Braised Cubed Steak with Peppers, Onions and Olives is a flavorful, budget-friendly and family friendly dish you can make in the Instant Pot, Slow Cooker or in a pot on the stove.
Cubed Steak with Peppers and Olives
Cubed Steak with Peppers and OlivesMy family devoured this, even went back for seconds. I served it over rice with a quick slaw on the side. If you want an easy, budget-friendly, family-friendly dish with a Latin flair, I’m sure your family will enjoy it!
More beef Instant Pot and Slow Cooker recipes I love are Barbacoa Beef, Cuban Picadillo, and Beef Chili.
This is a dish I grew up eating, and always loved. It’s cheap because it’s made with an inexpensive cut of beef and just a few ingredients. My Mom learned this recipe from her Cuban friend which she called Carne Machacada. I saw the cubed steak in the supermarket last week and craved this dish immediately so I called my mom to ask her how to make it and adapted it for the pressure cooker. She makes this on the stove which I have done many times before, but really loved how tender it came out in the Instant Pot.
Cooks Notes:
- This is freezer-friendly, to freeze store in a freezer safe container and let it thaw in the fridge the night before to reheat.
- Dairy-free, egg-free, gluten-free, whole30 and paleo-friendly.
- Great served over rice, or to keep it low-carb serve it over cauliflower rice.
- This flavor combination would be great with cubed beef for beef stew or even chicken
And since so many are asking, although I have and love my Instant Pot, I still love my slow cooker! I have the 6 Quart Hamilton Beach Set ‘n Forget Programmable Slow Cooker (affil link). I love it because you can adjust the time you want it to cook, and it automatically turns to warm when it’s done. It also has a probe for meat that automatically shuts off when done. I hated my old crock pot, it burnt everything and my food had a weird taste. This slow cooker is so great, I actually own several!
Braised Cubed Steak with Peppers and Olives Recipe (Instant Pot, Slow Cooker and Stove-Top)
Ingredients
- 8 pieces cubed steak, 28 oz total
- 1 3/4 teaspoons adobo seasoning or garlic salt
- 1 8 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1 small red bell pepper, sliced 1/4-inch thin strips
- 1/2 medium onion, sliced into 1/4-inch thin strips
- 1/3 cup green pitted olives , plus 2 tablespoons of brine
Instructions
Instant Pot Directions:
- Season beef with adobo or garlic salt.
- Add the onions and peppers to the instant pot. Pour tomato sauce and water over everything and add the olives along with some of the brine (liquid from the jar). Add the beef, cumin and bay leaf.
- Cover and cook high pressure 25 minutes. Natural release then press saute and simmer until it thickens, 5 to 10 minutes.
Slow Cooker Directions (My least favorite way to make this):
- Cook 8 hours on low.
Stove top:
- Add a little oil to a large deep skillet and saute the onions and peppers with a pinch of salt, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, 1 can of water, olives, brine, cumin and stir then add the beef and bay leaf.
- Cook over low heat for 1 hour, covered until the beef is tender. Uncover, then remove the lid and let it simmer over medium-low until it thickens to your liking.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Nutrition
Categories:
- Beef Recipes
- Budget Friendly Meals
- Dairy Free
- Dinner Ideas
- Egg Free Recipes
- Fall
- Freezer Meals
- Gluten Free
- High Protein Recipes
- Instant Pot Recipes
- Keto Recipes
- Kid Friendly
- Latin Recipes
- Low Carb
- Paleo
- Pressure Cooker Recipes
- Recipes
- Slow Cooker Recipes
- Under 30 Minutes
- Weight Watchers – WW Recipes
- Whole30 Recipes
- Winter
Super easy for a week night meal and went back for seconds! TY
This is a keeper! Will definitely go in our regular rotation!
Served it with cauliflower mash….perfect!
Delicious! Thank you
This recipe was so simple to make and so tasty! My husband does NOT like meals made with cubed steak, but went back for seconds on this and took the leftovers in his lunch the next day! Yum!
