyone else is interested:
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 328
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 11.6g 15%
Saturated Fat 3.1g 16%
Cholesterol 135mg 45%
Sodium 347mg 15%
Total Carbohydrate 9g 3%
Dietary Fiber 2.5g 9%
Total Sugars 4.8g
Protein 45.5g
Vitamin D 0mcg 0%
Calcium 55mg 4%
Iron 3mg 16%
Potassium 700mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Recipe analyzed by verywell
We only recently brought on a Registered Dietician to our team. She’s working hard behind the scenes to update the entire recipe database, over 1500+ recipes, with nutritional information. She’s working her way from the newest recipes back and it takes some time to update them all. Stay tuned!
Would love to try this! Do the veggies come out smushy ? I prefer them on the firmer side.
Thank you
I’ve found that they come out just right! But if you’d like to wait and add them closer to the end of the cooking time you could do that.
KELLY! I had served this juicy CHICKEN ROPA VIEJA dish to my in-laws and guess what!!! They absolutely fell in love with it. But I actually served them this dish along with some tortillas and chapatis instead of the rice. Would you recommend to use this dish for a regular diet plan? Since rice contains carbs!
Can you use frozen chicken breast in slow cooker??
Yes you can!
Beth says no to that in other posts. Frozen chicken is fine in a pressure cooker, not a slow cooker. It might not cook evenly or all the way. Don’t want you to get sick!
No, don’t do that. A slow cooker uses lower Temps and the time it takes to thaw and cook the chicken is way to long and not safe.
Made this today and it was fantastic. I agree about adding extra amounts of the spices. I also put in a can of tomatoes with chilis rather than using the canned tomatoes and red pepper flakes. Served it over pasta, with a sprinkling of cheese.
Thanks Edina!
Agreed that this is DELICIOUS… if you double the spices. Beth’s spice cabinet is maybe just way fresher than everyone else’s? I tried making it in the slow cooker as documented and in the Instant Pot (saute chicken, 8 minutes manual). Good both places, maybe slightly better texture in the slow cooker.
I do agree with some other reviewers that it came out bland. But I guess that’s why she emphasizes to add salt to taste. Being Hispanic, instead of adding salt, I chose to add adobo (which contains mostly salt in it so I guess same thing lol). Adding adobo to taste did the trick for me! But definitely add some sort of salt at the end. If not, it will look AMAZING and taste like nothing lol
This turned out really great, I made this and we ate with tacos. Like other reviewers I HIGHLY recommend doubling up the spices, it was just right. It was another hit! Such a quick recipe! I also cooked it in the slow cooker for 8 hrs
I made this yesterday and it turned out really delicious! I am a novice with my slow cooker and used the low setting for 8 hours. I used 2 lb of skinless boneless thighs and added a lot of garlic salt at the end, which seemed to bring out the flavors of the veggies and chicken. This is a great hot weather recipe since you don’t have to use the oven or stove at all if you don’t want to.
Yum
I was very disappointed with how this turned out. It was very bland. Unfortunately, I had planned to use this meal for my meal prep for the week. Served with cilantro rice and ample taco sauce for more flavor.
My husband and I absolutely loved this meal. I was looking for something different from the usual chicken crockpot meals I’ve tried, and this hit the spot with the different seasonings and bell peppers. It was a hit with my husband so a definite success in my book. Tasted great with cilantro, extra red pepper flakes, and guacamole!
Was excited about making this recipe because I grew up eating Ropa Vieja almost every week. I Loved how this recipe came out! I trippled the seasoning, didn’t bother trimming the fat and it tasted perfect. I also got that shredded effect I was worried wouldn’t come through. This recipe made me fall in love with my slow cooker again and Me and my partner were looking forward to eating the leftovers the next day.
Thank you for this recipe! I usually tweak recipes a little, but this one I followed almost exactly (I used two large chicken breasts and added additional seasoning accordingly) and was delighted. It’s healthy, delicious, and economical, so I’ve recommended it to several friends. I’m usually a stove-top cook, but I decided to use my slow cooker this time, which I rarely use and am still experimenting with. So, I learned the hard way not to put frozen chicken breasts in the slow cooker. It took 7 hours for the meal to cook and the chicken never fell apart as it was supposed to. I’m sure it would’ve been perfect had I not used frozen chicken. Oh well, live and learn. Some other slow cooker newbie will learn from my mistake.
Do you have the nutritional information for this recipe?
No, I’m sorry, I do not.
