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Carne Guisada (Tex-Mex Beef Stew)

Carne guisada is a slow-braised Tex-Mex beef stew with deeply tender chuck in a dark chile-spiced gravy. It’s cooked until thick and hearty, then ladled over warm flour tortillas for a classic Mexican-beef-stew experience.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Tex-Mex
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Beef stew base
  • 2 lb beef chuck cut into 1.5-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 onion large, diced
  • 1 green bell pepper diced
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 2 cup beef broth
  • 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 2 tsp cumin
  • 1 tsp chili powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp oregano
  • 0.25 salt to taste
  • 0.25 black pepper to taste
Serving
  • 6 flour tortillas warm for serving
  • 0.25 cup cilantro for garnish
  • 1 lime fresh, for serving

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Season and brown the beef
  1. Season beef cubes generously with salt, black pepper, cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder.
  2. Brown beef in batches in hot vegetable oil in a heavy Dutch oven over high heat, avoiding crowding, then remove and set aside.
Build the gravy and braise
  1. In the same Dutch oven, sauté diced onion and green bell pepper for 5 minutes.
  2. Add minced garlic and cook 1 more minute.
  3. Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir for 1 minute to coat.
  4. Add beef broth and diced tomatoes, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  5. Return the browned beef to the pot, add oregano, cover, and simmer on low for 1.5–2 hours until the beef is extremely tender and the gravy thickens.
Serve
  1. Ladle the carne guisada into serving bowls and serve with warm flour tortillas, cilantro, and fresh lime.

Notes

Pro tip: brown the beef in batches so it develops color, which deepens the dark, rich gravy. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 4 days; the flavors thicken overnight. Freezing is yes—freeze up to 3 months and reheat gently with a splash of broth. For a lighter swap, use a reduced-fat beef broth and trim excess fat from the chuck before cooking (texture will still be tender).