Ropa Vieja Meatballs

Ropa Vieja was a staple dish in my mom’s cooking repertoire that she would make again and again when I was younger. Although ropa vieja is the Cuban name for it. In Nicaragua, we just call it carne desmenuzada (shredded meat). It’s basically the same thing though. My mom would make a big batch and on the second day she would make shredded beef tacos. She’d fill corn tortillas with the leftover beef and fry them. They were so good. But anyhow, I say all of this to say that I wanted to take that classic childhood favorite and turn it into Ropa Vieja Meatballs. Now you all know how much I love meatballs, and I can’t stop/won’t stop until I’ve meatballed everything. Some of my favorites are these orange chicken, bacon cheeseburger, or Salisbury steak meatballs.

For the meatballs, in a large bowl, mix together the ground beef, egg, panko, pimentos, adobo seasoning, and a large pinch of salt and pepper until well combined. Form into 1-inch meatballs.

**Tip: Because traditional ropa vieja is made with shredded beef, I’m using ground beef for the meatballs, but I don’t see why you couldn’t make it with ground chicken or turkey if you’d prefer.**

Set a large shallow dutch oven over moderate heat. Once hot, drizzle the olive oil and add the meatballs, a few at a time, in a single layer. Cook until seared and fully browned on the first side, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes on the second side.

**Note: We’re not looking to cook the meatballs all the way through at this stage, mainly looking to sear them. Transfer to a plate and set aside while you continue searing the rest of the meatballs.**

If the pan needs more oil, add a drizzle more. Then add the onion, bell peppers, tomatoes and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper. 

Deglaze the pan with the cooking wine, if using and allow it to reduce. Then stir in the tomato sauce, chicken stock, cumin and oregano. Cover and bring to a simmer. Uncover and return the meatballs to the pan.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer covered until the sauce has thickened somewhat and the meatballs are fully cooked through, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Discard the bay leaves before serving. I like to serve this with some cooked white rice and plantains on the side. You can do either the sweet plantains (maduros) or the savory (tostones). 

This is a great dish that you can easily make ahead of time. It reheats really well and just gets better the longer it sits. Which means that it makes for even better leftovers. So even if you’re not looking to feed a lot of people, I’d recommend just making the entire batch so you can enjoy it for the rest of the week too.

It’s the type of comfort food that you’ll want to make again and again, so I hope you’ll save this one in your recipe bookmarks and make it whenever you want something warm and delicious.

I always strive to share easy recipes that hopefully make your life easier in the kitchen. If you end up making this be sure to let me know what you think below. Thank you so much as always for reading and following along. It means a lot, as I do this for you all!