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If you follow this recipe to the letter, you will end up with the most tender, flavorful, satisfying carne guisada ever. Hailing from my own family’s recipe vault, this rich stew meat has a host of Mexican flavors, a luscious gravy, and caramelized veggies that build incredible flavor. We love it most in a tortilla with a generous sprinkle of fresh onion!
What is Carne Guisada?
If you’re new to carne guisada, know that it’s a slow-cooked Mexican stew meat. While some recipes have more gravy than others, I like mine thick like you see here. This is ideal for spooning over tortillas or enjoying on a plate next to beans and rice.
Slow and low is the name of the game, so don’t be shy about putting it on a few hours before dinner, letting it slowly simmer away (covered), filling the house with the best smells and your family’s bellies with the best meal a little later.
Carne Guisada Ingredients
The list may seem long, but it’s actually full of really common pantry items. Here’s everything you’ll need:
- 1 tablespoon of butter
- 1-1¼ pounds of stew meat
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- ¼ black of pepper
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ white onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon of mild chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of cumin
- ½ teaspoon of Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon of ancho chili powder
- 3 tablespoons of flour
- 1 cup of chicken or beef broth
- 1 can of Rotel
- Flour tortillas, for serving
- Cilantro, for garnish
- Avocado, sliced, for garnish
- White onion, diced, for garnish
- Refried beans, for serving
Ingredient Modifications and Variations
If you’re looking for modifications and variations for this homemade carne guisada recipe, we’ve got you!
- Make it gluten-free: if you’re looking for a gluten-free option here, you’re in luck! Simply swap the flour in this recipe for a gluten-free flour (THIS one is our favorite!). If you’re serving your carne guisada in or alongside flour tortillas, be sure to snag gluten-free ones too.
- Make it dairy-free: for dairy-free carne guisada, substitute in olive oil for the butter in this recipe. Easy peasy!
- Use regular oregano: can’t find Mexican oregano? No worries – regular oregano will work just fine here!
How to Make Carne Guisada
- Melt the butter and season the meat – melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 3-quart pot (with a lid) over high heat. While the butter is melting, season the stew meat with salt and pepper.
- Sear the meat – add the stew meat in a single layer to the pot and sear on all sides, then remove from the pot.
- Saute the garlic and onion – reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and onion to the pot. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the spices and flour – add the spices and flour to the garlic and onion and toast, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the rest of the ingredients to the pot – add the broth, meat, and Rotel to the pot. Stir and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Simmer – after 45 minutes, uncover and simmer on low until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
- Serve and enjoy – spoon the carne guisada into tortillas and top with cilantro, avocado, and diced white onion. Enjoy alongside refried beans (if you want!).
Can I Make Carne Guisada in a Crock Pot?
You can definitely make your carne guisada in a crock pot, but it isn’t quite as simple as most slow cooker recipes. For the best results, you’ll want to grab a skillet and follow steps 1-4 on the stovetop. Then, transfer everything to the crock pot and set to cook on low for 8-10 hours.
How to Serve Carne Guisada
There are a couple of ways that you can serve your carne guisada! You can serve it taco-style in warmed tortillas (like we did here) complete with a cilantro, sliced avocado, and diced white onion garnish, or you can eat the carne guisada with a spoon and use a warm flour tortilla to sop up the goodness – the choice is yours, and truly, you can’t go wrong either way!
Carne Guisada FAQs
What does carne guisada mean?
Carne guisada is spanish for “meat stew” – makes perfect sense!
What meat is carne guisada at the store?
Carne guisada is made using beef stew meat. When cooked for long enough, it will literally FALL apart – so YUMMY.
Is carne guisada the same as beef?
Carne guisada (“meat stew”) is made with beef cooked in a sauce loaded with delicious Mexican spices.
What Is The Difference Between Carne Asada And Carne Guisada?
Carne guisada (what we’re making here!) is a stewed beef dish typically made with chuck roast stew meat, while carne asada is a grilled beef dish typically made with marinated skirt steak or flank steak.
