Get the App

Recipes

Find a Recipe Blue Ribbon Recipes Pinch It!™ Feed Browse All Recipes

Editorial

Food Bites & Articles Videos What is a Blue Ribbon? Meet the Test Kitchen

Community

Member Recipes Groups Sweepstakes Contests Shopping

carne guisada

(81 ratings)
Emma69 avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Emma Menchaca
@Emma69
San Juan, TX

This carne guisada is the same recipe my mother and grandmother used. Very simple and DELICIOUS!!!

Blue Ribbon Recipe

Muy Bueno! Seasoned perfectly, this Carne guisada is very, very good. The combination of fresh vegetables and cumin is fabulous. Once cooked, the meat is tender with a sauce that gets thickened at the end. This stew is simple to prepare but does take time to cook down. Don't rush it... The key to this recipe is low and slow. Serve with Emma's Mexican Rice recipe for a comforting Mexican meal.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(81 ratings)
yield 7 -10
prep time 20 Min
cook time 3 Hr
method Stove Top

Ingredients For carne guisada

  • 1
    green bell pepper
  • 1 md
    onion
  • 3 clove
    garlic (large)
  • 2 lg
    tomatoes
  • 3 lb
    boneless beef shoulder roast (or stew meat)
  • 2 tsp
    ground cumin
  • 1 Tbsp
    (heaping) lard (vegetable oil or olive oil can be substituted but will not give it the same flavor)
  • 1 Tbsp
    salt
  • 1 tsp
    ground pepper
  • 1/2 c
    water
  • 1 Tbsp
    all-purpose flour

How To Make carne guisada

Test Kitchen Tips
Make sure to occasionally stir while this is simmering and check if more water is needed. After about 2 hours, we added 1/2 cup of water.
  • Tomato and meat in a pan.
    1
    In a large stovetop pan, add lard (or oil) and turn heat to medium.
  • Bell peppers added to meat and tomatoes.
    2
    Cut up shoulder roast to 1-inch cubes and add to pan. Roughly chop the tomato and add on top of meat.
  • Chopped onion added to pan with meat, tomatoes, and peppers.
    3
    Remove seeds from bell pepper. Rough chop and add to the top of ingredients.
  • Garlic and spices added to pan with meat, onion, peppers, and tomatoes.
    4
    Rough slice onion and add to the pan.
  • Lid placed on top of the pan.
    5
    Chop garlic cloves small and thin and add to the top of the pan.
  • Flour mixture stirred into pan with cooked down meat.
    6
    Add cumin, salt, and pepper.
  • Stirring all the ingredients together.
    7
    Now stir all ingredients together. At this time the aromas should be AMAZING!
  • Covering the meat to simmer.
    8
    Place lid on top and cook on LOW for 3 hours. Stir occasionally.
  • Adding slurry to the pan.
    9
    30 minutes before carne guisada is ready, add flour to the 1/2 cup water. Stir flour mixture into the pot.
  • Vegetables cooked down.
    10
    Now you will notice that the vegetables have cooked down to practically nothing. They have converted to pure flavor!
  • Carne guisada continuing to simmer.
    11
    Let simmer on low for the next 20-30 minutes. This recipe is so amazingly simple. No fancy ingredients. If this is not the best carne guisada recipe you have ever tried please let me know! Please feel free to add your special touches if you wish but this recipe has not changed for 100 years. It will bring your family together and is so Mexican and traditional.
  • A serving of Carne guisada in a bowl.
    12
    The final product sits with traditional Mexican rice and homemade flour tortillas. I hope you enjoy it as long as my family has enjoyed it. Love to cook and cook with love!
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
ADVERTISEMENT