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Carne Guisada

Carne guisada is a Tex-Mex Mexican beef stew made with deeply braised beef chunks in a dark, chile-spiced gravy and tender potatoes. It simmers until the meat is extremely tender, then gets ladled into warm flour tortillas for a hearty bowl.
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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: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

beef chuck
  • 2 lb beef chuck, cut into 1.5-inch cubes
vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
onion
  • 1 onion, diced
green bell pepper
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced
garlic
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
flour
  • 2 tbsp flour
beef broth
  • 2 cup beef broth
diced tomatoes
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
cumin
  • 2 tsp cumin
chili powder
  • 1 tsp chili powder
garlic powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
oregano
  • 0.5 tsp oregano
salt and black pepper
  • 1 Salt and black pepper to taste
flour tortillas
  • 1 Flour tortillas
cilantro
  • 1 cilantro
lime
  • 1 lime

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. Press the spices onto the surface so they look evenly coated.
  2. Brown the beef in batches in hot oil in a heavy pot over high heat—do not crowd—then remove and set aside. Cook until the exterior is deeply browned, about 2–3 minutes per batch, with a sizzly surface.
Build the stew base
  1. In the same pot, sauté the onion and bell pepper for 5 minutes. Stir often until softened and fragrant, with lightly golden edges.
  2. Add the minced garlic and cook 1 more minute. Keep it moving until it turns fragrant but does not darken.
  3. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute. The mixture should look slightly pasty and smell toasted.
  4. Add the beef broth and diced tomatoes, scraping up the browned bits. Stir until the gravy looks smooth and the pot bottom is deglazed.
  5. Return the 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. You should see gentle bubbling throughout and meat that breaks apart with a fork.
Serve
  1. Serve the carne guisada with warm flour tortillas, cilantro, and fresh lime. Ladle the stew over or beside tortillas, finishing with bright green cilantro and lime wedges.

Notes

Pro tip: when browning, keep the batches spaced out so the beef sears instead of steams—this builds the deep brown gravy. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days; reheat gently on the stove. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. For a lighter option, use reduced-sodium beef broth and choose leaner beef chuck trimming excess fat.