More of Our Favorite Beef Recipes
- Easy Homemade Beef Chili
- Copycat Cheesy Gordita Crunch
- Instant Pot Barbacoa
- Tex Mex Stuffed Peppers
- Taco Soup
- Ground Beef Skillet Enchiladas
- Beef Taco Salad
- Carne Asada Tacos with Adobo Lime Marinade
Carne Guisada Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1-1¼ pounds stew meat
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ½ white onion finely diced
- 1 tablespoon mild chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ancho chili powder
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup chicken or beef broth
- 1 can Rotel
- Flour tortillas for serving
- Cilantro for garnish
- Avocado sliced, for garnish
- White onion diced, for garnish
- Refried beans for serving
Instructions
- Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a 3-quart pot (with a lid) over high heat. While the butter is melting, season the stew meat with salt and pepper.
- Add the stew meat in a single layer to the pot and sear on all sides, then remove from the pot.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the garlic and onion to the pot. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the spices and flour to the garlic and onion and toast, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the broth, meat, and Rotel to the pot. Stir and bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- After 45 minutes, uncover and simmer on low until the sauce reaches your desired thickness.
- Spoon the carne guisada into tortillas and top with cilantro, avocado, and diced white onion. Enjoy alongside refried beans (if you want!).
Nutrition Information
Recipe Notes
- Make it gluten-free: if you’re looking for a gluten-free option here, you’re in luck! Simply swap the flour in this recipe for a gluten-free flour (THIS one is our favorite!). If you’re serving your carne guisada in or alongside flour tortillas, be sure to snag gluten-free ones too.
- Make it dairy-free: for dairy-free carne guisada, substitute in olive oil for the butter in this recipe. Easy peasy!
- Use regular oregano: can’t find Mexican oregano? No worries – regular oregano will work just fine here!
Sam says
Flavor is great! My meat came out very tough though. What did I do wrong? Lol. I used stew meat and followed recipe exactly.
Brandi Schilhab says
Hi Sam! The longer the meat simmers in the sauce, the more tender it’ll get. I hope that helps!
Jeanette says
Excellent recipe! I used stew meat I defrosted after it had been sitting in the freezer for a year and it was tender and flavorful. I had to turn the heat down to a simmer on step 5 because my pan was running too hot covered (the meat was sticking after only 5 mins covered). After that, I set my timer for 10 min intervals to stir and then left it uncovered while I tried out making gluten free tortillas from scratch!
Brandi Schilhab says
We’re so glad you loved this one, Jeanette! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Kerri McNally says
This recipe is so delicious. The flavor is complex and delicious. The meat was tender. I think it’s my husband’s favorite dinner right now. We topped with a bit of sour cream to balance out the spice.
Brandi Schilhab says
Aw, yay! We’re so glad y’all love this recipe, Kerri. It’s my favorite dinner right now too!!
Sophia says
Super easy recipe, with deliciously rewarding tacos at the end. Used the leftovers for lunch burritos,
Brandi Schilhab says
Wahooo! So glad you enjoyed it, Sophia! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us – it means a lot!
Nicolle says
I have yet to be disappointed by a Fed and Fit recipe! This one is such a winner. The meat is tender, the flavors are so so good, and it’s fairly simple to make! I love this one with cilantro lime rice or tacos.
Brandi Schilhab says
So kind, Nicolle! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us. I’m with you – Cassy knocked this recipe out of the park!
Lane R says
This recipe is so easy and full of flavor! Not to mention stew meat is typically a great cost effective meat these days! I was hurried to get eating, but I’ll be sure next time to let it just sit and simmer for a while to get the stew meat really tender! Or maybe even try the Instapot!
Brandi Schilhab says
We’re so glad you enjoyed the carne guisada, Lane! So true about the cost-effectiveness of this meal!
Mandy says
Yummy recipe! Instapot worked great to make this tender. Used the sauté function to brown initially and thicken at the end. Served over turmeric rice. Delicious and a great meal prep meal
Brandi Schilhab says
What a fun way to serve the carne guisada, Mandy! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us!
Jessica says
This was AMAZING! I used sirloin steak tips that I had in the freezer and made the recipe exactly as written. I did have some sticking though I don’t 100% trust my enamel cast iron dutch oven, but definitely follow the instruction of stirring every so often during the 45 minutes. Meat was tender and it is not terribly spicy. We served as tacos using corn and flour tortillas. Great with red onion, cilantro and avocado as garnish. The leftovers are equally as tasty and I’d bet this would freeze well if you wanted to make a double batch (might do this next time!)
Brandi Schilhab says
Wahooo! We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Jessica! This recipe is one of my VERY favorites.
