Carne Guisada¶

Slow-simmered beef in a rich, savory gravy — pure comfort food full of deep flavor and tradition. Serve with warm tortillas for that unforgettable, soul-satisfying bite.

Details¶


Cuisine	Mexican / Tex-Mex
Servings	6–8
Prep Time	15 minutes
Cook Time	1.5–2 hours
Total Time	1.75–2.25 hours

Ingredients¶

Ingredient	Imperial	Metric
Beef stew meat, cut into chunks	3 lb	1.4 kg
Ground cumin	2 tsp	4 g
Black pepper	1/2 tsp	1 g
Tomato sauce (or 1 diced fresh tomato)	3 tbsp	45 ml
Garlic cloves, minced	3	3
Salt	2 tsp	12 g
All-purpose flour	2 tbsp	16 g
Chicken broth or water	1 cup	240 ml
Oil or lard	1 tbsp	15 ml
Yellow onion, diced	1	1
Small green bell pepper, diced (optional)	1	1

Instructions¶

Brown the Meat¶

Heat the oil or lard in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the beef chunks, diced onion, and bell pepper if using. Cook until the meat develops a deep brown crust and the vegetables soften.

Build the Flavor¶

Stir in the garlic, tomato sauce (or fresh tomato), cumin, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 2–3 minutes until everything smells rich and fragrant.

Thicken the Gravy¶

Sprinkle the flour over the meat and stir well to coat evenly. This helps create a thick, silky gravy.

Simmer Low and Slow¶

Slowly pour in the broth while stirring to avoid lumps. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to low.
Cover and simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beef is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened. Stir occasionally.

Serve¶

Serve with warm flour tortillas.

Notes¶

For a thicker gravy, simmer uncovered for the last 20–30 minutes.
Leftovers reheat well and taste even better the next day.