I decided to try this recipe last night, and I’m SO glad I did. I used chicken thighs because that was what I had in the freezer. I cooked the chicken in my instant pot because it was still frozen. I cooked up the veggies and sauce on the stove, and then added the cooked chicken and sauce to my food processor. I hit the “pulse” button several times to kind of break up and mix everything together (but not completely liquify everything). Then I put a scoop of rice on a tortilla and some of the ropa vieja on the rice. Those tacos were just amazing!
Could this work using fresh tomatoes instead of canned?
It will likely change the flavor and consistency a bit.
Fantastic recipe. I thought I would have plenty left over but my family and I ate it all within a day. The pot was no doubt scraped bare. My mother is diabetic and this was a great dish for her to enjoy without having to eat bland food. I look forward to making this again. :)
So, I got about halfway through this recipe when I realized I had accidentally bought half of my ingredients from another recipe I had open in another tab (luckily, it was still a tomato-y chicken slow cooker recipe!). So, I ended up accidentally doubling my meat thinking I was doubling the one recipe.
Soooo I worked with what I had and I ended up using around 3-4lbs. of chicken breast, 3 bell peppers (red, yellow, orange), one can of diced tomatoes and green chilies, garlic powder, all of these spices in this recipe, and a can of chunky “garden” pasta sauce. Here’s hoping it turns out! lol
… Why would you even comment then? I don’t understand people sometimes.
Great recipe! I added a sweet potato which made it more stew-like, it didn’t need any rice that way.
I cooked it on low for 8 hours and it came out perfectly!
I used half the amount of chicken and added can of beans at the end of cooking, so they just warmed through without going mushy.
Next time would probably double the spices as it was a little bland for my personal taste. I like it spicy! 🌶
Overall, great recipe! 😋Thanks so much for sharing 😊
hey!
Would this work in a le cruset in the oven??
Probably! I don’t know the temperature conversions for slow cooker to oven off hand, though.
Would it be okay to cook this on low?
8 hours on low should work. :)
Hi Beth,
Do you think I could get this recipe to work in a pressure cooker?
Thanks!
Yes, this would probably work perfectly in a pressure cooker. :)
Made this last week for my meal prep!!! So easy and yummy, Thanks!!! Wish you had a full archive of healthy options!
I made this recipe and although I liked it, my family thought it was only o.k. I had a lot left over so I froze it. Yesterday I defrosted it, rolled it in tortillas, poured enchilada sauce on top and baked it at 350 for 40 min. I then top with cheese and green onions and baked until the cheese was melted. My family this time couldn’t get enough. It made wonderful enchiladas and I was able to get two family meals from one recipe. Thanks Beth.
Any suggestions or tips for making this in an instant pot? What setting should I use? How many minutes? I’m planning on using bone-in chicken. Thanks!
I think you could probably just use the “poultry” button and be fine. :) Chicken thighs, even with the bone, cook fairly quickly in the IP.
I want to make this dish, but I really dislike big chunks of tomatoes. In the end of the dish, do the tomato chunks cook down enough so that it is just the flavor left over, which I don’t mind, or are there still big chunks in it. If there are, is there something I could substitute the tomatoes for that would work just the same. Such as roasted red peppers or something like that or would it completely change the dish?
I would say that there are still some chunks. You could try using petite diced tomatoes, which are very small pieces to begin with, or “crushed” tomatoes, which is more like a sauce but with no other added ingredients.
Delicious and easy! What more could you ask for? :)
Being a huge fan of the chicken taco bowls, I was excited to try this as well. It was a huge it. While superficially similar to the taco bowl, if was quite different in taste and adds a great option into my easy meal line up. I used my electric pressure cooker: I used bone-in chicken thighs (no skin) and followed the recipe with two small changes. I added an extra TB of tomato paste as pressure cooker meals tend to be moister since the water doesn’t evaporate like in a slow cooker. After cooking I added a splash of red wine vinegar. I cooked it under high pressure for 20 minutes, natural release for 10, then quick release. It shredded beautifully. If I used chicken breast I’d probably cook it for less time.
Getting ready to try to Instant Pot this recipe. It was a slow cooker hit. Wish me luck! I have no idea what I’m doing!
What are your thoughts on using frozen bell peppers for this recipe? I have a lot that I need to use up. Thanks!
That would actually probably work well! The peppers will get soft in the slow cooker anyway, so it doesn’t matter that they’re going to be soft from freezing. :)
Thanks for responding so quickly.
The frozen bell peppers worked perfectly, and it tastes amazing! Thank you! :)
This was so easy to make, and super flavourful. Yet another delicious recipe from your site. Thanks so much!
I’ve been in a cooking funk lately and haven’t really had a good recipe in a while. This was delish and loved by the whole family! So easy and so tasty! Thank you for sharing.
just made for dinner,enjoyed by all. thanks for another great recipe.
