Carne Guisada Recipe (2024)

This Mexican style carne guisada recipe is chunks of beef that are stewed with tomatoes, peppers and spices until tender and flavorful. Serve your stewed beef as-is in its own gravy, or use it to make burritos, enchiladas, or many other different specialty dishes!

In my house, we enjoy Mexican food at least once a week. Some of our favorites include chile Colorado, marinated carne asada, chile verde, pumpkin enchiladas, chicken fajita foil packets and this savory carne guisada.

Carne Guisada Recipe (1)

My local Mexican restaurant makes the absolute best carne guisada. I decided it was time to learn to make this classic dish at home! It turns out that this tender beef is actually quite simple to make, with ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

Table of Contents

  • Carne Guisada Ingredients
  • How Do You Make Carne Guisada?
  • Tips For The Perfect Dish
  • Quick Tip
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Flavor Variations
  • More Mexican Style Recipes To Try
  • Carne Guisada Video
  • Love This Recipe?
  • Carne Guisada Recipe

Carne Guisada Ingredients

To make this recipe, you will need vegetable oil, beef stew meat, salt, black pepper, onion, green bell pepper, garlic, all purpose flour, tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, chili powder, paprika, beef broth and cilantro.

Carne Guisada Recipe (2)

How Do You Make Carne Guisada?

Start by searing the beef until it’s golden brown. Add peppers and onions to the pot, then cook until the veggies are soft. Stir in some flour to help thicken the sauce. Next, add in fresh diced tomatoes along with tomato sauce, beef broth and an assortment of seasonings. Cover the pot, and let the meat simmer on the stove until it’s fork tender. Add some cilantro, then serve and enjoy.

Carne Guisada Recipe (3)

Tips For The Perfect Dish

  • You can make carne guisada up to two days before you plan to serve it. The meat will become even more flavorful as it sits in the sauce. Reheat the beef in a pan on the stove over low heat until warmed through.
  • Try preparing carne guisada in the slow cooker. Follow the recipe through step 7, then transfer the ingredients to a crock pot. Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6 hours.
  • This dish is a great candidate for the freezer. Place the cooked meat into airtight containers or freezer bags, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator over night, then reheat on the stove.
  • I like to serve my meat with flour tortillas or corn tortillas, white rice or pinto beans and rice, as well as homemade pico de gallo to add a fresh flavor and some color. It’s also great with a dollop of Chipotle guacamole on top.

Quick Tip

Choose a well marbled cut of beef for this recipe such as beef stew meat or chuck roast.

Carne Guisada Recipe (4)

Recipe FAQs

What is the difference between carne guisada and carne asada?

Carne guisada is a stewed beef dish, whereas carne asada is a grilled beef dish. Carne asada contains steak, while guisada typically involves a less tender cut of beef. Both dishes are staples in Mexican cuisine!

What is carne guisada?

Carne guisada is a type of stewed beef that is cooked with tomatoes, peppers and onions. Mexican style carne guisada consists of beef in a thick gravy and is often served as a main course with a side of tortillas, or as a filling for tacos and other dishes. There is another version of carne guisada that is popular in other Latin American countries that consists of beef stewed with potatoes and beer. This version here leans toward the Mexican interpretation.

How do you eat carne guisada?

You can enjoy carne guisda in a bowl as a hearty beef stew. You can also use a slotted spoon to remove the beef chunks from the liquid and use the meat as a filling for burritos, tacos or a nacho topping.

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Flavor Variations

While I find this meat to be delicious as-is, you can experiment with different ingredients to make the flavors your own.

  • Meat: Some varieties of this dish use sirloin, which is a lean cut of meat that does not need to cook for long. You can use sirloin, just be careful to make sure it doesn’t overcook! This dish also works with pork shoulder, although that is not a traditional choice for guisada.
  • Spice: If you prefer your food on the hot and spicy side, feel free to add 1-2 canned chipotle peppers or 1/2 teaspoon (or more!) of crushed red pepper flakes.
  • Vegetables: Feel free to add some veggies such as potatoes, carrots or poblano peppers.
  • Toppings: Top your stewed beef with cotija cheese, sour cream, sliced green onions, diced tomatoes, fresh avocado or a drizzle of crema.
Carne Guisada Recipe (5)

You will love this classic dish! It’s an easy way to enjoy authentic restaurant style flavors into the comfort of your own home.

More Mexican Style Recipes To Try

Steak Fajitas Recipe

30 mins

Agua Fresca Recipe

11 mins

Beef Enchiladas

55 mins

Pork Tacos (Slow Cooker)

3 hrs 20 mins

Carne Guisada Video

Love This Recipe?

Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the recipe card below & a review in the comments section further down the page.

5 from 23 votes

Carne Guisada

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AuthorSara Welch

Carne Guisada Recipe (11)

This Mexican style carne guisada is beef that is stewed with tomatoes, peppers and spices until it becomes tender and flavorful. Serve your stewed beef as-is, or use it to make burritos, enchiladas, or many other different specialty dishes!

Time

Prep Time15 minutes minutes

Cook Time2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total Time2 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Course Main

Cuisine Mexican

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 3 pounds beef stew meat or chuck roast cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup onion diced
  • 1/2 cup green bell pepper diced
  • 2 teaspoons garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 cup fresh tomatoes seeded and diced
  • 1/2 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 1/2 cups beef broth plus more if needed
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro chopped

Instructions

  • Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat.