Slow cooked cube steak was a staple when our kids were growing up. A friend gave me her old electric fry pan, I seered the cube steaks after dredging them in flour., added sliced muchrooms, minced garlic, a small amount of diced tomatoes, onions, some chopped peppers to the pan, after a few minutes, put the steaks on top, add about 3 T of strong coffee to let the acid tenderize the meat if necessary won’t hurt a things, some beef broth and the other items in your recipe,Gina….no olives tho. Turn the het up for a few minutes, cover, then turn the heat to low and let simmer. Like your recipe it is done to a tee…tender and not dry at all. Stir the pot licker with a whisk to make a gravy & add a bit of corn starch or flour to thicken if needed. As a pre diabetic, we now use riced cauliflower or brown rice. You and I both know what the Czechs always usein their dishes…mushrooms (hobi), garlic, herbs and seasonings…bay leaves, oregano, dill and others depending on the dish. I love your recipes, Gina…you have the touch, your combined heritage has given so many a taste of what variety and no fear of trying new things. Thank you for bringing the joy of the kitchen and scratch cooking to so many. We are healthier for it.
Thanks Bev, that means a lot to me.
Made this tonight, very good! My hubby was a little skeptical when he saw the olives. He is not very open about trying new things. When he finished he said “ You knocked it out of the park with this one babe.” I think that is a Winn!!
Perfect!!
I made it in crockpot. Very simple to make. Little prep time needed and family loved it. Will make again
My whole family loved this and will be put in our meal rotation. So flavorful and tender in the instant pot.
Thinking of trying this tonite with boneless skinless chicken thighs
For anyone with the issue of the meat being tough – try adding a pinch or two of baking soda to a small bowl of water. Let the cube steak sit in the water for just a few minutes. This tenderizes the meat and and it will melt in your mouth. Tip from a Southern girl who’s made her fair share of country fried steak!
I don’t have an instant pot and you do like a crockpot….how should I cook this?
I thought this recipe was delicious! My picky 12 year old loved it! Definitely will be making this again! I paired it with the cauliflower mexican recipe (also by skinny taste), and was another fantastic dish by the way!
I made this tonight and it was yummy! I will make this again
I use recipes as a base for a meal. I tweak as I like. This recipe I doubled the sauce ingredients because I knew we all would want sauce for our rice.
I made it in the crockpot and added some sofrito (3 tbsp). When it’s almost done I will chop some cilantro and toss that in too.
It smells wonderful we do open slow cooker to look and taste sauce. Looks great? Smells amazing and tge sauce tastes great!! So looking forward to this served with rice and sliced avacado and some hot sauce!
I live in the Phoenix area. I have never seen a piece of cube steak in any place I shop, and I shop a lot! What exactly is cube steak? And is there a way I can Create it at home?
Cube steak is tenderized, fairly thin, round steak.
This was the worst recipe I have ever made off of skinnytaste. It was tough, dry, and inedible. I thought the negative reviews were just being critical but I wish I would have heeded their warning. I have always had great success with the recipes on this website. I don’t know how people cooked this following the recipe and claimed it was delicious. This should be removed from the website.
I can’t find cubed steak. What else would it be called?
Top round or top sirloin, tenderized and flattened by pounding with a meat tenderizing mallet. You want them about hanburger size. Depending on the cut you buy you may need to slice it before tenderizing.
I have to refute the reviews that say it was dry in the slow cooker. I’ve made this recipe multiple times, always in the slow cooker for 8 hours on low, and it’s turned out great with tender meat every time.
Loved it!!!
Anyone add can red beans to this recipe in the instant pot? Do they come out mushy?
This was delicious! I used the instant pot. The sauce was a little thin, but I made a corn starch slurry to thicken a little. Flavor was amazing! I couldn’t find adobo seasoning so I used Lawry’s. Will definitely make this again. Thanks for the recipe!
I have loved almost every single Skinnytaste recipe I’ve ever cooked, which trust I’ve made a lot, but this one really disappointed. I chose the slow cooker as my method for this, and followed the steps to a tee, minus adding in some fresh garlic, and the meat turned out so so so dry. Luckily I tried it with about 1hr left of cook time, or I would have served it as is. The sauce is also really watery and not so flavorful. I wound up salavaging this (somewhat) by adding in about 2TBS of tomato paste, 2 bay leaves and I shredded the meat. I also added more salt because this was very underseasoned based on the recipe instructions.
Its def better on the stove!
I made this the first time in the crockpot and the second time in the instant pot. The meat came out moist and tender both ways so I don’t understand reviewer comments that say it was dry. The second time I left out the olives and just used some of the brine because we weren’t crazy about the texture of the olives. I did make a slurry using some of the sauce mixed with a tbsp of corn starch and used it to thicken the sauce. Delicious!
I am super disappointed! I cooked this in the crockpot for 8 hours and the meat was so dry and the flavor lacked big time. I have made tons of skinnytaste recipes and this one just wasn’t the usual home run.