Beth,
I’m not even trying to cook on a budget, but I find myself constantly drawn to ALL of your recipes!! Thank you so much for doing what you do!! I love to cook, but hate it when I put forth a lot of effort and my family doesn’t like the result. We LOVE everything on your site that I have tried! Your new BIGGEST FAN!! Mother of three boys: ages, 23,21,and 11. Everyone LOVES your FOOD!
Thank you so much!
Kelli
This had all the makings of a fantastic week day staple. 1) cheap 2) quick 3) guilt-free 4) delicious! I served it a little soupy over rice but it would work perfectly as a taco/burrito filling. I doubled the chili pepper flakes because me and my husband like a little more heat. I will make this again.
This is the first time I used my crockpot! It’s easy and so tasty and it works amazingly in a burrito bowl! I used frozen bell peppers since they are 1/10 of the price of fresh and it was still super tasty. Next time I will add some of the salt in the beginning so that it seasons the chicken thoroughly.
Winner, winner, spicy chicken dinner. Another home run recipe.
This recipe sounds delicious and have been reading that people put it with rice, beans tacos, etc. Has anyone tried anything else as a side? Just drawing a blank is all.
Wow. Made this for dinner tonight and it is amazing! I served it over a baked potato and sprinkled some Mexican cheese over it. Delicious! I’m so excited I have stumbled upon your website.
Umm- what can I say? In 3 days I’ve made 6 of your recipes!! this being my 6th I thought I should post how awesome your blog is. I LOVE cooking- and am typically not a by the recipe kinda girl- but your site is inspiring and the food is delicious! This recipe didn’t dissapoint either! It’s ready for dinner tonight. Made on stove top on simmer for a couple hours. Can’t wait for hubby to bring home the tortillas ;-) thanks for all you do!
In the beef ropa vieja I make (with a chuck roast), the recipe calls for some red wine vinegar. Do you think that would also work with the chicken recipe?
I do, yes. That would add a nice bright finish to the dish. :)
This is an instant HIGH FIVE. I love this recipe so much, thank you thank you thank you. Delicious!
This looks AMAZING. Would it work if I cooked this for 8 hours on low? I often see recipes that can be cooked for either 4hrs on high or 8 on low — wondering if this is one of them! 8 hours always works so nicely when I’m at work all day. Thanks in advance!
I think that would work, yes.
This is so good. It is a surprise to me that this simple recipe could have this much flavor. I even mixed two cuisines and served this over your yellow jasmine rice.
Can you put the chicken breasts into the slow cooker frozen or will it ruin the texture of the dish?
It won’t ruin the texture, but I don’t recommend putting frozen meat into a slow cooker. It can slow down the time that it takes for the contents to come up to a safe cooking temperature and you risk food poisoning.
I made this and then mixed a good portion of it with corn, black beans and chopped zucchini (I had hallowed out the centers of 3 to stuff them.) I put the mix in the zucchini halves, topped with cheddar cheese, and baked them. We had for dinner with your golden rice as a side. So good and healthy!
Looks delicious! Do you think this would be as tender simmered slowly in a pot? I don’t have a slow cooker.
Yes, definitely. Just bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat to the point where it’s simmering gently. The heat will be higher than in a slow cooker, so it shouldn’t take as long.
Yum! I baked the leftovers with pasta and covered with cheese and sliced olives. Delish!
Great recipe! I served over rice and in a tortilla and it rocked both ways. The leftovers are even more delicious the second day.
Thanks!
Really good recipe I made this for the first time and my husband really liked it. He even made me print it out to give to his dad.
Made this earlier this week and it was great! Served it over brown rice and black beans. Yum! (I’ve had it 3 days in a row…)
That sounds good! I LOVE brown rice and black beans!! :-)
I made this the other day, but with pork instead of chicken. I also gave it about 3 hours on low after the initial cooking time given. It was great! I’m definitely making this again; I plan to try it with beef as well as chicken.
Hhmmm, I made this and was pretty disappointed. Very watery and not nearly as flavorful as I had hoped.
It’s possible I left it in the crockpot too long–I didn’t time it very exactly and I guess an extra 15-20 minutes makes a big difference cooking down the veggies on high? It seems like such a good simple base recipe though, so I think I’ll try it again with higher spice ratios and a little more tomato paste but drain out a fair bit of the juice from the diced tomatoes.
Even still, not bad; a perfectly acceptable lunch with plenty of salt and pepper! And this illustrates what I’ve been loving about your site, Beth–everything is pretty straightforward but easy to tweak and figure out the fundamentals behind how you put together a recipe. Thanks for all your great work!
