A Mexican beef stew smothered in a semi-spicy gravy. Simple to make, but tastes wonderful. Serve with mashed potatoes, rice, and/or homemade tortillas. Cooking time may be cut, but the meat will be less tender.
This recipe has been a family staple for us for many years now. We love it! This Carne Guisada is fabulous and I'm making it tomorrow night for dinner and even my 7 year old loves it.
Read MoreThis recipe has been a family staple for us for many years now. We love it! This Carne Guisada is fabulous and I'm making it tomorrow night for dinner and even my 7 year old loves it.
I grew up in San Antonio and got hooked on Taco Cabana.. I fell in love with Carne Guisada soft taco's. I eat them once a year when I go visit, TILL NOW..this recipe ROCKS, I followed the directions to the letter (minus hot peppers) I used crock pot and cooked and simmered for 11 hours. I have never tasted any thing so good in my life that compared to real mexican food. THANKS SO MUCH..... now if can just get those Fajita's to taste the same as there's, I will be in good shape :)
I made this recipe with minor modifications - I used 6 seeded jalapenos, and added 2 small diced potatoes for thickening instead of using the cornstarch. Also I prepared it in a pressure cooker (in less than an hour cookin time, the meat was falling-apart tender!). I thought it was quite tasty and will make it again. Next time, I will use only 1/2 the tomato paste (1/4 can), or possibly susbtitute tomato sauce instead. I thought that he amount of tomato paste listed added a strong tangy tomato taste that I would have liked to taste LESS. With that simple change, I think this recipe would warrant 5 PLUS stars. New info! I also tried dredging the meat in flour before browning and omitting cornstarch (and potato) and it thickened quite nicely. Hope this helps someone!
I live in Texas and most of us know a good carne guisada when they see one. This is it! Wow- so delicious. I dredged my meat in seasoned flour, then browned in oil with chopped onions. I added the rest of the ingredients in the crock pot and cooked all day. Absolutely divine. Slice some fresh avocados and chopped tomatoes for a fresh accompaniment on your tacos. I also made it with corn/poblano white rice and with the richness of the gravy you really need a bland or mild rice to go along with it. If I could give this ten stars I would :).
I also made this in the crockpot - the meat was fork tender after about 8 hours on Low. I added more garlic, and a tiny splash of lime juice. It didn't need thickening, so I omitted the cornstarch. I served this over plain white rice, topped with a blob of sour cream, and fresh snipped cilantro. Good stuff. Thanks, Kelly!
THIS WAS DELICIOSO. I USUALLY DON'T COOK MEXICAN MEALS FOR MY FAMILY, BUT I HAD SOME BEEF STEW MEAT AND DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT. DECIDED TO GIVE IT A TRY AND THEY LOVED IT. DO RECOMMEND TO OTHERS TO TRY IT OUT.
Wonderful recipe! Easy to adjust for those that dont like it to hot, or those that like it hotter.Easy to set up in a crock pot to cook all day, or over night. We love it!
Excellent and really a mexican dish! Good for tacos or any kind of dish with tortillas.
Very good recipe! I had searched for something different to use some stew meat I had in the freezer. This was great. I will use the slow cooker next time. My kids (9 & 15) loved it too. We didn't have ANY leftovers!
Being from south Texas I have been looking for this! Cooked meat in crockpot, took the meat out of the crockpot, then made the gravy with juices in crockpot, and returned the meat. Drained a lot of the fat off. Made lots of subs, but still tasted great! Used cilantro bullion, pace picante sauce instead of tomato, added about 2 teasp cumin, chili powder, and 1teasp of onion powder. Simmered gravy in crockpot on high for about 1 hour while meat rested. Then shredded meat and returned to gravy. Will definately make again. Thank you for making this easy.
not bad, but not great either. While I liked it ok, my husband did not at all. I was looking for a bit darker color, but it turned out bright red.. basically like condensed tomato paste.. most probably won't make it again
I was surprised how much we liked this. I'm not a big beef eater so I don't try too many new things with it but I'm so glad I tried this. I didn't simmer it nearly as long as stated but it was still tender and thickened up nicely.
This was just ok for us. I made exactly as the recipe stated with the addition of some onion. Both my husband and I thought it tasted like it lacked something in the flavor. Not exactly sure what it needs, but, I may experiment with some different seasonings.
So good. I made it more like a stew and added potatoes, red peppers and some garlic. Love the kick it has but it's not too much and the meat alone would be awesome in a sandwich or tortilla - definitely will make again. I only did 6.5 hours and the meat was wonderfully tender.
So many great reviews, but I was disappointed. It just didn't do it for me. I was debating whether or not to only give it one star, but I think I'll reserve that for completely inedible dishes.