Beth says
My family loves this recipe! It’s so easy and has such complex yummy flavors!! My boys eat theirs in tortillas I serve mine over some chopped lettuce
Brandi Schilhab says
We’re so glad you love this one, Beth! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Andrea says
Would love an InsantPot version of this if possible! I think that would help tenderize the meat in a much shorter time frame 🙂 The flavors were delicious. I used half the amount of chili powder and that worked well for my little kids.
Necia says
Ridiculously easy to make and equally delicious
Brandi Schilhab says
Score! Thank you for taking the time to share this, Necia!
Katie says
This recipe is awesome! We had some roasts to use up in the freezer so I cut it up into bite size pieces and yum yum yum! The whole fam ate it up.
Brandi Schilhab says
Wahoo! We’re so glad to hear that, Katie!
Janet says
This recipe was easy to make and the ingredients were inexpensive, which I appreciate. However, the flavor really threw me. It didn’t taste like any Mexican food I’ve ever had before (and I lived in Mexico City for many years). I won’t be making it again. Not bad, just not our jam.
Brandi Schilhab says
So sorry to hear that, Janet!
Kelsey says
This turned out super flavorful and was very easy to make (and mostly hands off). You end up with that deep, slow cooked comfort food flavor in the end. Like a previous reviewer mentioned, I also cut the chili powder in half and it worked fine for my five year old. We all loved it
Brandi Schilhab says
Wahoo! So glad y’all loved it, Kelsey! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us!
Sarah Hughes says
I made this in the crockpot and it was super easy and flavorful. I will be adding this to my recipe rotation!!
Brandi Schilhab says
That’s awesome, Sarah! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Sara Flohr says
We LOVED this recipe at my house. My 10 month old gobbled it up and my three year old had two servings! I did mine in the crockpot for ease, made it an easy weeknight dinner for this working mom! Thank you!
Brandi Schilhab says
That’s the marker of a great recipe, right there! We’re so glad it was a hit with the whole family!
Meredith says
This was so flavorful and filling and everyone in my house loved it! The recipe worked perfectly. Will definitely make this again!
Brandi Schilhab says
Thank you so much for sharing this with us, Meredith! We’re so glad this recipe was a hit at your house!
Kevin Henseler says
I encouraged my wife to make this (she’s the chef in our household; I’m the recipe provider). It was very tasty. My wife has been dieting for a few months following a year-long bout with cancer, so she’s somewhat selective when it comes to recipes. She called this a “keeper.” I agree!
Brandi Schilhab says
Kevin, that’s so awesome! Praying for your wife!
Rachel LaFontaine says
Crowd pleasing recipe! I’ve made this twice and everyone loved it. The meat becomes so tender and it doesn’t have to cook all day
Brandi Schilhab says
We’re so glad everyone loved this recipe, Rachel! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Lara says
I love all the recipes from Fed & Fit…but this one definitely tops my family’s list. My husband is from Mexico and this recipe hits the spot. The flavor is unmatched!
Brandi Schilhab says
Lara! That’s awesome! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Sarah says
So yummy! I had never heard of this type of taco before but my family loved it! I love all of your taco recipes and that you make them so easy to figure out to make! Even on a more complex taco recipe, it felt simple and they turned out so good! Thank you!!
Brandi Schilhab says
Aw, Sarah, that’s so awesome. Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Brittany says
So so so good! Being from San Antonio you never expect your food at home to compete with all the incredible Tex mex here. My husband said “it tastes like you got take out”. There is no greater compliment
Brandi Schilhab says
What a compliment!! That’s awesome, Brittany!
Suzanne says
Great flavor. Will try again
Brandi Schilhab says
We’re glad you enjoyed it, Suzanne!
Katelyn says
Delicious!! I’ve never cared for carne guisada until this recipe! When my husband comes home and realizes I’m making a dinner by Fed and Fit he gets extremely excited because they are all so good. Even my pickiest eater loved it!
Brandi Schilhab says
Katelyn!! That’s incredible! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Kristin says
I’ve been making the same carne guisada recipe for MANY years, so I was skeptical, but I gave this one a try and it’s going to be my new go to. So delicious! Everyone loved it.
Brandi Schilhab says
Awesome, Kristin! We are so glad you all loved it!
Allison says
This recipe was so simple but ended but being so flavorful! I used it to make rice bowls with shredded lettuce, avocado and beans. Will make again as tacos in the future!
Brandi Schilhab says
Wahoo! So glad you enjoyed it, Allison!
