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Carne guisada is a classic Puerto Rican dish made with chunks of beef, potatoes, and spices. A hearty and delicious dinner that is packed with flavor and super easy to make.
If you enjoyed this pollo guisado then you’ll definitely love this dish. I received a lot of requests for this recipe and I just had to deliver. Enjoy this carne guisada with white rice, crusty bread, or creamy mashed potatoes.
Table of Contents
- Why You’ll Love This Carne Guisada Recipe
- Ingredient Notes
- How To Make Carne Guisada Step-by-Step
- Top Tips And Recipe Variations
- What Is The Difference Between Carne Guisada And Carne Asada?
- How Do I Thicken The Sauce?
- Can I Make Carne Guisada In The Slow Cooker?
- Storage
- More Beef Recipes You’ll Probably Enjoy
- Carne Guisada Recipe
Why You’ll Love This Carne Guisada Recipe
- Inexpensive to make and feeds a crowd.
- Only calls for a handful of ingredients.
- Packed with flavor and protein.
- Makes wonderful leftovers and tastes even better the following day.
- No marinating required!
Ingredient Notes
- Beef – I used boneless beef chuck but feel free to use bone-in beef or lamb.
- Sazon and Adobo – A seasoning blend that can be found in the Hispanic section of your local supermarket. If you can’t find sazon or adobo, feel free to season the beef with chipotle seasoning or the seasoning of your choice.
- Sofrito – A blend of fresh vegetables and herbs. You can also find this in the Hispanic section of your local supermarket. If you can’t find sofrito, replace it with diced onions, fresh garlic, and green bell peppers.
How To Make Carne Guisada Step-by-Step
- Begin by seasoning the beef with adobo, sazon, and olive oil. Let the beef sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- In a large pot, heat some vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside.
3. Add the sofrito, tomato sauce, vinegar, and tomato paste, to the pot. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer for 1 minute. Add the beef back to the pot along with 5 cups of water. Let it come to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
4. Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Finally, add the potatoes and olives, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes are up, cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the potatoes and beef are fork-tender. Check for seasoning and enjoy.
Top Tips And Recipe Variations
- Omit the potatoes to make this a low-carb meal.
- To make it spicy, add some red crushed pepper, cayenne pepper, or diced green chilies.
- Not a fan of russet potatoes? Add some sweet potatoes or cassava instead.
- Don’t remove all of the fat from the beef, it adds flavor. I highly recommend using meat with lots of marbling.
What Is The Difference Between Carne Guisada And Carne Asada?
Carne guisada is beef with gravy while carne asada is grilled beef without gravy.
How Do I Thicken The Sauce?
If you cook in uncovered it will thicken nicely, no corn starch or flour needed. However, you can make a slurry by mixing equal parts of water and cornstarch. Add the slurry to the carne guisada, mix it well, and it will thicken almost immediately.
Can I Make Carne Guisada In The Slow Cooker?
Yes, absolutely. To make it in the slow cooker, brown the beef in a skillet on the stovetop for 3-4 minutes on each side. Transfer the browned beef to the slow cooker along with all of the remaining ingredients. Instead of adding 5 cups of water, only add 1 cup of water. Cook on high for 2 hours or on low for 4 hours.
Storage
Place any leftovers in an air tight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 6 months.
More Beef Recipes You’ll Probably Enjoy
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Carne Guisada
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef
- 2 potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 1/4 cup sofrito
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp adobo
- 1 tsp sazon
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 1/4 cup olives
- 5 cups water
- salt and pepper to taste
- vegetable oil
Instructions
- Begin by seasoning the beef with adobo, sazon, and olive oil. Let the beef sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- In a large pot, heat some vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pot and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the beef from the pot and set it aside.
- Add the sofrito, tomato sauce, vinegar, and tomato paste, to the pot. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pot. Let it simmer for 1 minute. Add the beef back to the pot along with 5 cups of water. Let it come to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Add the potatoes and olives, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Once the 30 minutes are up, cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens and the potatoes and beef are fork-tender. Check for seasoning and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Omit the potatoes to make this a low-carb meal.
- To make it spicy, add some red crushed pepper, cayenne pepper, or diced green chilies.
- Not a fan of regular potatoes? Add some sweet potatoes or cassava instead.
- Don’t remove all of the fat from the beef, it adds flavor. I highly recommend using meet with lots of marbling.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