I didn't have any tomato paste so I used a cup of spaghetti sauce and it was still yummy!
YUM! great basic recipe that is easily modifiable. i made it using the slow cooker. i also dredged in flour and browned before adding to the slow cooker. i also threw in a bunch of veggies (potatoes, bell pepper, onion, carrots) and used both canned tomatoes and tomato paste. instead of beef broth i decreased the water (in lieu of the canned tomatoes being high in water content) and added a beef boullion cube. i also used one serrano and one jalapeno for added flavor dimension. no cornstarch needed -- the flour and potatoes thickened the sauce beautifully.
I did not like this recipe at all. Much too much tomato for my taste. And though it's not the fault of the recipe, my meat was tough and dry, overall a thoroughly unpleasant culinary experience.
Great recipe with very little needed to change! Doubled the meat and the spices , tossed the meat with a bit of flour before browning but since I put it in the crockpot, kept the liquid (broth and water) about the same. Cooked for 8 hours on low in the crock pot and it was falling apart. Fantastic flavor but if you want a bit more heat, you might want to add a few chipotle's or cayenne as even with 2 serranos and 2 jalepenos, was pretty mild. Still SO worth making again! Served with tortillas, avocados and cheese. WONDERFUL flavor without a grill!!
This is now my favorite way to cook stewing beef. I doubled the recipe, and followed the recipe, except that I used one can of tomato paste and one can of crushed tomatoes. I also dredged the beef in flour and browned it before putting it in the slow cooker. It's also a good idea to use whole spices ground with a mortar and pestle when using the slow cooker, because the flavor of powdered seasonings gets lost after several hours of cooking. Thanks so much for this recipe.
This recipe is Delish! Texas Dave (reviewer below) I don't know what you did wrong when you cooked it, but this is like Taco Cabana but better. I live in Tx too, and eat at Taco Cabana a lot.....I use lean stew meat, and I don't drain the fat after cooking meat. I think the fat adds a lot to the taste, and helps the meat get tender. I did have to add water a lot!
Loved it! I served it over rice, but the boys thought next time mashed potatoes would be better.
This was pretty good and easy. I didn't need to cook it for the 8-12 hours stated in the recipe. Mine probably cooked 3 hours and was tender. I forgot to put the beef broth in- it was sitting on the counter and couldn't figure out why the liquid evaporated so fast and ended up adding 2 cups of water and the rest of the paste. I started without the lid on and after the liquid evaporated so quickly I put the lid on and simmered the rest of the time with the lid on. No need for the corn starch as mine thickened up without it. This was actually good without the water can not wait to see what it taste like next time with the broth. Thanks for sharing.
Absolutly yummy! I have never had to cook it the full 8 hrs, probably 3 at the most and every time turns out tasty and tender. The next day is even better! My partner and I love it!! Thanks!
This hit the spot. I doubled the recipe and served it over mashed potatoes. I didn't add any additional salt though, and I used jalepenos instead of serrano peppers. I added some sliced sweet onion and cooked everything in the crock pot for around 11 hours, so I skipped the oil and the browning. The leftover gravy I plan on using over hamburger and either egg noodles or more mashed potatoes tonight.
Delicious! I added a can of rotel and used jalepenos because I didn't have serranos. I also added some paprika to kick it up a notch.
Maaaaaaaaan! THIS WAS AWESOME. It is like Taco Cabana!! For those you who live in Texas and have eaten at the chain, or at least awesome resturant quality. I messed up though and bought tomato sauce (8oz) instead of paste so I put all the sauce in with the beef broth and omitted the extra water. The peppers are a must to bring out the subtle spiciness in the gravy. They don't taste hot when you eat them with the meat, the intensity mellows the longer it cooks. Remember to protect your hands when you cut Serrano peppers the oil can really aggitate your skin. THANK YOU FOR THIS GREAT RECIPE. I will make this often and for company.
This is a great recipe and really reminded me of home. This is a great crock pot recipe I simmered mine for 8-12 hrs in the crock pot and it was superb.. I have to say it makes me home sick. I had to use crushed red peppers instead of Serrano because of the poor selection of peppers here. But it was good over rice and my husband and I loved it.
This was waaay too easy, but good. Could have added another 1 or 2 serrano peppers.
WOW! I used 3 lb chuck roast and doubled the ingredients. I did quickly brown the roast first (about 3 mins on each side)before placing it in the crockpot on LOW. After 6 hours, I shredded meat and continued cooking for another 2 hours. The flavor is fabulous.