This recipe is worth a try since it’s SO easy to throw together in the Instant Pot and is a great alternative to take out if you don’t have time to cook. I only had garlic powder instead of garlic salt, so I threw in half a packet of Chicken Bullion to flavor the tomato sauce broth. This definitely helped the recipe have more flavor in my opinion. And to save time, I bought a package of fresh onions and peppers sliced up already (my grocery store called it a fajita mix). I bought the veggies near the bagged salad in my grocery store. This allowed me to have it in the Instant Pot and lid on in under 5 minutes. I made white rice on the side and had sliced avocados. My kids and hubby liked it too! Thank you for an easy recipe!
My family loved it! I have very picky kids and one that is gf do it can be tricky to find a meal for everyone. Usually unless it is Mac and cheese, tacos, or hamburgers they won’t eat it. This they gobbled up! The flavors are mild which is what my family liked. I followed the IP directions exactly and the cube steak was fork tender!
This was a big hit. I made it in the crockpot with a bag of Birdseye frozen stirfry peppers and onions, 4 cube steaks, and water and tomato sauce, flavored with basil, oregano, and garlic. It was ready in 6 hours on low. My whole house smelled terrific! Served it over rice with steamed zucchini on the side.
I made this a couple of weeks ago. I halved the recipe and cooked on high for 4 hrs (due to the fact that I did not have 8 hrs to have it ready for dinner) and it came out perfect. It was not dry at all and very tender and absolutely delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Sounds delicious. If I only make half the recipe, do I also half the cook time in the slower cooker? Thank you.
This was so easy and delicious! Definitely adding to my rotation.
This sounds super tasty, so it’s a dish which I’ll make very soon. I plan to use Garlic Powder instead of Garlic Salt, or just REAL garlic for better flavor. I’ll use low sodium Tomato Sauce, since you’re already adding some brine (which is super salty). I will also use a ‘large’ pepper & onion. For us, we’ll enjoy this over Brown or Wild Rice, with a huge side of a Green Italian Salad. I also want to say, that I have a very expensive Instant Pot, Slow Cooker, & Air Fryer, but my preferred method of cooking a delicious meal is still in the old fashioned ways, on the stovetop in my Dutch Oven, in my Oven, or in my Slow Cooker/Crock Pot. BTW, I’m not an elderly lady who sticks to her old ways of cooking, I’m in my 30s, but I’ve been cooking since I was in my teens, and these methods work best for me, …..just sayin’
This was so good! Perfect for a chilly night. Hearty and delicious.
Not sure why everyone else’s was dry; I made it just as directed tonight, during a surprise snow, for a cozy warming dinner and was a really big fan. Super tasty, tender, and delicious!
I love almost all skinny taste recipes but this was hands down the driest meat I’ve ever eaten. The flavor for the broth was delicious, though. To salvage the meal, we broke the meat up and served it as soup instead. And the meat was still dry.
Recipe for stove top is a little vague no directions on how to heat or cook. Can you clarify? Also the brine? What is that and how do you make it?
Made with 2lb beef cubes in crockpot, doubled all other ingredients.
Very tasty
Made this in my instant pot. Fantastic!! Followed the recipe using garlic salt to season the meat. So tender.. I did thicken the sauce. Looking forward to leftovers
I made this tonight. Used four steaks instead of eight. It was tasty but dry. Hubby loved it. Will reduce cooking time the next time. Oh, I hate olives so I left them out. I don’t think they were missed at all.
Can I clarify – is this recipe 2 points per steak cube?
Correct
I used the crock pot and the meat just fell apart but was so unbelievably dry! Never again!
Very good. Tender steak and the olives were a key ingredient to the tasty recipe.
This came out so dry and it doesn’t have any flavor. It’s a really bad recipe which is weird because I’ve never disliked anything on this site. I’m pretty bummed that I spent so much on the steak for it to just go to waste.
I entered the ingredients into the Recipe creator in the WW app and it came out to be 4 freestyle points per serving rather than 2. Am I missing something?
Hi Rosalind. The only accurate way to determine any recipe’s SmartPoints® value is to plug the ingredients into the recipe builder on the Weight Watchers website (Click on “My Foods,” select “Recipe,” and click “Create a recipe.”) which does not count fruits and vegetables in recipes in the calculations as they are now 0 points.
The SmartPoints® calculator isn’t meant for recipes and will often give you the wrong points (usually higher) because it’s counting the fruits and vegetables. So if you see a recipe with a SmartPoints® value that’s different from what the calculator tells you, now you know why.
