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Carne Guisada

Carne guisada is a Tex-Mex Mexican beef stew made with slow-braised beef chunks in a dark chile-spiced gravy, thickened until tender. Browned beef, sautéed aromatics, and a flour-thickened braise come together with potatoes-in-the-mix texture and a ladle-over-tortillas finish.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef chuck cubes
  • 2 lb beef chuck Cut into 1.5-inch cubes.
Browning and braising base
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion Large, diced.
  • 1 green bell pepper Diced.
  • 4 garlic Cloves, minced.
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
Spices and seasoning
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp oregano
  • 0.25 salt and black pepper To taste.
To serve
  • flour tortillas Warm.
  • cilantro For serving.
  • lime Fresh juice/wedges for serving.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and brown the beef
  1. Season the beef cubes generously with salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder.
  2. Brown the beef in batches in hot oil in a heavy pot over high heat—do not crowd—then remove and set aside.
Build the stew base
  1. In the same pot, sauté the onion and green bell pepper over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, until softened.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring so it doesn’t brown too much.
  3. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute to lightly cook it.
  4. Add the beef broth and diced tomatoes and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
Braised until tender
  1. Return the browned beef to the pot, add the oregano, cover, and simmer on low for 1.5–2 hours until the beef is extremely tender and the gravy has thickened.
Serve
  1. Ladle the carne guisada into bowls and serve with warm flour tortillas, cilantro, and fresh lime.

Notes

Pro tip: when browning, keep the pot hot and avoid crowding so the beef gets deep brown edges for a richer gravy. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days; reheat gently on the stovetop. Freezing is yes—freeze in portions up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge before reheating. For a lighter option, use reduced-sodium beef broth and reduce added salt to taste.