🍲 Carne Guisada (Tender Beef Stew)
Carne Guisada is a rich, slow-simmered Latin-style beef stew—deeply flavorful, comforting, and perfect with warm tortillas or rice.
🥩 Ingredients (Serves 4–6)
- 1½ lbs beef stew meat (cut into small chunks)
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons flour (for thickening)
- 1 cup beef broth
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Optional: diced potatoes or bell peppers
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Brown the beef
- Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat
- Season beef with salt and pepper
- Brown on all sides (this builds flavor!)
2. Sauté aromatics
- Add onion and cook until soft
- Stir in garlic for about 30 seconds
3. Thicken the base
- Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir well
- Cook 1–2 minutes to remove raw flour taste
4. Build the stew
- Add beef broth, tomato sauce, cumin, and chili powder
- Stir until smooth
5. Simmer low & slow
- Cover and simmer on low for 1.5–2 hours
- Stir occasionally until beef is fork-tender and sauce thickens
6. Optional add-ins
- Add potatoes or peppers in the last 30–40 minutes
🌮 How to Serve
- With warm flour tortillas (perfect for scooping!)
- Over rice
- Or alongside beans
💡 Tips for the best flavor
- Low and slow cooking = tender meat
- If too thick, add a splash of broth
- If too thin, simmer uncovered to reduce
🟡 What makes it special
It’s that thick, savory gravy + melt-in-your-mouth beef that makes Carne Guisada a comfort food favorite.
If you want, I can show you a slow cooker version or a quick 30-minute shortcut recipe for busy days.
