Carne Guisada (Spanish for stewed meat) is a traditional Mexican dish made with tender beef and potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce. It is cooked slowly over very low heat so that the meat remains really tender. It’s best served with rice and tortillas.

Here in Texas, we love our beef, and we love our Tex-Mex and Mexican foods. That makes this delicious carne Guisada the ultimate Texan dish if you ask me. Of course, we’re known for barbecue and longhorns, but this delicious beef and potato stew perfectly encapsulates everything that Texas eating is all about in my book. This stew is loaded with beef and potatoes along with hot peppers for a spicy kick. It’s a great family dinner or addition to any potluck and because it’s so easy to make, you’ll spend more time with friends and family and less time in the kitchen!
Carne Guisada
This dish is all about cooking the beef low and slow until it’s super tender. It starts with chuck roast, a cut that has the perfect amount of fat to get nice and tender while it’s simmering. Then, potatoes, onions, tomatoes, and both jalapenos and serrano peppers are added to the mix. That gives it a hearty, hefty kick of heat. Finally, when it’s all cooked to tender perfection, I love to serve it with rice, noodles, or tortillas. It’s delicious, it’s easy, and it’s a great meal for feeding a crowd.
Why You’ll Love This Carne Guisada Recipe
- It’s a delicious, authentic Mexican dish that’s easy to make and tastes so good.
- It takes simple ingredients that are easily found at any grocery store.
- The meat and potatoes are so tender, and the flavor is delicious!
Carne Guisada Ingredients
Everything you need for this recipe is either in your kitchen right now or just a quick trip to the grocery store away.
- Beef Chuck Roast – A tough cut of meat that becomes tender and flavorful when cooked slowly.
- Potatoes – Potatoes add a starchy base and help thicken up the sauce.
- Diced Onions – Onions add a sweetness and flavor to the dish.
- Salt and Pepper – Adds flavor to the dish.
- Vegetable Oil – Oil is needed to roast the vegetables and has a high smoke point.
- Water – Adds liquid with the tomato mixture to the beef and potatoes.
- Roma Tomatoes – Adds flavor and acidity to the dish.
- Jalapeno Peppers – Adds some heat to the dish.
- Serrano Peppers – Also, adds additional heat to the dish.
- Garlic Cloves – Enhances and adds flavor.
How to Make Carne Guisada
Carne Guisada is just Mexican beef stew, so it’s a super easy recipe to make. It just takes a little prep and simmering, and that’s it!
Step 1: Roast the Peppers
Add a teaspoon of oil to a small frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the whole tomatoes, jalapenos, serrano peppers, and garlic. Roast until the skin is charred and blistered.
Step 2: Puree
Add the roasted vegetables to a food processor and pulse until your desired consistency is reached.
Step 3: Cook the Beef
Add the chunks of beef and onions to a cast iron or heavy-duty large skillet, or dutch oven, on high heat and cook until the meat is no longer pink.
Step 4: Simmer
Add the tomato mixture and water to the beef and simmer over medium-low heat until the meat is tender, adding additional water, ½ cup at a time, if needed.
Step 5: Add the Potatoes
Add the diced potatoes and continue cooking over low heat until they’re tender. Serve with rice and corn or flour tortillas.
Recipe Tips
- Let the skin of your vegetables get nicely black and blistered when roasting them. Don’t be afraid of burning the outside. That’s the point, after all.
- Give your beef a chance to get nicely browned on one side before stirring it in the skillet. You want to cook it through initially AND get a nice crust on the outside.
- By the time you’re finished with this recipe, your beef will be falling apart into shreds. Don’t panic. That’s exactly what you want!
Variations
- Add some green bell pepper for more flavor.
- You can use russet, red, or yellow potatoes for this recipe. They all work.
- Use any cut of beef you like so long as it has a nice amount of fat and marbling.
What to Serve with Carne Guisada
This delicious, spicy beef and potato dish is delicious when served with:
- Tortillas
- Rice
- Mexican rice
- Spanish rice
- Mashed potatoes
Recipe FAQ
What is carne Guisada?
Carne Guisada is a Mexican beef stew that’s cooked until the beef falls apart and is then served over rice or with tortillas.
What meat is carne Guisada made of?
Carne Guisada is usually made with chuck roast or beef round, both of which become very tender when cooked low and slow.
Can carne Guisada be made in the crock pot?
It sure can! The whole point of this Mexican beef stew is to cook it low and slow, something the crock pot was made to do.
What is the difference between carne asada and carne Guisada?
Carne Asada is a grilled beef dish whereas carne Guisada is a stewed beef dish. Carne asada is made with steak, while carne Guisada is made with less tender cuts of beef that do well when cooked low and slow like chuck roast or beef round.
What does carne Guisada mean?
Carne Guisada translates to “stewed meat”, which is exactly what it is.
Can you freeze Carne Guisada leftovers?
Yes. It freezes very well and will last for up to 3 months in the freezer.
How to Store and Reheat Leftover Carne Guisada
Store this stew in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze it for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container.
To reheat the dish, place it in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until heated through.
Try This Delicious Carne Guisada Recipe Today
This carne Guisada recipe cooks up tender and delicious, and it takes very little effort. The hardest thing about this recipe is waiting for the beef to simmer to ultra-tender perfection! Give this recipe a try, and I know you’ll love it as much as I and my family do. One bite is all it takes to hook you for life!
Here are Some More Delicious Mexican Recipes to Try
Ground Beef Empanadas – A crispy and golden brown empanada filled with seasoned ground beef and cheese and make a great appetizer or dinner recipe.
Beef Enchiladas – Hearty, delicious, cheesy, and loaded with beef, olives, and red enchilada sauce, these enchiladas are super easy to make and great for dinner.
Beef Fajitas – An easy and filling dinner recipe made with perfectly seasoned and marinated beef, fresh bell peppers and onions, and salsa.
And, try these Tex-Mex Breakfast Tacos from Deliciously Seasoned. It’s a hearty, filling, and flavorful breakfast recipe.
Carne Guisada (Beef and Potato Stew)
Ingredients
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast, cut into small bite size pieces
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled, diced into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup diced onions
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- 2 roma tomatoes
- 3 jalapenos, stems removed
- 1 serrano pepper, stem removed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon oil
Instructions
- In a small frying pan, add a teaspoon of oil and heat over medium heat.
- Once hot, add whole tomatoes, jalapenos, serrano peppers and garlic.
- Roast in the pan until the skin is charred and blistered.
- Place roasted vegetables in a food processor or chopper and pulse until desired consistency is obtained.
- In a cast iron pan or skillet, heat oil over high heat and sear beef and onions until meat is no longer pink.
- Add the tomato mixture and water. Stir and heat over low heat until meat is tender.
- Add the diced potatoes and continue cooking over low heat until potatoes are tender.
- Serve with rice and tortillas.
Notes
Nutrition
Here are a few pics that are perfect to save to your favorite Pinterest boards on Pinterest. Also, you can follow us on Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Remember to “like” or “follow” us on all social media.