Made this tonight for the second time. We’ve backed off on the tomato paste a little and added carrot. No salt. Excellent. Truly a keeper recipe.
We followed your recipe exactly, but for some reason came out with at *least* 10 hearty servings. Good thing we loved it!
Fun fact: this makes killer omlette filling, if you’re wondering about how to repurpose the leftovers. :)
Great taste, easy to make, plenty of food for some left overs made them into tacos with some rice and beans. my df loved it so did my 19m old :)
Thank you for this and all of your other recipes!!
Great recipe! I often make what I call “slow cooker chicken chilli”, but I loved that this wasn’t as stew-like and could be put into a wrap or a tortilla. It was better! This was a perfect “use up what’s kicking around mid-week” recipe: I had a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the fridge I’d been stressing about cooking, and though I didn’t have a green pepper (only one red one left!), I ended up adding 1/2 a minced jalapeño and 1/2 a bag of matchstick/shredded carrots to make up for it–and a drained/rinsed can of black beans, too. I used fire-roasted diced tomatoes to amp up the smokey flavour of the cumin and chili powder and it was perfect. I have a smaller slow cooker but this made enough that I’ll be stashing leftovers in the freezer or handing them off. In any case: Thanks for some excellent weeknight inspiration! :)
This looks great, and I’d like to try it with half chicken/half beans. I already have some cooked, frozen black beans. Should I throw them in frozen?
I would suggest thawing them first. It’s always a bit dangerous to throw frozen items into the slow cooker because it can cause the ingredients to take too long to heat to a safe temperature.
Would it work to throw dry rice in the slow cooker/pot too? Do you think it would cook in time? If so that seems like a delicious and easy way to combine everything!
I’ve actually never tried to cook rice in the slow cooker, so I’m not sure how that would turn out. It might be really hard to shred the chicken with the rice in there and you’d have to play around with liquid ratios to make sure there is enough to cook the rice.
Does my chicken have to be thawed out first before I try this or can it be frozen?
I always suggest using thawed meat for the slow cooker. Frozen can take too long to heat up in the slow cooker and give bacteria time to proliferate. Better safe than sorry. :)
Make sure you thaw chicken in the refrigerator, not on the countertop. It may take awhile but its much safer. 20% of all chicken sold these days already has harmful pathogens, don’t give them an opportunity to multiply.
I made this over the weekend for a potluck and it was a rousing success! My only tweak to the recipe was that I added fire roasted tomatoes (I thought I had both kinds in my cabinet – I was wrong). I cooked it overnight on low, shredded it in the morning and kept it on warm all day and the chicken didn’t dry out at all. Fantastic. Thanks, Beth!
My boyfriend loves heat, could anyone suggest some ways to make this dish extra spicy?
You can add jalapeńos, more red pepper flakes, or some cayenne pepper. :)
I love you Beth! :)
I bought your book. I love you Beth! :)
Thanks Mark!!
It’s hot y’all, for sure. I had been eating somewhat unhealthy for most of the week, and wanted to do something much better. I was looking for a chicken something crockpot something, and this is precisely what I hoped to find. I did add a can of drained (low-sodium) black beans, because apparently I can’t go a day without eating beans, but otherwise this was a lovely lunch that I’ll enjoy again and again for the rest of the week. Thanks Beth!
Can this also be made with beef?
Why not?
I bet this would be really good with brown rice!
If you can’t use your oven in the summer, you either live in the tiniest room ever or have the worst AC ever or buy the myth that one can’t use an oven in the summer. I live in Richmond, Virginia, where a rough summer day equals 104 degrees with 97% humidity … and I will use my oven without raising the 70 degree temperature within my condo. In 1945 “too hot to use the oven” would have been bought. In 2015, not so much.
Not everyone has AC. Plus even if you do, it is very expensive ti run.
Please try cooling your entire condo with a single used window unit that you had to work double overtime to purchase from Craislist and THEN throw your shade. Beth calls this site budget bytes for a reason. There are many people living around you who can’t afford their normal electricity bill let alone one that includes an air conditioner.
Thank you Beth for creating recipes for people who live in a world that doesn’t quite allow the room for a condo or an air conditioner. Paying off grad school in this mess of an economy is not ideal and you keep me full and happy.
Modern comfort conveniences are great for sure. There’s nothing wrong with using them if you want to. But there’s also nothing wrong with using a seasonal approach to cooking. Even for us folks who can afford to blast the AC in the summer or the heat in the winter, sometimes it is nice to know you can achieve the same result without doing so. :)
Trish, Its a Louisiana thing, you could’nt understand
Trish you should count your blessings. I also live in VA. I actually have a tiny kitchen with a lousy air-conditioner and when I looked at the calendar this morning it read 2015… so I very much look forward to trying this recipe out this summer.