I love most Skinnytaste recipes but this one was simply not good. I truly believe it was the cut of meat for me. There was a lack of flavor too. If we try it again I’ll add extra seasonings.
I love this! If you have more recipes that are healthy and budget friendly, I would love to see a direct link to them on the website!!
Hi, I only have 16 oz of meat, was thinking of bulking it up with chopped mushrooms. Do you think it will Change flavor/texture too much?
Could I cook wild rice in the instant pot WITH the cubed steak? If so, how much more liquid should I add? Would the time be the same?
I have to say that this was delicious! I haven’t had cube steaks since I was a child. I almost felt bad buying it for the recipe. The taste was great with adding a little salt at the end. The sauce is extremely thin, so it worked well over rice. I would probably say that my only criticism is that maybe it didn’t need 25 minutes to cook in IP. I guess this all depends on the cube steaks that you purchase and the thickness. But overall, delicious taste and right on with the ingredients. Thanks for sharing. I make plenty of your recipes that are just fabulous and I also follow your emails/blogs. They are very helpful and we enjoy many of the recipes.
This is one of my favorite recipes!! If I want to double the recipe in the instant pot, do I need to adjust the cooking time?
No, time is the same.
Just made this dish. Fantastic. First cubed steak of my life that was actually fall-apart-on-the-fork tender. No knife required. Delicious. Thank you for a cubed steak recipe that Didn’t have brown gravy.
What cut of meat did you use?
cant wait to try do you brown the meat first or just put it in raw?
Raw
Thanks couldn’t find Adobo seasoning so I just got the ingredients that make up Adobo seasoning I think it should be ok
https://www.skinnytaste.com/aarons-mexican-dry-adobo-seasoning/
Made this last night! The flavored had a good base, but I would make some changes next time: up the spice factor, a little tomato paste for depth, slightly longer cook time, and some cornstarch at the end for thickening (it was quite watery). Will try again!
I made this with round steak. I used my pizza cutter to tenderize the meat. Cooked it in the slow cooker and it came out perfect. The meat was so tender it just fell apart. I used black olives and the flavor was great. Will definitely make this again. So easy.
I’m pressed for time today and was thinking of making this. Could I put it on high for 4 hours in my slow cooker ? Or does it have to be 8 hours ? Thanks : )
I am unable to find any pitted green olives except for queen sized one. All of the others are stuffed with pimento. Do you use the queen size for this dish? If not, can you direct me on where to find the correct type of olives? This dish looks delicious and I am eager to try it so I sure appreciate your help. Thanks!
Yup, I use the ones stuffed with pimento.
Thank you so much! I’m heading to the store today and pulling out my crock pot! 🙂
Just did the IP version. It was damn good! Totally hit the spot. I added about 1/2 a teaspoon beef better than Bullion and 1 clove garlic minced. The sauce was a little runny but I can probably easily fix that. Adding this to my repitoire.
Super easy and quick as well.
I really liked this recipe. Its similar in taste to a pepper steak I make. Its easier and WAYYYY less calories. I would dredge in flour and then fry/brown the meat in oil. I Love the set it and forget it of a crockpot recipe.
Delicious! However, this among a few other recipes I’ve tried came out very watery. What am I doing wrong? I use the exact same amount of water listed… 1 cup.
Thanks,
Nicole
Instant Pot requires 1 cup of liquid, you can press saute after its cooked with the lid off so it thickens
Man, this was so good! I made with capers instead of olives for less fat. The Instant Pot retained the flavor beautifully!
Not going to lie, made this in the slow cooker tonight and it was by far the worst meal ever. Even my two year old took a bite and immediately said “Eww”. I love love love the recipes on this website but this dish was lacking. The meat was so dry I had to drink water to get the one bite down. The flavor just wasn’t there. Sadly we won’t be making this one again but there are so many other amazing recipes on this website I’ve had that were so yummy I will just stick with what I know. 🙂
This is absolutely delicious and so easy! I was looking for a different cubed steak recipe, and this intrigued me. I used the “real” olives from an olive bar, and I added garlic (I add garlic to everything just about). It is a bit on the soupy side, so I cooked the rice a little less so it has room to soak up the sauce. Served with 1/2 cup of brown rice, this is my husband’s and my lunch for a week (four day).
