Carne Guisada Recipe (Mexican Style) (2024)

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This easy carne guisada recipe is for Tex Mex style or Mexican beef stew. Chunks of beef simmered in fragrant brown gravy until tender. It’s so simple to prepare and you probably already have the ingredients on hand!

Carne Guisada Recipe (Mexican Style) (1)

Recipe for Carne Guisada

Carne means “meat” in Spanish. Carne de res is how you say “beef” and it often gets shortened to just “carne.” Authentic carne asada is grilled and carne guisada is stewed.

Carne guisada is a comforting, filling, flavorful dinner that is traditionally served with homemade flour tortillas, rice and beans.

My cousins in Texas like to serve it over mashed potatoes which is really yummy, too.

You can also roll it up taco style and top with cheddar cheese – yum!

Carne Guisada Recipe (Mexican Style) (2)

I highly recommend serving with the homemade flour tortillas if you can. They melt in your mouth and complement the meat perfectly.

You don’t even need utensils to eat when you can scoop it up with a tortilla!

The beef cooks low and slow so that all the ingredients melt down into a stew.

To make it an even heartier meal, you can add potatoes and carrots while it’s simmering.

I love to cook it all in my cast iron skillet for even more flavor.

Carne Guisada Recipe (Mexican Style) (3)

How to make Carne Guisada

What type of meat is carne guisada? You’ll want to use stew meat which can be any kind of beef chuck or beef round.

I typically pick up the packet of meat that says “stew meat” and is already conveniently diced up.

If using a chunk of meat such as top round, you’ll need to cut the beef into 1-inch cubes.

Carne Guisada Recipe (Mexican Style) (4)

Dice up an onion. Optionally, you can also dice up a green bell pepper.

We typically don’t make it with the green pepper, but it’s a common ingredient in carne guisada.

Some people will even substitute a spicy pepper such as jalapeño or poblano.

You’ll also need tomato or tomato sauce. We usually use Spanish style tomato sauce since we always have it on hand, especially when tomatoes are not in season.

Carne Guisada Recipe (Mexican Style) (5)

The beauty of this recipe is that is can be made on any night with whatever you have on hand.

Besides the beef and vegetables, the sauce is seasoned with ground cumin. Of course, if you can freshly grind your own it tastes the best.

All-purpose flour is used to thicken it up into a nice gravy.

This carne guisada recipe cooks low and slow for at least 1 ½ hours.

Carne Guisada Recipe (Mexican Style) (6)

The meat should be fall-apart tender and the gravy thick and rich.

It’s not a quick meal, but it produces the best flavor!

If you want a delicious dinner in about 20 minutes, try my Mexican Pork Stew (Puerco en Salsa Roja) recipe instead.

That guiso has only two ingredients yet tastes like it was simmering for hours!

Carne Guisada Recipe (Mexican Style) (7)

Carne Guisada Recipe (Mexican Style) (8)

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes

Tender chunks of beef simmered in a flavorful Mexican gravy. Flour tortillas are the perfect accompaniment for this carne guisada recipe.

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs stew meat
  • 1 tablespoon oil (lard, bacon grease, etc)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 small green bell pepper, diced (optional)
  • 3 tablespoons tomato sauce or 1 large tomato, diced
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup water or chicken stock
  • Flour tortillas, rice or mashed potatoes, for serving

Instructions

  1. In a large pan, brown the stew meat in oil of choice with onions and green pepper (if using) over high heat.
  2. Add the tomato sauce (or tomato), garlic powder (or fresh garlic), cumin, salt and pepper and stir well.
  3. Sprinkle the flour over the meat and mix well. Add the water (or stock) and mix well so there are no lumps.
  4. Bring to a boil, cover pan and reduce heat to low. Cook for 1 ½ hours, or until meat is tender.
  5. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.
  6. Serve with rice, tortillas or mashed potatoes.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6Serving Size: 8oz
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 606Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 226mgSodium: 982mgCarbohydrates: 27gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 78g

Nutritional information provided is an estimate only. Please consult the labels of ingredients you use for more accurate results.

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment below! Or tag @kitchengidget on Instagram with the hashtag #kitchengidget

Try this Mexican pork stew:

You might also like this great Southwestern side dish packed with veggies and cheese! Calabacitas con Queso:

Carne Guisada Recipe (Mexican Style) (2024)

FAQs

How to thicken up carne guisada? ›

This is another method for thickening up the gravy if you are short on time or the gravy is too thin. Mix together 1 Tbsp. cornstarch with ⅓ cup of water. Stir into Carne Guisada and turn slow cooker to high, cook for 15 minutes or until gravy thickens.

