Pabellón Criollo (Venezuelan Shredded Beef)

Pabellón Criollo (Venezuelan Shredded Beef) simmers skirt or flank steak in broth, then in a cumin-oregano tomato sauce. Make it with rice and black beans.

Pabellón Criollo (Venezuelan Shredded Beef) is tender skirt or flank steak, shredded and simmered with onion, green pepper, and garlic in a cumin-and-oregano tomato sauce. You can make it on the stovetop or in a slow cooker, then serve it hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if you like.

If you want easy Venezuelan recipes at home, Pabellón Criollo is a practical place to start, since much of the cooking is simple simmering and a slow cooker can handle it. One thing to plan for: the stovetop method starts with 6 to 8 cups of beef broth, and the meat needs to stay covered the whole time it cooks.

What Makes This Pabellón Criollo So Good

The beef cooks twice, and that’s the point. It first simmers in seasoned broth until tender, then goes into a skillet with the vegetables and sauce. In the stovetop method, about 3 to 4 cups of the cooking broth go into the sauce, so the finished beef tastes like beef rather than just tomato.

The sauce is built from tomato paste and tomato sauce for body, Worcestershire for savory depth, and cumin and oregano for earthy, herbal notes. Because the shredded meat finishes in the pan until most of the liquid has cooked off, each shred ends up coated in sauce instead of sitting in a puddle of it.

Ingredients for Pabellón Criollo

Ingredient	Amount	Why It’s Here
For the Beef and Broth
Skirt steak or flank steak	1-2 lb (500-1000 g)	The beef that gets cooked, then shredded.
Beef broth	6-8 cups (1 1/2-2 l)	Cooks the beef on the stovetop; some is reserved for the sauce. The slow cooker version uses 1/2 cup.
Salt and pepper	To taste	Seasons the broth, or the beef in the slow cooker.
For the Vegetable Base
Olive oil	4 tablespoons (60 ml)	Cooks the onion and pepper in the skillet (stovetop method).
Onion, finely diced	1 cup	Builds the base of the dish.
Green pepper, chopped into small cubes	1 cup	Cooks alongside the onion.
Garlic, minced	3 cloves	Adds garlic flavor to the vegetable base.
For the Sauce
Tomato paste	1 can (6 oz)	Thickens and flavors the sauce.
Tomato sauce	1 can (8 oz)	Forms the sauce base with the paste.
Worcestershire sauce	1 tablespoon	Adds savory depth.
Ground cumin	2 teaspoons	Seasons the sauce.
Dried oregano	1 tablespoon	Seasons the sauce.
Bay leaves	2	Simmer with the beef; the slow cooker steps say to discard them.

Skirt steak or flank steak is the star, and the recipe calls for either, so use whichever your store has. The beef broth matters just as much, since in the stovetop method it’s both the cooking liquid and part of the sauce, which is why the recipe tells you to taste it and adjust the salt and pepper early.

How to Make Pabellón Criollo

Stovetop Method

1. Cut the meat into 4 pieces.
2. Place the beef broth in a large pot over medium-high heat. At the first boil, add the meat and cook for 15 minutes. Taste the broth and add more salt and pepper, if necessary. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook for about 2 hours, or until the meat is fully cooked and tender. As the meat cooks, check the broth level and add more if needed (the broth should always cover the meat).
3. When the meat is tender and fully cooked, carefully remove it from the pot, place it on a plate, and let it cool. Reserve (set aside) the broth, about 3-4 cups.
4. Once the meat is cool enough, shred it using two forks or your hands. Remove and discard any big pieces of fat.
5. Add the oil to a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the onion and pepper and sauté (cook in the hot oil) for 3-5 minutes, or until the onion is translucent (see-through). Then add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
6. Stir in the shredded beef and mix to combine well.
7. In a medium bowl, combine the tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, oregano, and the reserved beef broth. Mix until everything is well combined. Add this mixture to the meat. Add the bay leaves, cover, and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been consumed. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt and/or pepper, if necessary.
8. Serve hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if desired.

Kitchen Note: Measure out about 3 to 4 cups of the cooking broth before you set the pot aside, since the sauce in the skillet is built on it.