Very good
Can use use just four cube steaks? Would cooking time change
LOVE LOVE LOVE!!! This recipe, with a bit less meat (didn’t have quite the exact amount) lasted me Tuesday-Sunday- and I was eating it every night! Amazing flavor, and even better the next day! I did add a bit of red wine vinegar- unsure if that made a difference, but either way, a winning recipe!!!
I don’t have a insta pot, but do have a a 60 yr old pressure cooker that still works great. would the cook times be the same with my old pot?
It should be fine
Due to not being able to do tomato stuff I used pumpkin instead and it was GREAT! I cut back on the Adobe, but wish I hadn’t. Will add a bit more next time I make it.
We haven’t had cubed steak in years, frankly I don’t even remember seeing them at the meat counter. However, this recipe intrigued me so I went searching for them. Imagine my surprise, they were sitting front and center with the beef. I put everything in the slow cooker, so few ingredients but the end result was
big flavor. So easy and tasty, especially the next day for lunch. Thanks Gina.
I’m not a huge fan of olives…is this recipe good without?
Made this in my fagor pressure cooker tonight. Only had green peppers, had white and red onion so used the red since peppers were green. No adobe seasoning but had chipitole peppers in adobe sauce so added 4 peppers with a little sauce. Used vegetable broth in place of the water same amount. Also, seasoned the meat with garlic powder. Made mashed potatoes for husband to take this meal with him to work. I had it with the riced cauliflower.
Was fabulous! IF hubby don’t like it this will be one I still make to freeze portions for me as needed.
So good! I would never have tried cubed steak if it weren’t for this recipe. This one is on regular rotation in our house; I serve over cauliflower rice for myself and regular rice for husband and toddler.
HELP! I have the same question as Jonelle. Mine is the same. Do I put it on meat/stew or what?
Excellent. Only modificationbid make is reduce water to 1/2 cup. It turned out a little to liquidy for my tastes.
I am new to the IP and this may be an ignorant question but my instant pot (IP-LUX60 V3) doesnt show me if it is on high pressure or low pressure. The only thing I see to adjust would be where it says LESS I NORMARL I OR MORE. Do I leave it on normal mode for this recipe??? The instant pot has so many buttons and its so easy to get confused! I cant wait to make this recipe so please somebody help me! 🙂
Thank you Gina for your delicious recipes,i have made many of your recipes and have used them a d still using to help me and my husband loose weight and it feels so good because your recipes are so flavorful which means we don’t miss our high calorie ones,thank you again. I would really want to make this recipe this evening but i don’t have green olives but have the black ones ,can i use that instead?
My pleasure!
I now have done this recipe with a pressure cooker and it was as ever bit as perfect as done in the slow cooker . What a wonderful recipe and such fun to use the pressure cooker and get excellent results. I do cook the broth down on the saute setting to thicken, I remove the meat first. Very good and a favorite recipe. Thank you.
Ok thank you!! I don’t have an instant pot but will try the crock pot next time!
I love all your recipes but I must have done something wrong! I cooked it on the stovetop for one hour covered on low heat, but the meat is tough and the sauce is watery. Help!
It def more tender in the instant pot. The sauce isn’t thick, but you can add more tomato for a thicker sauce
Stove top , should I brown the meat and sautéed onion first ?!
If I cook this on the stove with the beef stew meat , should I brown the meat and sautéed the onion first ? Also should I still use 28 grams of the beef stew meat ? I can not wait to try this
You don’t have to but you can, and yes on the amount.
I made this tonight, the slow cooker version. I loathe olives, capers, and anything briny so I added about a teaspoon of vinegar to the sauce per someone’s recommendation. I was in a bit of a time crunch so I cooked it for four hours on high. It was perfect and delicious! I didn’t, and wouldn’t, change another thing, I served it over your puréed cauliflower mash and had mixed veggies on the side. I buy cube steak quite a bit, because it’s so economical, so this is definitely going into my regular rotation.
The brine liquid…is that from the green olive jar? If not, can you explain this please? Thanks and look forward to trying this next week!
Yes 🙂
My family keeps kosher and a lot of the pressure cooker need recipes call for unkosher cuts of meat (we only eat the front half) Could I somehow make this with chuck or shoulder? we don’t eat sirloin, lion, round or flank. I want to make your barbacoa beef too and am stumped on what meat cut to try. Beef is so expensive for us ($10 a pound and up) that I am scared to waste a flop
Sure
Easy and very versatile recipe. I had no olives, so pepperocini and juice from the jar was my stand in. The meat was very tender. So good, and so quick.
I made this last night and it was Fantastic!! My kids loved it!! Thanks Gina!!
