Comforting Carne Guisada is a Tex Mex beef stew that is full of melt-in-your-mouth beef chunks and spices all in a savory gravy. The sauce is deep and velvety, it’s the perfect balance of flavor and spiciness from the jalapenos and seranos. Serve with tortillas to scoop up the flavorful beef and rich gravy.
Warm stews and chilis are a great dinner idea when the weather is getting chilly! If you are looking for more chili recipes, try this White Chicken Chili, so good topped with fresh sliced jalapeños and a dollop of sour cream! Or this Sweet Potato Black Bean Chili, it’s hearty and delicious.
Fork Tender Beef Stew
Simmering this stew for hours is what gives this recipe the deep and rich flavor that makes each bite irresistible. Slow cooking helps the beef to absorb all of the flavors of seasonings and creates the most tender texture. It also helps develop the flavors in the sauce, allowing it to fully thicken and coat each piece of beef.
Toast a few flour tortillas (homemade tortillas are amazing!) over an open flame until they are warm and slightly charred to serve right alongside this dish. Dip them into the gravy and spoon on chunks of the beef, for a bite of perfection.
What is Carne Guisada?
Carne guisada is actually Spanish for “stewed meat.” Cubed beef gets simmered in a delicious mix of onions, garlic, and seasoning until the meat is so tender it is falling apart. Peppers are added to give a gentle kiss of spice.
This latin beef stew is a staple in Tex-Mex cuisine, where the dish has its own regional style and flavor profile. What I love is that everyone has their own recipe that is unique and different.
Carne Guisada Ingredients
- Oil: Use a good vegetable oil or olive oil.
- Beef: The type of beef you want to use is top round or chuck roast that gets cut into bite-sized pieces or 1-inch cubes, or grab some already cut up beef stew meat.
- Seasoning: All the seasonings you will need are salt, pepper, cumin (comino), chili powder, dry oregano, and bay leaf.
- Onion: A large onion that has been finely diced.
- Peppers: The ones used are jalapeño and serrano peppers. I didn’t include it in this recipe, but you could also add in a chopped green bell pepper.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic is the best, you will need a few garlic cloves but can adjust the amount up or down based on your tastes.
- Butter: Unsalted butter.
- Flour: All-purpose flour is used to thicken the soup.
- Tomatoes: A can of diced tomatoes, I like to use low sodium to control the salt levels.
- Cilantro: The fresh cilantro gets divided, half gets added to the soup while its cooking and the other half is used as a garnish on the finished soup.
- Broth
- Water
How to Make Carne Guisada
Here are the basic instructions to make carne guisada stew. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of this blog post with full ingredients and instructions to make it.
Cooking Tips and Tricks
- Avoid lean cuts of beef, like sirloin, they can dry out in the cooking process.
- Be sure to sear the beef over medium-high heat, until each side is browned. This creates the maillard reaction which brings flavor to the recipe.
- When making the roux, make sure to whisk constantly and then slowly add in the broth to prevent clumping.
- If the gravy gets too thick just add a little broth or water to loosen it back up.
Recipe Variations
- Make it spicy by adding in cayenne pepper or some chopped up chipotle peppers and a little of the adobo sauce, red pepper flakes or hot sauce.
- Replace the water with a dark beer like Dos Equis Amber or Modelo Negra for a deeper flavor.
- Cook it in a slow cooker instead of the stove top by browning the beef in a separate pan and then make the roux in that pan. Then add everything in to the slow cooker and cook for 7-8 hours.
- Use the stew meat in corn tortillas to make carne guisada tacos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make it without the peppers? Yes, if you are cooking this for kids or anyone that doesn’t like jalapeño peppers or serranos, you can leave out the peppers. Or use a bell pepper instead, it will give it a milder flavor.
What to serve with carne guisada? Carne guisada pairs perfectly with tortillas, beans, mexican rice, on top of mashed potatoes (a southwestern favorite), a squeeze of lime, a sprinkling of cotija cheese for a more authentic feel (or cheddar cheese if thats what you have), diced fresh onions, and fresh chopped cilantro.
How to Store & Reheat
How to store it? Let the stew cool and put in an airtight container. It should last about 3-4 days in the fridge.
How do you reheat it? Heat on the stove over medium low heat, stirring occasionally until heated through. Add a splash of broth to loosen it up a little.
How to freeze it? Let the stew cool completely before putting into an air tight, freezer safe container. it can be frozen for 3 months, just be sure to label with the recipe and date.
Try these other recipes!
- Mexican Lentil Soup with Chorizo (sopa de lentejas)
- Alambre Tacos
- Cheesy Taco Pasta
- Instant Pot Black Bean Soup
- Easy Cheese Enchiladas
- Enchilada Meatballs
- Taco Stuffed Shells
If you’ve tried this carne guisada recipe, don’t forget to give me a star rating and leave me a comment below in the comment section. I love to hear from people who have made my recipes.
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Carne Guisada | Mexican-Style Beef Stew
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
- 3-4 pounds chuck roast or top round or stew meat, cut into 1 inch chunks
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 large onion small dice
- 1 large jalapeño pepper finely diced
- 1 large serrano pepper finely diced
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 can diced tomatoes or two large diced tomatoes
- 1 large bay leaf
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 cups low sodium beef broth
- 1 cup water
- for serving: rice, beans, chopped cilantro, diced onions, cheese, salsa, or hot sauce
Instructions
- In a large dutch oven or a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium high heat. While the oil is heating pat dry the meat with paper towels. Then sprinkle the salt and pepper all over the beef cubes. Add in the beef and make sure to brown every side.
- Pull the beef from the pot and put into a bowl. To the pot, add the last tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Once hot, add in the chopped onion, jalapeño, and serrano. Stir occasionally and cook until soft, about 12 minutes.
- Push veggies to the side. To the other side of the pot, add in the butter and allow it to melt. Add in the flour and whisk together. While whisking constantly, add in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Let it cook for 1 minute.
- Add the beef broth in slowly a little at a time while stirring to dissolve the roux into a sauce. Once all of the broth has been added, mix in the onion and peppers. Stir back in the cooked beef, half of the cilantro, tomatoes, bay leaf and water.
- Bring everything up to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover with a lid partially and simmer for 2 1/2 hours hours, stirring every 30 minutes so nothing burns on the bottom. For tender beef cubes: After 2½ hours, uncover the pot and simmer for an additional 30 minutes to thicken the gravy and finish cooking the meat. Total cook time: 3 hours. For more stringy, shredded-style beef: Continue simmering partially covered for another hour, then uncover for the last 30 minutes to reduce the sauce and achieve a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Total cook time: 4 hours
Notes
- Avoid lean cuts of beef, like sirloin, they can dry out in the cooking process.
- Replace the water with a dark beer like Dos Equis Amber or Modelo Negra for a deeper flavor.
- The leftover stew will last 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out
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