Vaca Frita (Crispy Cuban Shredded Beef)
Flank steak simmered until tender, shredded, marinated in garlic and lime, then pan-fried until crispy and golden with lots of sweet onions. Ropa vieja's crunchy cousin.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Simmer the beef
Put the steak, halved onion, bay leaf and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot (about 6 qt/5.5 L) and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for about 1½ hours until very tender.
- 800 g
- 1 onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- 2.5 L water
✅ Done when: the meat pulls apart easily with a fork
Shred and marinate
Once the beef is cool enough to handle, pull it into thin shreds with your fingers or two forks. Mix with the garlic, lime juice, cumin and the remaining salt, then let it sit for 30 minutes to absorb the flavors.
- 800 g cooked beef from step 1
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 limes, juiced lime juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: the beef looks evenly coated and slightly glossy
Cook the onions
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Fry the beef until crispy
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Combine and serve
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Simmer the beef
Put the steak, halved onion, bay leaf and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot (about 6 qt/5.5 L) and cover with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, partly covered, for about 1½ hours until very tender.
- 800 g
- 1 onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp salt
- 2.5 L water
✅ Done when: the meat pulls apart easily with a fork
Shred and marinate
Once the beef is cool enough to handle, pull it into thin shreds with your fingers or two forks. Mix with the garlic, lime juice, cumin and the remaining salt, then let it sit for 30 minutes to absorb the flavors.
- 800 g cooked beef from step 1
- 4 cloves garlic
- 3 limes, juiced lime juice
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp salt
✅ Done when: the beef looks evenly coated and slightly glossy
Cook the onions
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Fry the beef until crispy
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Combine and serve
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The Story Behind the Dish
Vaca frita, 'fried cow', uses the same simmered and shredded flank steak as ropa vieja, but instead of a tomato sauce it is marinated in garlic and lime and fried until crisp.
It became a favourite in Havana restaurants and later in Miami's Cuban cafés, where it's often ordered with rice, beans and sweet plantains.
⭐ Why It's Famous
The contrast of crispy, tangy beef with soft, sweet onions makes it many Cubans' favourite beef dish.
💡 Fun Fact
Ropa vieja and vaca frita are often made from the same pot of boiled beef: half for each.
Havana
23.11°N, -82.37°W
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