Slow Cooker Method

1. Cut the meat into 4 pieces. Season the beef with salt and pepper to taste. Add the beef to a slow cooker.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup beef broth, the tomato paste, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cumin, and dried oregano. Add the mixture to the slow cooker.
3. Add the onion, peppers, garlic, and bay leaves. Mix to combine.
4. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours or HIGH for 3-4 hours.
5. When the time is up and the meat is tender, remove the meat from the slow cooker. Once the meat is cool enough, shred it using two forks or your hands. Remove and discard any big pieces of fat.
6. Return the shredded meat to the cooker and toss to coat with the sauce. Discard the bay leaves.
7. Serve hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if desired.

Kitchen Note: The olive oil is used only in the stovetop method, so the slow cooker version skips the skillet step entirely.

Pressure Cooker Method

For pressure cooker instructions, check out the separate Instant Pot Venezuelan Shredded Beef recipe.

Pabellón Criollo Mistakes to Avoid

What goes wrong: The broth level drops below the meat during the long simmer.

How to fix it: Check the broth as the meat cooks and add more whenever needed. The broth should always cover the meat.

What goes wrong: The finished beef tastes under-seasoned.

How to fix it: Taste the broth after the meat goes in and add salt and pepper if it needs them. Then taste the finished dish and adjust the seasoning once more.

What goes wrong: Chunks of fat end up in the shredded beef.

How to fix it: As you shred the cooled meat with two forks or your hands, remove and discard any big pieces of fat.

What goes wrong: The sauce stays too loose.

How to fix it: Keep the pan covered and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until most of the liquid has been consumed. Taste and adjust the seasoning after that.

Tips and Variations for Pabellón Criollo

Tips From the Test Kitchen

Match the method to your day. The stovetop version asks you to check the broth level while it simmers. The slow cooker steps have no checking built in.

Use a large pot. The broth has to cover all four pieces of beef, and a large pot gives you the room to do it.

Shred by hand to catch fat. Two forks work, but your hands make it easier to feel for and pull out big pieces of fat.

Plan the sides around the beef. The beef needs the long cook, so start it first, then serve it hot with white rice, black beans, and fried plantains if you like.

Planning a different beef dinner next? Try this Mississippi pot roast recipe for another slow-cooked beef option, or this coffee steak marinade when you want steak.

Ways to Change It Up

Optional: slow cooker method. Skip the stovetop simmer and the skillet. The beef is seasoned with salt and pepper, the sauce uses only 1/2 cup of broth, and everything cooks together on LOW or HIGH.

Optional: pressure cooker method. The recipe points to a separate Instant Pot Venezuelan Shredded Beef recipe, so the method and timing differ from the steps above.

Optional: fried plantains. Serve them alongside the white rice and black beans if you want a fuller plate.

Storing and Reheating Pabellón Criollo

Where to Store	How Long	How to Store It
Refrigerator	3 to 4 days	Refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking in a covered container. Avoid large, deep containers so the beef cools quickly.
Freezer	3 to 4 months for best quality	Wrap well in airtight packaging. Frozen leftovers stay safe indefinitely, but quality drops over time.

Reheat leftovers until they reach 165°F on a food thermometer, and cover them while they heat, as USDA leftovers guidance advises. The cover helps hold in moisture, which keeps the shredded beef from drying out.

Use the stovetop, oven, or microwave rather than a slow cooker, which Michigan State University Extension does not recommend for reheating leftovers.

Reheated beef is good served the way it was the first night: over white rice with black beans and fried plantains.

Pabellón Criollo (Venezuelan Shredded Beef) FAQs

Ready to Give It a Try?

Give this Pabellón Criollo a try the next time you want a pot of slow-simmered beef for rice and beans. Once you’ve made it, leave a comment or star rating to share how it turned out. And if you’re not cooking tonight, pin the recipe so it’s waiting for you later.

Pabellón Criollo (Venezuelan Shredded Beef) made with skirt or flank steak, a stovetop or slow cooker method, and fried plantains on the side. Save this pin to cook it later.