Vaca frita is a Cuban recipe of cooked shredded beef marinated in juicy citrus, then fried with onions until nice and crispy, delicious with white rice. You'll also love this Cuban Ropa Vieja. So good with tostones on the side!
Vaca Frita Recipe (Cuban Fried Beef)
We're cooking up Cuban Vaca Frita in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen, my friends. You are going to love the big flavors in this very simple dish.
It's made by cooking a large cut of beef - I'm using flank steak here - until it is fork tender, then shredded and marinated in citrus juices.
The acidic citrus softens up the meat even further, and imparts a wonderful, addictive flavor. It also makes the resulting meat nice and juicy.
The marinated shredded beef is then fried in oil until it's perfectly crispy with crispy edges, with lots of pan fried onions. Cooking the onions with the beef brings it over the top.
Like most Cuban dishes, it isn't a spicy dish, but it doesn't need it. The big, bold flavors are enough to be amazing on their own.
Let's talk about how to make Vaca Frita, shall we?
Vaca Frita Ingredients
The full ingredients list with measurements is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Flank Steak. Or use skirt steak. Many cuts of beef can work for this recipe.
- Bay Leaves.
- Citrus. Lemon juice and lime juice.
- Produce. Onion, garlic, parsley.
- Salt and Pepper. To taste.
- Vegetable Oil. For frying. You can use olive oil if desired.
How to Make Vaca Frita - the Recipe Method
The full recipe with instructions is listed in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Cover the flank steak with water or beef stock in a large pot or Dutch oven and simmer 1-1.5 hours, until the meat becomes very tender, then let it cool. You can discard the beef broth if you'd like, or keep it for another use.
- Shred the beef into a large bowl, then pour in lemon and lime juice, garlic, and salt and black pepper. Marinate at least 1 hour. Drain the beef and squeeze out the marinade.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and fry the shredded beef until it starts to crisp up, 7-8 minutes, then add the sliced onions and fry for 5 minutes until the beef is nice and crispy.
Boom! Done! Your vaca frita is ready to serve. Serve the shredded meat with cooked white rice with fresh chopped parsley over the top and you're in for a wonderful meal. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- I prefer flank steak for this recipe, but it works nicely with skirt steak, chuck roast, or brisket. Any tougher cut of meat will work.
- Consider using beef stock or a beef bouillon cube or 2 when simmering the beef. It adds more flavor the final dish.
- Marinate the shredded beef overnight in the refrigerator, covered, for more flavor penetration.
- You can also make this recipe with chicken for a leaner version. Chicken vaca frita is great!
Serving Vaca Frita
Vaca frita is often served with white rice. It goes great with black beans, and fried plantains for a complete and satisfying meal.
Try it with my Cuban Black Beans recipe.
Storage & Leftovers
Leftover vaca frita will last up to 5 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. You can easily reheat it in a pan on the stove top over medium heat with a bit of oil.
You can also freeze it for 2-3 months in freezer containers. It freezes nicely.
That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy your vaca frita! I'd love to hear what you think of the dish in the comments below.
Try Some of My Other Cuban Recipes
Also try my Pernil (Puerto Rican Roast Pork).
More Shredded Beef or Chicken Recipes
Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.
Vaca Frita Recipe (Cuban Fried Beef)
Ingredients
- 2 pound flank steak
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 5 cloves fresh garlic chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil (for frying)
- 1 large onion (white or yellow) sliced
- Fresh chopped parsley, lime slices (for garnish)
Instructions
- Place the flank steak into a large pot and cover with water (use beef stock or bouillon for more flavor). Add the bay leaf and sprinkle in salt. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, or until the meat becomes very tender (shreddable). Remove from heat to cool. (Keep the broth for another use, or discard).
- Shred the beef in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, lime juice, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour. You can refrigerate overnight for more flavor development.
- When you're ready to fry the beef, drain the beef and squeeze out the marinade with your fingers.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan to medium-high heat. Add the shredded beef and fry until the beef starts to crisp up, about 7-8 minutes. The beef often sticks to the bottom of the pan, which is normal.
- Add the onion and fry the slices for 5 minutes to soften, and until the beef becomes nice and crispy.
- Serve with fresh chopped parsley sprinkled over the top. Goes great with white rice.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Johnson Cauthen says
Mike, HUGE WINNER HERE! I grew up in Florida and had three or four great, old-family Cuban places that we frequented. Only one of them had vaca frita and while this version isn't quite the same, it IS much more flavorful!
As always I had to make my own mods to the recipe - In true chili-pepper-madness tradition I added a few different kinds of chili flakes to the party, and added the juice of an orange as well to try to get a little closer to the sour orange they used in the place we used to frequent. Marinated overnight and seared in a hot cast iron pan, and de-glazed with some chicken stock -- Just amazing along with black beans and white rice, thanks for posting this one!
Mike H. says
You are very welcome! And happy to hear you always adjust it to your preference - enjoy!
Charles Pascual says
I am a Cuban-American - grew up eating Cuban food. Never even heard of vaca frita, though we had it's cousin, ropa vieja, regularly. Guess it wasn’t a thing in either my Mom's or Dad's families. This is a good dish - super easy to make. Served with black beans and rice, a side salad, and some Cuban bread; it made for a quintessential Cuban dinner. Now, I just have to make up for the lost time. Thanks, Mike.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Charles. I was blown away by the flavor of this dish first time I tried it. SO MUCH MORE flavor than I expected. Glad you discovered it here, and I hope you can enjoy it for years to come. Thanks for sharing.