Have you noticed a difference in taste or tenderness of the meat in cooking in crock pot versus pressure cooker?
Thanks!!
Which green olives did you use? The Spanish olives in the jar?
So delicious- i added some spinach/kale mixture to add my green veggies to the mix and it was muy bueno! I am W30 and this hits the spot after a long day!
Can I cook this in the instant pot with my cube steak frozen?
This was definitely a winner. Instead of fresh pepper and onion, I threw in a bag of the frozen grilled peppers and onions from TJ’s. I also thickened the sauce with a bit of cornstarch – next time I’ll reduce the water to about 1/3 of a cup.
I made this in my pressure cooker tonight. I didn’t have cubed steak, so just used some cubed sirloin steak and accidently opened tomato paste instead of sauce, so I used that. Served over riced cauliflower. Very tasty.
This was just ok, but I will probably cook in the crock-pot next time and maybe with another cut of meat. The cube steaks fell part in places, but at the same time, parts were a little tough. The final dish had way too much liquid. Even though we served over rice, there was still too much liquid, and not enough veggies. All the liquid kind of diluted the flavor (I did buy the special adobo seasoning and plenty of pepper).
I think next time, a whole bell pepper, whole onion, maybe a different cut of meat and less liquid are in order. But there are actually many recipes on this site with very similar flavors, so maybe i won’t bother tweaking this one.
I just found your website a few weeks ago and loved the balsamic chicken and veggies and the omelette muffins so I really wanted to love this as well. I made this for my lunches for this week and while the flavor of the sauce was good and the beef was fork tender it was so dry. Unfortunately I had to trash all of it but I understand that not all recipes are for everyone. I won’t give up on your recipes. I’m planning to make the sheet pan Italian chicken and veggies for next week’s lunches!!
Could you start with frozen cube steak? If so, what time/pressure adjustments would I need to make using the Instant Pot? Thanks!
I think so but haven’t tried.
I made this recipe last night and I cooked it in a pot on top of the stove. I was a little nervous that the steak would be tough/chewy but it was not. It was tender and full of flavor. I added canned string beans to the pot about half way through. I’m not a big fan of rice so the cauliflower was perfect for me. I am definitely going to make this again!
So glad you enjoyed it.
Maybe this is a silly question, but for preparing in the slow cooker, how much water would you add?
Hi Gina! Avid Skinnytaste follower for the last 5 years…. my husband is Dominican so I make lots of spanish food… I made this 2 nights ago, and although it was delish, it just had so much liquid in the instant pot at the end. My hubby likes his sauce thick… do you think I could get away with just adding the tomato sauce and letting it cook, and the steam would make enough liquid to create a thicker sauce?? What are your thoughts? Thank you!! Love everything I’ve ever made!
Sure, there should be at least 1 cup of liquid so as long as you have 1 cup sauce it should be fine.
This recipe was a huge hit! My boyfriend loved it! I doubled the recipe so we would have leftovers throughout the week. I don’t have a slow cooker so I cooked this on the stove top for almost three hours which made the meat super tender and gave great flavors throughout. An hour wasn’t enough time. I also thickened the sauce by adding 2 tablespoons of flour (I would only add one if the recipe wasn’t doubled). One other adjustment was adding adobo seasoning and black pepper to the sauce (1 1/2teaspoons adobo and 1/2 teaspoon of black pepper). This gave the sauce a lot more flavor. Absolutely delicious. I will be making this again soon! Thanks Gina!
You’re welcome Kristin!
This recipe didn’t turn out well for me. I followed it as written so I’m not sure what went wrong. It had a weird flavor and the meat was crumbly. I’ve had great success with your other recipes so I’ll keep trying!
Hmmm, yea I didn’t think this was good. Followed directions to a T.
This recipe turned out well. We didn’t love it just because of the taste profile, but it wasn’t due to it being a bad recipe. If you love that sweet and sour taste that comes along with peppers and vinegar (olives), you’ll like it. It was quick and very simple to put together.
Gina I loved this!! I have been meal prepping on Sundays for 2-3 dinners a week and this was a really easy way to prep a meal that my boyfriend was able to dump right in to the crockpot today while I was at work 🙂 I came home and served it with microwave brown rice and some fresh steamed green beans that I seasoned with lime and cilantro. This was a home run in my book!! Thanks for helping me keep it interesting as I diet!
Awesome
I did mine in the crockpot today…It doesn’t look as thick as your sauce..its thinner…any tips???
