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carne guisada - slow cooker (mexican beef stew)

(5 ratings)
Northwestgal avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Vickie Parks
@Northwestgal
Renton, WA

I love the Carne Guisada served at my favorite Mexican restaurant. I began looking for a recipe I could make it at home. Most we tried were good but lacked something. So I made my own, taking the best parts of the 3 recipes we most liked. We prefer flour tortillas but most recipes use corn tortillas. Most had green bell peppers while I prefer red (for splash of color). All the other recipes use canned tomatoes and I prefer fresh tomatoes. And none included toppings. But green onions and cilantro are included in this dish at my local Mexican restaurant, which adds so much flavor to the dish.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

This recipe is so easy! Typically this Mexican stew is labor intensive and requires babysitting. Not this recipe, the slow cooker does all the hard work. Filled with robust flavors and fresh vegetables, this will definitely warm ya up on a cold night.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(5 ratings)
yield 8 to 10
prep time 15 Min
cook time 8 Hr
method Slow Cooker Crock Pot

Ingredients For carne guisada - slow cooker (mexican beef stew)

  • 2 to 2 1/2 lb
    beef stew meat (or beef chuck roast or beef bottom roast, cut into 1-inch pieces)
  • 4 tsp
    vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp
    salt taste
  • 1 tsp
    black pepper
  • 1 lg
    white onion, peeled and cut into chunks
  • 1 lg
    bell pepper, deseeded and chopped (any color - green, orange, yellow or red)
  • 1 or 2 lg
    fresh jalapeño peppers, deseeded and diced
  • 5 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    ground cumin
  • 3/4 tsp
    chili powder (or to taste - using sparingly, as it increases in heat over time)
  • 3/4 tsp
    dried oregano (use mexican oregano, if you can find it)
  • 4 Tbsp
    all-purpose flour
  • 1 3/4 c
    low-sodium chicken broth
  • 2 lg
    tomatoes, diced
  • 2
    bay leaves
  • FOR SERVING (OPTIONAL SIDES AND GARNISHES)
  • 1 pkg
    tortillas (corn or flour, your choice)
  • 1 c
    crumbled queso cotija (or other mexican cheese)
  • 1/2 c
    chopped cilantro
  • 3 stalk
    green onion (scallions), sliced

How To Make carne guisada - slow cooker (mexican beef stew)

  • 1
    In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over high heat. Add half of the meat in a single layer, season with salt and pepper, and sear on one side (about 5 minutes).
  • 2
    Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker along with remaining un-seared meat.
  • 3
    In same skillet, add 2 more teaspoons oil, onion, bell pepper, jalapeño, and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes.
  • 4
    Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, and flour; cook 1 minute continuously stirring.
  • 5
    Slowly pour broth into skillet, stirring until liquid is smooth, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan. Simmer 2 minutes.
  • 6
    Transfer mixture to slow cooker, along with tomatoes and bay leaves. Taste, and add more salt and pepper, if desired.
  • 7
    Cover and cook on Low heat setting for 8 to 10 hours. Alternatively, this can be prepared on a stovetop in a Dutch oven simmering over low heat for 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Or it can be baked in an oven at 325°F for 3 to 4 hours.
  • 8
    Served the stew immediately, with a few corn tortillas for dipping or rolling in. Garnish servings (as desired) with crumbled queso cotija, chopped cilantro, or chopped green onions, if desired.
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