I have had this twice now and it has become a staple in my house!! I didn't bother browning the meat first, I just tossed it into the crock pot with all the other ingredients and let it cook on medium for 8hrs... it was fall apart tender... PERFECTION! I also threw in some sliced green bell pepper and yellow onion in the last hour of cooking. I served it over mashed potatoes and let me tell you.... it is AMAZING!!! Thank you for sharing this recipe! My family loves it and they are TOUGH critics!
I floured & seasoned & seared my meat before following the rest of the recipe. I only used 1 serrano pepper as I was not familiar with their heat & didn't want to make it too hot. I think personally I could've done the 2 peppers and my husband could have easily done 4-5 of the peppers--but they were the kind you get pickled in a jar, not fresh ones. What I thought was missing from this was jalapenos and green chiles. Apparently, it just isn't Mexican cuisine for me without the particular flavors of jalapenos and green chiles. So next time I will likely use 1 serrano, 1 jalapeno, and 1 of the teeny tiny cans of green chiles. The point is that I WILL make this again as it is so easy and tasty. I mixed half a cup of cooked brown rice into mine and served it with queso ranchero crumbles on tortillas and a side salad. Thanks so much for the GREAT way to use stew beef that isn't a stew!
This was a great base recipe. I tried this with a small pork tenderloin and cooked it for 11 hours in a slow cooker. I added a tsp of cayenne and chopped onions to the mix. Shredded the meat, stuffed in tortillas and topped with enchilada sauce and cheddar cheese. This made awesome enchiladas. Thanks for the recipe!
This was so good. Poured over rice, used heated leftovers in flour tortillas the next day, with green onions, sour cream with cheese. Yummy!!
Killer Killer Killer Stuff! I don't get lower ratings - I thought (change that to *we*) this stuff just rocked. Made exctly as directed with exception of scaling back a bit on tomato paste by about a heaping tablespoon or so and didn't need to use cornstarch to thicken. We served with refried beans, lotsa cheese, a small green salad, and fresh corn tortillas to scoop it up with. Yum! Oh -one more side note: I didn't use crockpot - just seared beef, then pretty much braised on stovetop for 3 or 4 hours.
We liked this a lot. I made this in the slow cooker and we had it over mashed potatoes. It definitely had a stew-like consistency and had some heat to it from the peppers (but not too much heat!). Next time I may add some vegetables to it, like carrots.
My husband is hispanic, and loved this dish. He even asked where i got the recipe. He said it just like when he was growing up. Next time I will add more peppers for our own taste. But, I wouldn't change anything else. Excellent recipe, will be making it more often.
This was ok. Kids wouldn't touch it. Husband ate it but didn't comment.-He always says something when he really likes the food. It reminds me of a similar recipe called Charley's slowcooker Mexican style meat from this website.--Charley's meat is VERY VERY good. This recipe wasn't bad but I don't think I'll make it again.
This recipe was wonderful...I had to make a few minor adjustments to "make it my own", such as reducing the amount of hot peppers and tomatoes, since my family does not care for so much heat. I used the left overs to make "tortas", which is a Mexican sandwich made with French Bread, or bolillos if available. Carne Guisada tastes better the second day, when the flavors have mellowed. Try the tortas, I really recommend them.
This is an excellent and delicious recipe! I omit the cornstarch and brown the meat, add flour to thicken. I usually use what I have on hand. Today I'm trying it with fresh tomatos and jalapenos instead of serrano peppers.
This was a very tasty recipe with a few minor changes. I used canned chile peppers instead of the serrano chile peppers the recipe called for. I also added about 2 tsp of flour to thicken up the gravy a bit. The last change I made was to cook it in the crock pot. The meat was very tender, and the sauce was flavorful.
Perfectly seasoned and a more authentic Mexican dish could not be made. It sent me flashing back to my Nina's kitchen. Thank you for submitting such a wonderful dish.
Very good. I followed the directions exactly, cooked it in a slow cooker and threw in 1C of water and 3/4C of orzo for the last 30mins. Hearty and yummy. May look at adding vegis or something else to this next time, but good as-is...
This was really very good--maybe not quite as good as the time it took to prepare it indicated, but it's not as if I had to mess with it very much, just wait for it to cook a long time.
I doubled this and used a chuck roast. I cooked this stovetop and it was done in under 5 hours, in fact the meat was starting to fall apart to the point of becoming shredded. I used chopped jalapeno and then added an extra tsp of chili powder and a half tsp of ancho chile powder too since I didn't use the hotter serrano pepepers. Mine had thickened so nicely I didn't even use the corn starch. I just simmered it with the lid off the last 40 minutes or so and the liquid reduced. My husband liked this so well he asked me to make up some breakfast tacos with the rest of the tortillas and the carne guisada for him to take to work for the rest of the week. This was very good. Thanks, we'll have this again!