I did mine in the crockpot today…It doesn’t look as thick as your sauce..its thinner…any tips???
Oops! Just saw that you answered that question already. Thanks!
I do not like olives but want to make this. Would it taste ok without?
Yes, per the directions in your recipe: “Slow Cooker Directions: Cook 8 hours on low.”
Nice recipe thanks for sharing this.
I’ve been cooking recipes from Skinnytaste since 2012, and this is the first recipe I’ve tried that I didn’t like. I’d still say, that is a good track record! It was very tender out of the instant pot, but it didn’t much flavor. Thank you for the recipes!
Sorry you didn’t enjoy this one Crystal! Not every recipe is for everyone. Thank you for your loyalty!
I am going to try this again using the pressure cooker function on my Instant Pot.
I followed the recipe to a T and cooked it on low for 8 hours in my Instant Pot. It came out really dry and not tender at all. I was disappointed to have to chuck it.
8 hours in the slow cooker?
This was amazing! Thank you. It’s exciting that cube steak is so low in points.
We made this yesterday in the crockpot. It was very tasty, but the meat was dry, which is weird after such a long time slow cooking. That being said, we never cook cube steak, though. I think we’ll make it with top round or top sirloin next time instead, unless you can give us an idea of where we went wrong. Thanks for your great recipes!
Yes, it’s a bit different than regular steak. It’s most tender in the pressure cooker as the flavor gets into the meat.
Made these for dinner today!! Excellent…the recipe is a keeper!
🙂
Hi Gina!
Can I cook this in the stow cooker for 4 hrs. HIGH rather than 8 hrs LOW?
Thank you!
I meant slow cooker* oops!
yes should be fine!
I made this yesterday in the slow cooker and it was a success. So easy and so good.
How would you adapt this for the crock pot?
The slow cooker directions are after #4 Becky. 🙂
Gina, I know you’ll think we’re crazy but our family doesn’t really care for olives. Any alternatives? I know it will change the taste of the dish but ….we just can’t do the olives. Thanks!
This is the main flavor, you can use the brine only and maybe toss the olives after? you dont have to eat them
I’m so excited to try this week! I love all of your recipes….my husband and teenage daughters do too!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you for changing the way I cook….and for so many Instant Pot friendly recipes!!
Another Skinnytaste hit. My daughter really liked it even with the olives in it.
Excellent preparation for cube steak. the long braising in crock pot made it perfectly tender. I had 5 large cube steaks and cut them in two for my 28 ounces. so I adjusted calories for slightly smaller portions for 10 for calculation purposes. Lots of liquid in this, could reduce if want to but good as is with rice or cauliflower rice. Will make frequently. Easy, and not spicy at all with adobo seasoning, just gives whole dish nice underlying flavor.
Made this for friends an family get together this past Friday. Along with the suggested fried rice, an Cole slaw. Was a huge hit! Still no one, an I mean no one, still doesn’t know that the fried rice really wasn’t RICE. Comments from everyone was when will have this again? Thank you for sharing the recipes.
I made this for dinner last night and it was a hit. Could you add the cooking instructions for stove top? I wasn’t sure how long/what temp. I winged it but possibly lower/slower would have been better than how I cooked it.
The directions are there, one hour low heat, covered.
I made this tonight and it was really yummy! The hubs said, we should make this more often…which is a huge compliment. I used the garlic salt instead of the adobo seasoning, but I’m going for the adobo next time. Thanks for all the recipes that have made me and my family happy.
great!!
This is on the menu for this week! When I put the info in the WW calculator, it came out to 3 SP. did I miss something???
Recipe builder is the only way to get accurate smart points, the calculator is adding points for the tomato sauce.
Would the cook time be different for an 8 qt instant pot?
Same
Thank you!
What’s the release method for the instant pot?
never mind it’s natural release.
Natural is fine.
Made this for dinner tonight. I cooked it on top of my stove for an hour. It was DELICIOUS! Thank you for a quick and easy recipe 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it Maggie!
A Cuban friend of mine use to make this on stove…I think she added vinegar….Have you heard of that???
I believe vinegar is used to hep tenderize the meat. I imagine the brine from olives is made with vinegar.
This looks delicious! Could I add beef/chicken stock instead of water?
And, I was looking for a recipe for cubed steak……thank you!
My husband is Puerto Rican, and his mom makes a similar dish, just no red peppers. I am doing a Whole30, so I will give this a go. I could use a crock pot meal at this point!
