Slow-Cooked Pabellón Criollo with Black Beans and Plantains

By Lauren Mitchell, Test Kitchen Director · Reviewed by AislePrompt Editorial · Published 2026-05-30 · Updated 2026-05-30

A traditional Venezuelan plate featuring tender slow-cooked shredded beef, savory black beans, fluffy white rice, and sweet fried plantains. This latin american-inspired beef ready in about 495 minutes pairs beef flank steak, large, sliced onion, minced garlic cloves for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 600 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.

Ingredients

• 1 lb beef flank steak
• 1 large, sliced onion
• 4, minced garlic cloves
• 1 medium, diced green bell pepper
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 1/2 cups black beans (canned, drained)
• 1 cup white rice
• 2 cups water
• 2 medium, peeled and sliced diagonally ripe plantains
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Step 1: In a slow cooker, combine 1 lb beef flank steak, 1 large sliced onion, 4 minced garlic cloves, 1 diced green bell pepper, 1 tsp ground cumin, 2 cups beef broth, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Cook on low for 8 hours until beef is very tender and shreds easily.
2. Step 2: When beef is nearly done, rinse 1 cup white rice until water runs clear. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups water to a boil. Add rice and 1/2 tsp salt, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 18 minutes until rice is fluffy.
3. Step 3: Heat 1/4 cup vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry 2 medium peeled and diagonally sliced ripe plantains for 2-3 minutes per side until golden and caramelized. Drain on paper towels.
4. Step 4: Warm 1 1/2 cups canned drained black beans in a small saucepan over low heat.
5. Step 5: Once beef is cooked, shred it with two forks and mix it with the cooking juices.
6. Step 6: To serve, plate a scoop of white rice, a portion of shredded beef, a serving of black beans, and top with fried plantains for a classic Pabellón Criollo experience.