Home > Seasonal Recipes > Autumn Recipes
106 Comments
Jump to Recipe
Carne Guisada = Mexican Beef Stew
Most of us have heard of carne asada (translation: grilled meat), but how many have heard of carne guisada? If you haven’t tried the latter, you’ve been missing out. Carne guisada is an absolutely delicious traditional Mexican beef stew. Guisada means “stewed meat in gravy,” and that’s exactly what this dish is. There are different ways to make the gravy – you can add bell peppers or potatoes to the dish. Personally, I prefer to keep it simple – tender meat and flavorful gravy. If you like beef stew and like Latin flavor, you will most definitely like this recipe for carne guisada.
“Awesome! Delicious! Easy! I doubled the recipe and froze the leftovers. I am making this again on Monday. Thanks for posting Ashley.”
Donnie
Why use an Instant Pot?
Carne guisada is typically a slow-simmered stew that can take hours to make, but I’ve been able to recreate the dish using my new pressure cooker, Instant Pot.
Those of you who have been following my blog for a while know that I had been coveting this pressure cooker for nearly a year before I bought it. It went on sale over the holidays (I bought it for about $115 – it’s only $134 right now!), and I’ve been using it several times a week ever since. It’s one of the best kitchen investments I’ve made – it can do so many things.
You can definitely make this dish in a stovetop pressure cooker or a slow cooker, but you’ll have to adjust the cooking method. For the slow cooker, cook until the meat is tender (estimate: ~6 hours).
How to Thicken the Stew:
Once the Instant Pot has finished cooking your meal, you’ll see that the stew is a bit thin. You’ll want to ladle out the liquid into a bowl and whisk a tablespoon of potato starch into the stew. I’m sure potato flour will work too. Different thickeners require different steps, so make sure to use them correctly. For example, if you use arrowroot or tapioca flour, you’ll want to mix it well with cold water and then pour that into the stew. Regardless, once it’s well mixed, pour the thick slurry back into the Instant Pot and mix well to thicken the whole stew.
We enjoy eating carne guisada with these Paleo Tortillas or corn tortillas, served with avocado slices and fresh salsa. I think the carne guisada tacos are my favorite… way better than the carne asada fajita-type meat you’re probably used to eating at Mexican restaurants. If you like spicy food, serve the carne guisada with thin slices of Serrano pepper on top!
Instant Pot Carne Guisada
Instant Pot Carne Guisada
4.99 from 57 reviews
Pin Recipe Print Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or fat of choice
- 1 pound beef stew meat
- 1 onion diced
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 Serrano pepper minced
- 1 bay leaf
Spices
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ teaspoon chipotle powder
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 cup beef broth or chicken stock
- ½ cup tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon potato starch or thickener of choice optional
Instructions
Press the sauté button on the Instant Pot, add the oil and beef cubes to the pot. Sear the meat on all sides.
Once the meat has browned , add the onion, garlic, serrano pepper, bay leaf and spices. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
Pour in the beef broth and tomato sauce.
Secure the lid, close the valve and cook for 35 minutes at high pressure.
Naturally release pressure.
Optional step: to thicken the sauce, either press sauté to reduce the liquid or ladle out some liquid into a bowl and combine it with thickener of choice. Mix well and then add the thick slurry back into the pot, and stir-well.
Serve over cauli-rice, or in a tortilla!
Notes
- To make in a slow cooker: Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours.
Did you make this recipe?Tag @myheartbeets on Instagram and hashtag it #myheartbeets!
Pin This Recipe
Like this recipe? Pin it to your favorite Pinterest board now so you will remember to make it later!
Looking for more Instant Pot Recipes? Try these:
Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
Instant Pot Taco Meat
Instant Pot Saag
Instant Pot Habanero Chili
Instant Pot Dal Makhani
Goat Curry in a Hurry
Instant Pot Texas Beef Chili
Instant Pot Ground Lamb Curry
Instant Pot Butter Chicken
Related Recipes
Instant Pot Tindora Stir-Fry
Instant Pot Vermicelli Kheer
Shrimp Roast (Chemmeen Roast)
Cookbooks
Find out more about my cookbooks Indian Food Under Pressure and South Asian Persuasion.