I think I really messed up on this one. Made it in the slow cooker, but instead of Serrano chiles, I used a whole can of chipotles in adobo sauce. The meat. was super-tender, but it was so spicy we had to drown it in sour cream and smother it with cheese. The flavor was good, once you got around the spiciness of chipotle overkill. Not Bao's fault; my fault. Served with the Sweet Corn Tomalito on this site. Would make again, with major retooling.
Very good and easy. Throw it all in a crock and it's done. Add a flour/water paste instead of corn starch was the only change I made. Thanks for the recipe!
DELICIOUS!! I threw mine in the slow cooker after browning the beef on the stovetop. I also added a can of mexican-style stewed tomatoes, a can of Ro-Tel diced tomatoes w/ green chiles and lime juice, about 1/4 of an onion, and some dry cilantro. Wonderful spicing and not hot at all. Even my 2-year-old wanted seconds! Definitely a keeper! Can't wait to try it on fry bread...
LOVED this recipe. The meat was soo tender. I made it for a work lunch and everyone raved on and on.Thanks for sharing.
Really tasty. I even tweaked it a bit. Becasue we like everything hotter/spicier..I added 5 peppers. I used 2lbs of stew meat and the whole can of tomato paste and a can and a half of broth. Cooked in crockpot for 8 hrs after browning stew meat. It was really tasty. But I would stick w/ the 1 lb recipe...doubling it made too much.
Very good. I did coat the meat with flour, season with salt, pepper, and garlic, and brown in a bit of olive oil prior to adding to the Crock Pot. Cooked all day (about 8 hrs.) and was incredibly tender and flavorful. Served over rice.
Very good & different way to use cubed beef. Fairly spicy, but, that was okay. Served over rice or potatoes. I liked the potatoes better. Served corn on the side.
I don't have a crock-pot and just used the stove turned to low. Mine was done after about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. There is no need to cook this on the stove for 8 to 12 hours. Served buritto still with rice, beans, sour cream, cheese, and tomatoes. It was delicious and so easy. Will make again.
I made this for my entire family and they all loved it. I didn't have a lot of time so I only simmered the meat for three hours but it was still very tender. I added stewed tomatoes and potatoes to my stew. It was very very good.
Absolutely delicious! I browned some onions and mushrooms and added them in, served the stew over rice, and we all loved it. Will be making this again!! Thanks.
So good! Never knew I could make such good Mexican food. I did add onion. It was quite tender and flavorful with 3 hours cook time.
I wasn't really impressed with this. I expected it to have a mexican flavor, but it tasted a lot like chili to me... Maybe cause I'm from Tx? I doubt I'll make it again..
I can't believe it. I finally found the right recipe. Our local Mexican restaurant closed and this was my favorite dish there. Ever since, I have been trying to find out how to make this wonderful dish. I don't have to look any more. I will be making this time and again. I Love it. Thank you so much for sharing. The only change I had to make is that our local store doesn't carry serrano peppers so I (Had) to substute bell peppers for that. Other than that I kept to the recipe and like I said wonderful. If you're looking for a great mexican dish don't look any further this is it.
wow, this stew is really, really good. my husband and i loved it, but the kids wouldn't even try it. i used canned chilis and cooked in the crock pot.
Cooked mine in the crockpot and used canned green chiles as that was what I had on hand. I wasn't crazy about it after tasting it, so I ended up shredding the meat and filling tortillas with it, a little of the sauce and a little shredded mexican cheese. Rolled them and put them in a baking dish and covered with taco sauce and a little more shredded cheese. My kids loved them, but I still thought the filling was a little bland. I'm sure it's probably because I didn't use the right kind of peppers. My kids definitely asked that I make it again though.
This is pretty darn good! I had jalepeno on hand so I used them instead of serrano. I added cubed potato during the last 20 minutes of cooking and the family ate it up! It came out more like a mexican stew. Very tasty.
Love it! Great in tortillas and over brown rice - I will definitely make it again!
Easy to make, just need to keep an eye on it and top it off with water from time to time. I used only 3 tbsp of tomato paste. Didn't need to add the cornstarch and I shredded the beef. Made a great filling for soft tacos. Will be making this again and will probably double the recipe the next time.
This recipe was delicious. It was easy to prepare and ready when I got home from work. Delicious!!!
This is a good recipe. I was born and raised in San Antonio, and this is right up there with the best. I used less tomato paste, and left out the peppers. The key is the long cooking time, to get the meat tender..nothing worse than tough Carne Guisada! Also glad to see someone besides me using cornstarch vs. Flour! Highly recommend you give it a try.
