Carne Guisada Recipe
If you have a craving for Mexican food, but you are looking for something a little more outside the box than your standard recipe, look no further than this wonderful carne guisada. You may have heard of carne asada, which is pretty similar and slightly more popular, but this dish is basically like it's cousin, and we'll touch on that more in just a moment. Carne guisada is packed with wonderful flavors and has little chunks of peppers, onions, and potatoes — giving it an even more wonderful taste.
Recipe developer Kate Shungu created this tasty recipe, and trust us when we tell you that it's one of our new favorites. "I love how this transforms beef stew meat into a tender, flavorful main dish. And the flour thickens the sauce as it cooks, so it's ready to serve as soon as you lift the lid," Shungu shares. And how does it differ from carne asada? "Carne asada is a marinated and grilled skirt steak, whereas the meat for carne guisada is braised in chicken stock," Shungu explains. It all makes sense now, right? Keep scrolling to find out how to whip up this tasty dish, it is sure to be a family favorite.
Gather the ingredients for carne guisada
Are you ready to get started? If so, follow along. The first thing you will need to do is head to the grocery store and gather all of the necessary items to whip up this yummy dish. As a reminder, it's always a good idea to check the pantry before you begin, just in case you have some of the ingredients at home.
Start with vegetable oil and some beef stew meat. You will also need a few russet potatoes and all-purpose flour. Next, pop by the produce section, and grab a yellow onion and green pepper. The recipe also calls for several spices including cumin, oregano, chili powder, and salt. In addition, you will need low-sodium chicken stock and a few items for serving, like tortillas and pico de gallo. Once you have your ingredients together, it's time to get started!
Cut the beef
Now, onto the actual prep and cooking. First, grab the beef, and cut it into ½-inch cubes. Then, take out the potatoes. (As a reminder, you should have peeled these ahead of time.) Like the beef, you'll want to cut the potatoes into ½-inch cubes. Luckily, Shungu shares a tip for making cutting easier. "To make it easier to cut the meat, place it in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes, and then grab your sharpest knife," she says. "It's easiest to cut the meat when it's extra cold." You learn something new every day, right? You'll then set the beef and potatoes aside, as you will need them in a minute.
Heat the oil, and cook the beef
Now that you have completed the chopping part, it's time to move on to the cooking part. Take out a large stockpot, and place it on your stove. Turn the heat up to medium, and then add the beef in a single layer. Cook the meat until it's brown on the bottom. It should only take about two to three minutes for it to be browned all over.
Depending on the size of the pot, you may need to cook the beef in batches. Just remember not to overcrowd the pan so it cooks properly.
Cook the veggies
Once you have finished cooking the meat, remove it from the pan, but leave any drippings. This will provide some wonderful additional flavor to the veggies that you will put in shortly. Set the beef to the side, and then throw in the yellow onion, followed by the green pepper. (Remember that you should have chopped both the onion and the pepper ahead of time, making it super simple to just have to toss it in now.)
Continue cooking the veggies until the onion turns translucent. This shouldn't take more than four to five minutes.
Add the beef and spices
Once the onion turns translucent, add the beef back to the pot. At this time, you can also throw in the flour and all of your spices. This includes cumin, oregano, chili powder, and salt. Stir everything well to combine.
Next, pour the chicken stock on top, and add the potatoes. Yep, that's all of your ingredients now. Turn the heat up, and bring the liquid to a boil. Then, reduce the heat to low. Cover, and cook the mixture for about one and a half hours, or until the beef turns tender.
Serve, and enjoy
Once your timer goes off, take the meat off the heat, and serve on a platter or on plates. This dish is great with a little bit of pico de gallo. "You can either serve it with tortillas or with rice," Shungu shares. We also think that it would be great in a burrito bowl.
If you have anything left over, don't worry about a thing. "Leftovers can be kept in the refrigerator for three to four days," Shungu shares. "I like using leftovers for quesadillas!" We hope you enjoy making and serving this recipe — it's definitely a keeper.
- 2 to 2 ½ pounds beef stew meat, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 2 small russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- tortillas, for serving
- pico de gallo, for serving
- Cut the beef into ½-inch cubes.
- Cut the peeled potatoes into ½-inch cubes.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large stockpot over medium heat.
- Add the beef in a single layer, and cook until browned on the bottom, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir, and cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes until browned all over. (You may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of the pot.)
- Remove the beef, but leave any drippings.
- Add the yellow onion and green pepper. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the beef back to the pot, along with the flour, cumin, oregano, chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the chicken stock, and add the potatoes.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover, and cook for 1 ½ hours, or until the beef is tender.
- Serve with tortillas, topped with pico de gallo.
| Calories per Serving | 499 |
| Total Fat | 16.9 g |
| Saturated Fat | 5.6 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.7 g |
| Cholesterol | 160.7 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 27.9 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2.6 g |
| Total Sugars | 2.8 g |
| Sodium | 1,126.8 mg |
| Protein | 61.0 g |