Virginia says
Obsessed!!! Every recipe I try is delicious. The pictures are gorgeous and I love the simple layout of your website!! The recipe index is my fave.
Brandi Schilhab says
That’s so great to hear, Virginia! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us – it means a lot!
Brittany G. says
I have always shied away from making this type of recipe because it always seemed so hard to get the meat tender. Nope! The Fed+Fit Team provided a super easy, straightforward method that is not only tender but PACKED with flavor. My husband grew up eating Carne Guisada and LOVES it and he gave this recipe two thumbs up. He even made a comment about how he couldn’t wait to eat the leftovers. Ha! Wish I hadn’t waited so long to try this but now it will be on our Family Favorites Dinner List I keep. Thanks F+F Team!!
Brandi Schilhab says
That’s so awesome, Brittany!! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us!
Lee says
I’ve always used the tried and true Bolner’s Fiesta Carne Guisada Seasoning recipe when making Carne Guisada- it’s easy and never disappoints. But I’m glad I gave this recipe a try. It was much more flavorful and I can’t wait to have the leftovers tomorrow.
My meat wasn’t as tender as I would like, even after simmering for quite a while. Just a heads up for others who make the recipe— simmer for as long as possible…
Brandi Schilhab says
Thank you for the feedback, Lee! We’re so glad you enjoyed the flavor!
Emory L. says
Loved the flavor! I am usually a pretty hands off cook so this was a bit of a stretch for me. Would love to see an instant pot version of this. I would suggest waiting for a weekend evening or Friday night for this meal only because it does need plenty of time for simmering. Absolutely worth the time and effort!
Brandi Schilhab says
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback, Emory!
Elyse says
A winner!! When I tried explaining it to hubby before cooking he was skeptical but he loved it and has already asked for it again and the leftovers aren’t even gone yet! It has a kick, but not too much and a great flavor. I’m going to work on making my sauce thicker, but other than that perfect, easy dinner!
Brandi Schilhab says
Aw, Elyse! We’re so glad you both loved this recipe! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us!
Erin S says
OMG – This is so good! I doubled it and froze portions for an easy meal to pull out when crunched for time. I had my temp up too high so I did burn some of the gravy to the bottom of my pot, but luckily none of the burnt taste transferred to the rest of the pot. Lesson learned! I can’t wait for the leftovers – I almost had them for breakfast!
Brandi Schilhab says
Erin!! It’s so good to hear from you! We hope you’re doing well. So glad you loved the carne guisada – it’s one of my very favorite recipes too!
Catherine Healy says
I made this recipe when it was first sent out a few weeks ago and served it with homemade refried beans. It was absolutely fantastic! I cooked it a little longer than the recipe called to make it thicker and used arrowroot starch to make it grain free. I would definitely make again!
Brandi Schilhab says
We’re so glad you loved it, Catherine!!
Julie Lubeck-Hofer says
This was yummy and was a big hit with my family who appreciated a taco variation. The meat gets very tender & the sauce is delicious. I did it in the instant pot page hit the meat/stew button.
Julie Lubeck Hofer says
This was yummy and was a big hit with my family who appreciated a taco variation. The meat gets very tender & the sauce is delicious. I did it in the instant pot page hit the meat/stew button.
Julie Lubeck Hofer says
This was yummy and was a big hit with my family who appreciated a taco variation. The meat gets very tender & the sauce is delicious. We gotta smaller pack of meat from our grocery order & wish I made more. I did it in the instant pot page hit the meat/stew button.
Brandi Schilhab says
We’re so glad this recipe was a hit with your family, Julie! Thanks so much for sharing this with us!
Dani says
This turned out FABULOUS! Used venison, which typically has a gamey flavor if not seasoned well, but the seasoning in the recipe was perfect and the meet tasted wonderful! Will be making! Thanks for another great recipe
Camille Witt says
Brilliant to use venison! I’m doing this next time! Great idea.
Brandi Schilhab says
Agreed! Awesome idea, Dani!
Camille Witt says
This is soooo good. I use homemade chicken or beef bone broth for a deep flavor and homemade (store-bought) tortillas. Melt in your mouth is the best way to describe this beef. Perfection.
Brandi Schilhab says
I agree! Cassy knocked this recipe out of the park!!
Megan Sherman says
Flavor was great and the meat was perfectly tender! I doubled the recipe to have leftovers for other meals and there was plenty! I did find the longer it sat (from the first meal) the thicker the sauce became – which we enjoyed more than the first time we had it! Next time I will try to cook it down longer.