Excellent! The only changes I made were to saute an onion with the rest of the ingredients and to put the pot in a 325F oven after the ingredients were browned and came to a boil on the stovetop. I cooked it covered for most of the day and my gravy was perfect, didn't need thickening at all. I cut my meat into chunks that were a bit too large, the meat was dry where there wasn't sauce (but that's the meat not the recipe!).
Excellent dish. Great hearty fall/winter recipe! I served the meat with "Best Spanish Rice" recipe from this site, refried beans and corn tortillas. As one dinner guest put it, "My tummy is screaming with delight!"
I used this for filling of burritos with the Frijoles recipe from this site. Even the kids ate them.
Loved this recipe! Made my house smell amazing. I cooked it in my dutch oven at 300° for about 4 hours. Perfectly tender and delicious. The only thing I did differently was to add onions after browning the beef. Lots of leftovers for the freezer.
Easy and great tasting. My husband likes it super hot but you can adjust it to your taste.
Very, very easy. I doubled this and after sauteing and combining all the ingredients, I just plopped the mixture in my second crockpot and cooked it on low until dinner. No peppers, but I did have a can of chilis, which I threw in. No harm, no foul. We all enjoyed this. I think I might use a more tender beef in this next time and cook it on the stovetop, as cooking it in the crockpot made my tough meat tender but watered down the flavor. I'll make this again.
Delicious! I seared the meat on the stovetop to add some flavor to the end product. Then i put everything in a slow cooker and let it cook all day. The meat basically shredded itself and was awesome!. I did not any water to the recipe and there was also no need (for me) to thicken in the end. Without the water and a long enough cooking time....it thickens very nicely on its own. Served it with fresh cilantro and a sqeeze of lime juice over mexican rice. Try it!
Excellent! I think I might add bell pepper next time. I allowed it to cook just over 8 hours, great flavor!
My whole family loves this recipe as does everyone I've ever made it for. I've made it on the stove and all day in the crock pot - either way is great. We always serve it with a big batch of homemade beans and rice plus warm tortillas. Thanks so much for sharing this fabulous recipe that's become a family favorite!
I lived in Victoria, Texas for a bit, and this is a warm reminder of the food I miss. Great and easy Texas themed food! This was great with rice. My girlfriend stole the left overs, and brought back empty containers from work... I omitted the cumin(I didn't have any-I do now), and browned the meat after flouring in corn starch in a skillet. Pour this over shredded cheese and rice. Awesome comfort food when it gets cold in Chicago!
I wish that I could give this recipe a 4 and 1/2 because it was very good. The taste was extremely close to the carne guisada that my uncle's mom from mexico makes. I did substitute some stuff for what I have on hand; I used pork instead of beef and threw in a bell pepper cause thats all I had. I also put it in a crock pot on high for about 6 hrs and the meat just falls apart. It is great shredded in a taco or served over rice with a bit of the gravy. I also didn't need to add any cornstarch because the gravy was thick enough w/out it.
Good but not great. Felt like it needed a punch of flavor. Never had carne guisada so don't know if it is authentic tasting. It was easy so I might try it again with some modifications. I served it as a tortilla filling. Cooked it in the crockpot after browning on stove.
Very good. I did substitute garlic powder for the fresh garlic and red pepper flakes for the chilies.
Very tasty and tender..... I will look this again for sure. My husband loves the Taco Cabana version so hopefully he will enjoy this too ... I served with homemade tortillas and will try the rest with mash potatoes
Fantastic. I dredged the meat and browned. In my crockpot I stirred together the seasonings with the beef broth. I used a small can of tomato sauce and omitted the paste and the water. I don't like to waste a partial can of something that I don't use that often. Since I live in a rural mountain town, and did not have any fresh peppers I added a small can of diced green chilis and about 3 tablespoons of sliced jalapenos. I cooked the stew on low for 6.5 hours and then removed crock pot lid and cooked another hour. We ate it over white basmati rice and topped it with cheddar cheese, sour cream and lettuce. My husband and I loved the meal. Thank for a GREAT recipe to work with.
I put mine i the slow cooker and added extra spices and chiles! And it was great. I like spicy foods, but it was still good before i added the extras
The meat was extremely tender but I thought it was kind of bland. I added a lot of adobo to it to give it a little flavor. It tasted great with the rice so I'll definitely make it again and add more spices!!
I liked it, but didn't care too much for the tomato paste, I think next time I will leave that out.
Thank you for submitting this recipe.....it was fantastic!!!
this is really good. can adjust the heat based on you preferences. thanks for sharing!