What kind of meat is carne guisada made from? ›

Carne guisada, which translates to “stewed meat,” is a slow-simmered dish that varies across the state. Some people make their carne guisada with pork, others with chicken. The most common meat used, however is beef. Another variable with carne guisada is how the gravy is made.

What is the difference between carne asada and carne guisada? ›

What is the difference between carne asada and carne guisada? Carne guisada (what we're making here!) is a stewed beef dish typically made with chuck roast stew meat, while carne asada is a grilled beef dish typically made with marinated skirt steak or flank steak.

What is the difference between chili con carne and carne guisada? ›

In it, he explains that carne guisada is his “bowl of red” (Texas chili). But he never eats it in a bowl — “always a flour tortilla.” And unlike chili con carne, “it isn't served with a bunch of other ingredients and garnishes. Tucked into a flour tortilla, it needs nothing else — just straight up carne guisada.”

Is it better to use flour or cornstarch to thicken beef stew? ›

Cornstarch has twice the thickening power of flour. When a gravy, sauce, soup or stew recipe calls for flour, use half as much cornstarch to thicken. To thicken hot liquids, first mix cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth. Gradually stir into hot liquid until blended.

What if my carne guisada is too watery? ›

Thin, watery stews are easily thickened by adding flour. You can use any flour, from regular white flour to more nutritious flours like cassava or chickpea flour. If you want to add flour to thicken your stew, you'll need to first make a roux — a mixture of flour and fat.

What does carne mean in Mexican food? ›

So, “carne” refers to what is served (meat, but usually beef) and “asada” refers to how it is prepared (roasting by grilling). Both are part of authentic Mexican cooking, and Latin American cooking in general, as well as the Americanized Tex-Mex.

What is guisado in English? ›

noun. casserole [noun] the food cooked in a casserole.

What is Mexican beef called? ›

Carne Asada – Marinated, grilled, sliced beef, cooked so there is some charring to impact flavor.

Why is it called al pastor? ›

What is Al Pastor? Al Pastor is a traditional Mexican dish made with seasoned and marinated pork. The name translates to “Shephard Style,” which is derived from the origin of the cooking method. Although al pastor is a Mexican meat, the style of cooking is an original of the Lebanese.

What animal is asada? ›

Carne asada, which in English means "grilled meat," is beef. For this Mexican dish, one-inch-thick steaks are marinated in lime juice and seasonings, grilled, and then cut into thin strips. Carne asada is either served as a main course typically with rice and beans, or used as a filling for tacos or burritos.

What is carne asada called in English? ›

The term carne asada in Spanish translates to roasted or grilled meat in English. That's why it's important to recognize that, in Mexico, carne asada refers to how the beef is cooked rather than a specific recipe. Think of it as like how Americans refer to chicken cooked on the grill as grilled or barbecued chicken.

What is chili with beans called? ›

Many are quick to point out that if beans were meant to be in chili it would have been called chili con frijoles. It could be easily prepared with local resources like chilis, onions, garlic and fresh locally-grown beef.

Do Mexicans eat chili con carne? ›

The Mexican equivalent of Chilli con Carne is Frijoles Charros. It's more of a soup based Chilli. But they sometimes add pastor meat to it along with onions and cilantro and Manchego cheese.

What is carne guisada made of? ›

This carne guisada recipe features chunks of lean beef steak simmered with fresh tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and seasonings to make a rich, spicy gravy. Serve with warm tortillas and garnish with guacamole, sour cream, and cheddar cheese for awesome tacos.

How do you make beef sauce thicker? ›

Use Flour and Water

Combine 2 tablespoons flour with every 1/4 cup cold water and whisk until smooth. Add the mixture to your sauce over medium heat, and continue to stir and cook until you've reached your desired consistency. Test with a spoon.

How do you thicken beef goulash? ›

Toss meat pieces in flour prior to browning. The flour helps to thicken a stew as it cooks. Whisk a teaspoon of flour in a little cold water to make a slurry, then stir into the stew as it's cooking. Don't add dry flour directly to the stew as it may clump.

What can I add to beef stew to make it thicker? ›

The three main thickening agents for gravies are flour, cornflour and arrowroot. The first two are normally used in savoury dishes while arrowroot tends to be used in sweet dishes – that said, arrowroot will work in a savoury dish as it has no flavour.

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