See My Cookbooks
About Ashley
Hi, I’m Ashley. Thanks for being here! I truly believe that food brings us closer together. Gather around a table with good food and good people, and you’ll have the ingredients you need to create some happy memories. My hope is that you find recipes here that you can’t wait to share with family and friends.
Meet Ashley
Subscribe
Reader Interactions
Leave a Comment & Rating
Comments
Aunt D says
I am from Texas and know good carne guisada. This is recipe is fantastic! I have only had better carne guisada maybe a couple of times and they were both at little hole in the wall Tex-Mex restaurants that were to die for. My whole family loves this recipe. Sometimes we add chunks of potatoes to it. Helps the meat go further.Reply
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Wow, thank you! That’s awesome to hear, glad you and your family love this recipe!
Reply
Laura says
I made this today and it was FANTASTIC! It was super easy to make. The beef came out super tender. The only thing I changed was I used bell pepper for the serrano. I only did that because all I had was a bell pepper. It tastes like a local restaurants and that makes me so happy! Gonna save some money and have a delicious meal.Reply
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Laura, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Reply
Liz P says
I LOVE this recipe and it has become a staple in our home. I’ve never used the Serrano pepper because I always forget to buy one at the store. I use olive oil as my base fat and add corn starch to thicken it up.Reply
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Liz, that’s great to hear! Glad you like it 🙂
Reply
Y. C. says
I made this last night and YUM. The only thing I changed was adding potatoes and a splash of red wine, and I subbed a regular bell pepper because I didn’t have a serrano, and it was delicious! The meat was perfectly tender and the flavors were great. Making this again!Reply
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out for you 🙂
Reply
Liz says
I LOVE this recipe so much. It has become a staple in our house. It comes out good EVERY-TIME. I’ve never used the Serrano, only because I never have one on hand and forget to buy one for this recipe.Reply
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
I’m so happy to hear that! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this 🙂
Reply
J. B. says
As we looked for staple food styles, during the pandemic, this was a life saver. A proper carne guisada, for a Texan, that lives “too far away, from central Texas, for a certain fast food joint to offer Carne Guisada.
We passed through the San Antonio/Austin area, a few weeks ago, and my son was “unimpressed” with the local alternatives, that used to be my standard.
I seem to prefer the results in s slow cooker, vs the results in an Instant Pot, and adjust for a 2.5-3lb per batch.
My son prefers it over cornbread, while I prefer it as taco filling, but is has become a regular recipe at our house.
Reply
J. B. says
(Forgot to leave stars)Reply
Bill Cheek says
I have made this recipe 3 or 4 times (it is a Sunday ritual for me). I live in San Antonio, Texas and Carne Guisada is ubiquitous, and fairly pricey.
I scaled up the recipe to use 2-3 lbs of stew meat, since I make breakfast tacos every morning, and need the supply to last from Sunday to Sunday. I did tweak the recipe a little.
I generously coat the beef in flour before browning, to aid in thickening the gravy. I also use less broth — just enough to barely cover the mixture. And I cook the meal for an hour in the pressure cooker, and allow a natural release.
I am very happy that I found this recipe. ThanksReply
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Bill, that’s so great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you like this recipe!
Reply
Donnie Staggs says
Awesome! Delicious! Easy! I doubled the recipe and froze the leftovers. I am making this again on Monday.
Thanks for posting Ashley.Reply
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Thanks, Donnie! Happy to hear that you like this recipe so much 🙂
Reply
Patty says
This recipe reminds me of my college years in San Antonio at Mom & Pop Mexican restaurants. This recipe brings back a cherished food memory. Thank you for this! I was skeptical about 35 minutes in the pressure cooker, but it came out incredibly tender.Reply
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Patty, that’s great to hear! Thanks for letting me know how much you liked this 🙂
Reply
Jacqueline Ben says
I grew up eating carne guisada weekly and this is amazing!! My family makes it differently but I almost prefer this version more. Sometimes it’s a little spicy for my 4 year old but she loves the flavors so much she cants stop eating it. Been using this recipe for 3 years! Thanks
Reply
Ashley - My Heart Beets says
Jacqueline, that’s awesome! I’m so glad you like this recipe – especially glad your little one likes it!
Reply
Victor says
I love carne guisada, but your information is wrong. Carne guisada 100% originated in Puerto Rico.
Reply
Show More Comments