How long should I cook this in a crock pot?
8 hours.
Hey Gina, would cooking this on high instead of low in the crockpot work? If so, how long would you recommend?
low is always best but 4 hrs on high should be fine
Thanks Gina,and Thanks Mom.
This looks amazing! What would you suggest to substitute cube steak as we don’t get that here in the UK. Thanks!
Cube steak is made from top round or top sirloin. Hope that helps Lesa!
If you are using a slow cooker, would you cook on high for 4 hours?
=recipe states on low for 8 hours
What brand of Adobo seasoning do you use? Made your Whipped Parmesan Cauliflower Puree last night…. don’t know if I will ever need to eat mashed potatoes again. Very delicious!!
Great! Goya
I am certain you have addressed this before and I just can’t find it, but is there a particular instant pot you like? I am in the middle of a kitchen remodel and without a stove and I think that might be a great option. The crock pot is great, but sometimes, when I have to leave for work at 7:30, I just can’t get it all together enough to have the crock pot going. The instant pot might save us from a lot of carryout! Thanks!
https://www.amazon.com/Instant-Pot-IP-DUO60-Multi-Functional-Pressure/dp/B00FLYWNYQ/ref=lp_3031632011_1_1?srs=3031632011&ie=UTF8&qid=1491508777&sr=8-1
Thanks! It’s ordred. God bless Amazon Prime!
Lol, enjoy!
What would be the best cut of steak for this? Thanks! I haven’t made one of your recupes I didn’t like! ????
Top round or top sirloin.
My abuela calls this bistec en cazuela! Excited to try this version!
Could Kalamata olives be used in place of the green or would you suggest i go buy the green??!! Thanks!
It would change the flavor
Is there another name for cube steak? Is it just cut up “cubed” stew meat, like chuck roast cut into cubes? I don’t think I have ever seen “cube steak” in my meat section. Thank you!
Cube steak is top round or top sirloin, tenderized by a meat tenderizer, or an electric tenderizer. It gets it name because of the shape of the indentations left by that process.
I’m so excited about this! Since I’ve been trying to be healthy, I haven’t made cube steak because I cooked mine in gravy. This recipe is totally do-able. AND I love the cauliflower rice suggestion! Thanks!
What is a quick pot? I’m sorry, I think that’s what you called it.
I think she is referring to Instant Pot, an electric pressure cooker, that is simply amazing.
Use mine all the time!
Hi Gina! What kind of steak is best used for this? Thank you!
Up top it specifies cubed steak. I found a 4 pack for 6 bucks
Any substitution suggestions for olives? Or would you just leave them out? Thanks!
Capers, maybe?
I make cubed steak all the time and don’t add olives. I do however add garlic and olives
I meant vinegar not olives
Thank you! What kind of vinegar, and about how much?
This looks super tender but how easy is it to chew? The one I cook for needs meat to be very easy to chew.
Thanks 🙂
super easy and tender in the pressure cooker.
It came out fall-apart tender in the slow cooker. We actually got up and put our knives back in the drawer.
Cubed steak made this way was my grandmother’s favorite because it was so easy to chew! We made in the oven and cooked a bit longer, but I think this would be best in an instant pot!
This looks yummy! I have my lunch for next week!
My fiancé is Cuban and I’ve never been brave enough to try and make food like his mom used to, but this seems so easy that I think I might try and surprise him with it! Thanks for the great recipe!
For ZAC@THE KITCHEN GENT–Don’t be afraid to try this recipe to feed a Cuban. It sounds exactly like my Cuban relatives’ recipe for Ropa Vieja. The only difference is that the Cuban recipe uses flank steak (way more expensive) and the Cuban recipe calls for shredding the flank steak which, of course, wouldn’t work with cubed steak. I’m eager to try it and will post when I do.
I am so excited about this recipe! I have cube steak in freezer and since being on WW i have been stuck as to what to do with it, so thankful for this❤❤, thank you. Also made the Picadilo and it was amazing
🙂
I just joined weight watchers today. How would I enter this meal into my phone tracker? This recipe looks so amazing and easy!
The easiest way is to do a “quick add”, hit the PLUS button then choose quick add. Type the name of the dish and the smart points. Another way is to put it in recipe builder (I cut and paste), but it takes a lot longer and I trust this site for the correct points.
Just join Pinterest and add to a WW board…?
Put it on Pinterest. You join,, set up board, and just add whatever recipes to the board that you want. ie:WW, or weight watcher Smartpoints….,