  • Place the beef in a single layer in the pot. Season the beef with the salt and pepper.

  • Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown. You may need to work in batches.

  • Return all the meat to the pot. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes or until vegetables are softened.

  • Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

  • Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute.

  • Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, cumin, oregano, chili powder, paprika and beef broth.

  • Stir to combine, then turn up the heat to medium-high until the mixture comes to a simmer.

  • Cover the pot. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until beef is tender. If you feel like the mixture is getting too dry you can add more beef broth, 1/4 cup at a time.

  • Uncover the pot. Sprinkle with cilantro, then serve.

Notes

  1. Choose a well marbled cut of beef for this recipe such as beef stew meat or chuck roast.
  2. You can make carne guisada up to two days before you plan to serve it. The meat will become even more flavorful as it sits in the sauce. Reheat the beef in a pan on the stove over low heat until warmed through.
  3. This dish is a great candidate for the freezer. Place the cooked meat into airtight containers or freezer bags, and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator over night, then reheat on the stove.

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 846mg | Potassium: 954mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 513IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 65mg | Iron: 6mg

Did you make this recipe?Tag @dinneratthezoo on Instagram and hashtag it #dinneratthezoo

Originally Posted January 11, 2024

CategoriesBeef Dinner Gluten Free Mexican Food

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Carne Guisada Recipe (17)
Carne Guisada Recipe (2024)

FAQs

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's the difference between carne guisada and carne asada? ›

What is the difference between carne guisada and carne asada? Carne guisada is a stewed beef dish, whereas carne asada is a grilled beef dish. Carne asada contains steak, while guisada typically involves a less tender cut of beef. Both dishes are staples in Mexican cuisine!

What kind of meat is guisados? ›

Anything simple, slow-cooked, and stewy—whether made with chicken, seafood, pork, beef, or vegetables—is basically a guisado. "Meatballs in salsa, that's a guisado," she said. "Pork ribs in green sauce, that's a guisado." Meatballs in salsa, that's a guisado.

What is the meaning of guisada? ›

A guisada is one thing... roasted or cooked. It can be anything from a meat to a vegetable. If you're making several things, it would be the plural, guisadas. So, you're cooking up individual pieces of meat and veg but serving them together, they would still be guisadas.

What kind of meat is carne asada at Mexican restaurant? ›

Carne asada is typically made with skirt steak, but I wanted to test out a variety of inexpensive cuts to be sure. I bought a half dozen different cuts of beef and marinated them in a basic mixture of lime juice, garlic, cilantro, olive oil, and chiles before grilling them to medium-rare over hot coals.

What is the difference between guisado and guisada? ›

What is the difference between guisada and guisado? Guisada is typically served with something else (beans, rice, flour tortillas) whereas guisado is a one-pot meal. Make this guisado by adding potatoes or sweet potatoes to this great recipe.

What do Mexicans call carne asada? ›

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 the origin of carne guisada? ›

Carne guisada, which translated means beef stew, is a Latin dish that originated in Puerto Rico and has been adapted in one form or another into Mexican and/or Tex-Mex cuisine.

Is carne asada a cow or pig? ›

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 the most popular meat in Mexican food? ›

Chicken. Shredded chicken, pollo in Spanish, is one of the most popular meat options for many people who enjoy Mexican food. Chicken can be served in almost every Mexican food dish.

What is spicy Mexican meat called? ›

Carne asada is a spicy, marinated grilled steak that's cut into strips. This is the meat that goes into burritos and tacos. Pollo Asado – Pollo means “chicken” in Spanish, which means that pollo asado is grilled, marinated chicken. It's a delicious alternative to beef in burritos and tacos.

What is barbacoa meat? ›

Barbacoa is a method of cooking meat (historically lamb or goat, though beef or pork is often used today) that produces tender and juicy results. It's traditionally steam-cooked underground, but modern barbacoa can be prepared over an open fire, on the stove, or in a slow cooker.

How do you pronounce Guisada? ›

  1. gee. sah. doh.
  2. gi. sa. ðo.
  3. gui. sa. do.

What does carne mean in Mexico? ›

Carne means meat . Asada means roasted, but in Mexico carne asada is understood as either meat cooked on a grill or a cookout. If I say “me gusta la carne asada” it means I like grilled meat.

What does Asada mean in English? ›

asada [adj/f] roasted.

What cut of meat is carne? ›

In Central and South America, we call pretty much any barbecued or grilled meat asado (or carne asada). The BEST cuts for the Mexican version of the dish we all know and love are either skirt steak or flank steak. Personally, I prefer skirt steak (pictured).

What part of the cow is carne asada? ›

Carne asada is grilled and sliced beef, usually skirt steak, flap steak, or flank steak though chuck steak (known as diezmillo in Spanish) can also be used. It is usually marinated then grilled or seared to impart a charred flavor. Carne asada can be served on its own or as an ingredient in other dishes.

Is carne beef or pork? ›

Carne asada is a marinated and grilled steak. The beef comes in strips, seasoned with spices, such as thyme, cider vinegar, and garlic. Salt and lime juice brings out the tanginess in this meat that truly marks it as a Mexican original.

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