Brandi Schilhab says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Megan! Thanks so much for taking the time to share this with us!
Andrea DeRego says
My family and I LOVED it! It filled the house with such delicious smells! We served it with homemade tortillas, refried beans from a can, finely diced white onion, cilantro, avocado slices and lime wedges as garnish. My 9 year old daughter says it was the “best taco recipe ever!”
Brandi Schilhab says
Andrea!! That’s so awesome! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Carly Dodd says
Our family loves this recipe so much!! So easy and delicious, the leftovers are great and my husband gets so excited when I make it! It also works great with different cuts of beef so I’m able to use whatever cut is on sale. Thank you Cassy!
Brandi Schilhab says
Wahooo! So glad y’all love it, Carly!
Stephanie Garcia says
This was such a delicious recipe. I love a good easy prep, low maintenance meal and this one delivered. I cooked it down so it was a thick sauce and served it over homemade sopes and my family loved it! The flavor profile was very lovely and there was just a bit of heat to make it appeal to everyone in my family.
Brandi Schilhab says
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Stephanie! Thank you so much for taking the time to share this with us!
Emily Kelly says
We really enjoyed this! It was super easy to throw together and let it simmer. My husband thought it smelled and tasted delicious!!
Brandi Schilhab says
That’s awesome, Emily! We’re so glad you both enjoyed it!
Aileen says
Made this in the IP and it came out delicious! The recipe is more liquid-y due to IP so will add less liquid/cook down next time, but love the depth of flavor and was different from the other typical Mexican recipes I’ve seen. We’ll be saving this as a regular!
Brandi Schilhab says
Thank you for the feedback, Aileen! We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
Stephanie Rosch says
Thanks for the awesome dinner, now we can eat like kings all week 🙂
Brandi Schilhab says
We’re so glad you enjoyed this one, Stephanie!! It’s one of my very favorite recipes!
Joanna says
This was SO delicious! I made it in the slow cooker like the notes said (browned and sautéed veggies first) and, wow, the meat is so tender & flavorful. I served it with tortillas, guacamole, refried black beans, cabbage, cilantro and queso fresco. This will definitely be added into our regular rotation!
Brandi Schilhab says
Wahooo! We’re so glad to hear that, Joanna! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us!
Jeanne G. says
This meal was sooo delicious. I used my instant pot with the crock pot function only to be disappointed after 6 hours that the meat wasn’t fall apart tender. I then pressure cooked for 35 minutes and it was perfect. The flavor was amazing. This will definitely be added into our favorites list.
Brandi Schilhab says
Thanks so much for the feedback, Jeanne! I’m glad it turned out great!
Gulzat Dalton says
I work as a personal chef for the families with food allergies. I’m always in the search of mouthwatering, satisfying but healthy recipes. This recipe is a bomb!!! To make it gluten-free (I omitted the flour), dairy-free (I used avocado oil), and the recipe is sugar-free. Stew meat is really economical too, but you have to cook it for 1.5 hour at least, it will melt in your mouth. For my clients I had several sides options: brown rice, baked potato (the best flavor combo), organic iceberg lettuce (use for low carb option). Cassy’s recipes will never disapoint!!! it’s definetly will saty in my winter collection. Thank you!
Brandi Schilhab says
That’s amazing, Gulzat! Thanks so much for sharing this with us!
Lindsey says
Holy moly is this a delicious meal! I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great! My cuban husband approved, my two semi-picky kids gobbled it up, and I got the leftovers for lunch the next day…. Win win WIN! This is going to be on our rotation of easy, yummy meals, for sure!
Brandi Schilhab says
Wahooo! So glad to hear that, Lindsey!
Leah says
I know she said you need to follow the recipe as written to have it turn out amazing, but don’t have to listen to her – you can listen to me!
I used canned tomatoes and a can of green chilis instead of Rotel (my local store didn’t have Rotel, and I had a can of chilis on hand for when I make the Fed and Fit white chicken chili). I also didn’t have the special chili powder, so I used cayenne pepper.
Amazing! SO yummy.
Brandi Schilhab says
We’re so glad you liked the recipe, Leah!
Liz says
Loved the recipe. Easy to make, I doubled it and have been enjoying it for several days. A new favorite.
Brandi Schilhab says
Wahoo! We’re so glad you loved this one, Liz!