Wow. You can have different experience than someone else without either person being wrong. Too hot to use the oven is a personal preference, not a myth about the laws of physics.
Could you make this recipe with bone-in chicken or would it be best to remove the bones before making it? I’m vegetarian but my hubby would enjoy this. Thanks!
btw, I’ve got bone-in chicken thighs. Thanks!
I would cook it with the bones in because it will give it more flavor and it will be easier to remove them after the meat is super tender. Just pull the bones out when you shred the chicken at the end. :)
This worked great! The meat fell right off the bone (I did remove the skin before cooking). Thanks for another great recipe, Beth. Your Slow Cooker Black Bean Soup and Enchilada Sauce Recipes are my absolute faves. Keep up the great work!
This sounds very tasty. And I love the idea of not turning my oven on when it’s hot. I have all these ingredients on hand so I think I’ll be making it this weekend!
Had this tonight and it was delicious.
Thanks Beth
Making this recipe….right now…so easy to put together.
I have never seen boneless thighs and today at the store I found some. Must have been the reason I made it. I will let you know what the husband thinks….he is my food critic.
He liked very much and very fun to make. Will make it again most likely.
Hi Beth! I’ve really enjoyed your recipes- I probably make at least one a week from your blog. I had some leftover cut up red onion from making kebabs-do you think it would be okay instead of the yellow onion in this recipe? Thanks!
It won’t be exactly the same, but if I had some left over, I’d probably use it instead of cutting into a new one. :)
Excellent recipe. Adding jalapeno (with seeds) can really give it some zing for those that like a bit of heat. Jalapeno flakes also work quite well. Chipotle also gives it a nice flavor.
I don’t have a slow cooker, but I really want to make this meal. Do you think it would work in a pot on the stove?
Yep, I’ve made it in a deep skillet before. Just brown the chicken, then set it aside. Add the garlic, onion, and bell peppers to the skillet and sauté until soft. Then add the chicken back along with the tomatoes and spices. You may need to add a little more liquid, in which case, you can add a little chicken broth. Let the whole thing simmer until the chicken is tender enough to shred.
Thank you! Definitely will make it :)
Woah!! Weird, about 2 months ago I was broke and all I really had was some chicken, canned tomatoes,1/2 a red pepper and 1 onion and I was like well lets just give this a go. Added random spices (very similar to yours) and it was awesome! I had no idea this was actually a “dish”!
This would be perfect for a busy weeknight. We love spicy dishes! :) I might even add a few more pepper flakes.
This looks really good, but I’m not a fan of cumin. Any suggestions for substitutions?
Well, cumin is one of the main flavors here. You can leave it out, but it will change the flavor quite a bit. You might try chili powder blend, although that does have a small amount of cumin in it.
I’m actually allergic to cumin, so we have to sub it out a lot in our house! We love to use smoked paprika – it hits a lot of the smokey earthy notes that cumin brings to the table.
The recipe and ingredients it calls for look good, but “chicken” ropa vieja? Once you’ve substituted the beef with chicken I have an issue with calling it ropa vieja.
What issue is that?
If I want to add in beans like you suggest, would I add dried or canned? If canned, would I add them at the beginning or end of the cooking process?
Definitely canned because there isn’t enough moisture to cook dry beans. Make sure to rinse and drain then before adding and you can add them in the beginning with the rest of the ingredients (I’d put them right on top of the chicken so they don’t dry out).
Do you think that adding canned beans to this recipe would work?
Yep, I almost added black beans. :)
Do you think this one is freezer friendly? I’m thinking yoy could freeze this in smaller portions after it’s cooked.
Definitely freezer friendly :-)
Yep, it should freeze great. :)
Oh, yum! If you’re ever in Milwaukee, go to Hemingway’s and order their Ropa Vieja (they make it with beef). This recipe is bringing back happy memories :)
Or not, because apparently they closed since I moved to Green Bay :(
This looks delicious! Would it work just the same to set the slow cooker on low for 8 hours?
I think that should work. Just test it towards the end to make sure the chicken is tender, and if not, turn it up to high for an hour or so.
Joe D. I did exactly that, the 4 hour cook time didnt fit into my schedule so I went with 8 on low. Turned out great.
Looks delicious. ;-)
I am going to have to try this – it seems a lot healthier than taking a jar of chunky salsa and putting that with the chicken in the crockpot (although the jar is faster and easier) and letting it stew. That’s my fast and easy burrito filling.