Carne Guisada Crockpot Recipe
This carne guisada crockpot recipe is a Tex-Mex beef stew in a thick, cumin-spiced gravy with potatoes and tomatoes. The slow cooker softens chuck roast until it is spoon-tender. Serve it in flour tortillas or over rice for a filling dinner.
6
servings25
minutes8
hoursCubed chuck roast and potatoes cook in a gravy of tomato, cumin, chili powder and garlic. Spoon into flour tortillas or serve over rice.
Ingredients
2 1/2 lb beef chuck roast, cut in 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 yellow onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
2 cups beef broth
1 lb baby potatoes, halved
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
Flour tortillas for serving
Directions
- Pat the beef cubes dry. Toss them with the flour, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper until evenly coated.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in two batches, 3 to 4 minutes per batch, turning once.
- Transfer the browned beef to a 6-quart slow cooker.
- In the same skillet, cook the onion and bell pepper for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Pour in a half cup of the beef broth and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Pour everything into the slow cooker.
- Add the diced tomatoes with their juice, the rest of the broth and the potatoes. Stir to mix.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 8 hours or on HIGH for 4 to 5 hours. The beef should be fork-tender and the potatoes soft but whole.
- Stir in more broth if the gravy is too thick, or cook uncovered on HIGH for 20 minutes if it is too thin.
- Taste and adjust the salt. Stir in the cilantro.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet and serve the stew with them on the side.
Notes
- For heat, add a minced chipotle in adobo or a diced jalapeno with the onion. Leave the potatoes out and serve over rice if you prefer. The flour coating is what thickens the gravy, so do not skip it. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge and freeze for 3 months. Reheat with a splash of broth. Serve with rice, refried beans, lime wedges and sour cream.
Why carne guisada loves a slow cooker
Carne guisada means stewed meat. It was built for a long, patient simmer, where cubes of tough beef slowly soften in a thick gravy. A slow cooker is the closest thing to a pot left on a low flame all day, and it never needs stirring or watching.
Chuck roast is the right cut. It is full of connective tissue that dissolves over 8 hours and leaves the meat silky and the gravy rich. The flour-coated beef thickens the sauce as it cooks, so you do not need to add a starch at the end.
The result is a stew that eats like a meal. The potatoes take up the gravy and make each spoonful filling, and the tortillas turn it into something you can hold.
Ingredient notes
Beef chuck roast: buy a whole roast with plenty of marbling and cut it yourself. Pre-cut stew meat is often a mix of lean scraps that dry out.
Chili powder and cumin: these two spices are the backbone of the dish. Use fresh ones, since old ground spices lose their punch in a long cook.
Diced tomatoes with green chiles: they add acid, mild heat and body. Plain diced tomatoes also work if you add a pinch of cayenne.
Baby potatoes: waxy potatoes keep their shape better than russets, which break down and cloud the gravy.
Flour tortillas: warm them until soft so they bend without cracking.
Beef broth: use low-sodium so you control the salt. Good broth makes a noticeable difference in a dish where the gravy is the main event.
Cilantro: stir it in right before serving. Cooked for hours it loses its fresh, green flavor.
Tips for a rich, thick gravy
Brown the beef: the browned crust is where the deep flavor comes from. Work in batches so the meat sears rather than steams. This step takes 10 minutes and changes the whole stew.
Do not drown it: the most common mistake is adding too much broth. The meat and vegetables release liquid as they cook, so the broth should barely cover the beef at the start.
Stir at the end: before serving, stir the pot and mash a couple of potatoes against the side. This thickens the gravy a bit more without extra flour.
Season in layers: salt the flour coating, then taste the gravy at the end and adjust. Long cooking mutes salt, so most pots need a final pinch before serving.
Swaps and variations
For a lighter dish, trim the visible fat from the beef and skip the potatoes, serving it over cauliflower rice. For a spicier stew, add a canned chipotle pepper or extra chili powder. For a different protein, use pork shoulder with the same timing.
One swap that does not work is lean stew cuts like round or sirloin. They stay chewy and dry no matter how long you cook them, and the gravy turns thin.
What to serve with carne guisada
Spoon it into warm flour tortillas, or serve it over Mexican rice with refried beans on the side. Offer lime wedges, chopped cilantro, diced onion and sour cream so everyone can build their own plate. A simple salad of tomato and avocado helps cut the richness.
Storing, freezing and reheating
Cool the stew and refrigerate for up to 4 days. The flavors get stronger overnight, and the gravy sets up thicker.
Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat with a splash of broth until it reaches 165°F, stirring now and then so the gravy does not scorch.
Carne Guisada Crockpot Recipe at a glance
- Prep time: 25 minutes
- Cooking time: 8 hours
- Servings: 6 servings
- Ingredients: 16, led by beef chuck roast, vegetable oil, all-purpose flour, chili powder
Tips for Carne Guisada Crockpot Recipe
For heat, add a minced chipotle in adobo or a diced jalapeno with the onion. Leave the potatoes out and serve over rice if you prefer. The flour coating is what thickens the gravy, so do not skip it. Leftovers keep 4 days in the fridge and freeze for 3 months. Reheat with a splash of broth. Serve with rice, refried beans, lime wedges and sour cream.
Carne Guisada Crockpot Recipe FAQ
How long does Carne Guisada Crockpot Recipe take?
Carne Guisada Crockpot Recipe takes 8 hours of cooking after 25 minutes of prep.
How many people does Carne Guisada Crockpot Recipe serve?
This recipe makes 6 servings.
What do I need to make Carne Guisada Crockpot Recipe?
16 ingredients, led by beef chuck roast, vegetable oil, all-purpose flour, chili powder. Amounts are in the recipe card above.
