Carne Guisada with tender beef slices and potatoes braised in tomatoes is easy to make yet full of flavor. It's hearty, tasty, and perfect for a busy weeknight dinner.
This Carne Guisada recipe was inspired by a spicy beef dish I had at a Mexican restaurant we went to for lunch last week, and I previously planned to post it on my other blog. But since it's similar to our Filipino style of cooking, I think you'll love it!
Like the picadillo soup from a few days ago, the base for this ginisang baka is the holy trinity of Filipino flavors: onions, garlic, and tomatoes. As it is my take on a Mexican dish, this beef stew has bold, spicy flavors from the addition of jalapeno peppers.
How to Make Carne Guisada
- Saute thinly-sliced beef in onions, garlic, and tomatoes until lightly browned. Add water or broth and cook the beef low and slow until fork-tender.
- Add minced peppers for a kick of spice and cubed potatoes to deliciously extend servings. Simmer until the potatoes are tender and the sauce is nice and thick.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with chopped cilantro for color. Serve piping hot with steamed rice, and enjoy a scrumptious meal!
Cooking tips
- Cut the beef in thin, uniform slices to ensure fast and even cooking. Slice across the grain for a more tender chew.
- I prefer the taste of fresh tomatoes, but tomato sauce will work in a pinch.
- Swap the jalapeno peppers with serrano if you like more heat. If you like less spice, scrape off the seeds and veins of the peppers before chopping.
- If you can't find jalapenos in the Philippines, you can use siling labuyo or siling haba and adjust amounts according to taste.
How to serve and store
- Give this easy yet flavorful Mexican-style braised beef for dinner tonight. It's delicious served with rice and beans but is just as amazing, sandwiched between warm tortillas for a taco dinner.
- Store leftovers in a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat in a saucepan over medium heat to 165 F or microwave at 2 to 3-minute intervals until completely heated, stirring well between intervals.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 pounds chuck steak, sliced thinly
- 4 large Roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 1 ยฝ cups water or beef broth
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a dutch oven or wide skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add beef and cook until lightly browned.
- Add tomatoes and cook, mashing with the back of a spoon, until softened and release juice.
- Add water or broth. Bring to a boil, skimming scum that floats on top.
- Add chili peppers.
- Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 40 to 50 minutes or until beef is tender, adding more water in ยฝ cup increments as needed.
- Add potatoes and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or until tender and sauce is reduced and thickened.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
- Cut the beef in thin, uniform slices to ensure fast and even cooking. Slice across the grain for a more tender chew.
- I prefer the taste of fresh tomatoes, but tomato sauce will work in a pinch.
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Kathy says
I didnโt care for this
Lalaine Manalo says
I'm sorry the recipe didn't suit your tastes. May I ask what you didn't like about the dish?
Dominique Romine says
Loved this. I cut down cook time by cooking potatoes in microwave for 4 minutes before adding to the meat and sauce. Complete meal in 30 minutes
Kay says
I'm going to try this.
Lalaine Manalo says
Let us know how it goes, Kay.
Joann says
I added Hungarian paprika and cumin to mine and was excellent!
Liz says
Wow Im Mexican and Iโm going to try this! Sounds so much easier than my mom teaching me to cook lol thank you!๐
Lalaine Manalo says
Liz! Let us know how it goes ๐
Chros says
I'm confused on one part of the recipe. It says it only takes the cubed potatoes 8 min to fully cook and be ready?
Lalaine Manalo says
The potatoes are cut into cubes and shouldn't take long to cook, but the recipe does say 8 to 10 minutes OR until tender. Feel free to cook it longer as needed.
Esther says
Thank you for sharing easy to follow directions but most important a delish meal! My house smell soo good and it taste amazing!
Lalaine Manalo says
Esther, I agree! The aroma from this dish makes me even hungrier!
Felicia says
This turned out amazing! Iโm Mexican and this was very close to my moms home cooking. Comfort food! I served it with rice, beans, and tortillas.
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you, Felicia! Rice, beans and tortillas always make things better ๐
JoAnn Call says
Made it and it was delicious. Even my husband loved it and he is not much of a soup or stew person. I am going to try 3 jalapeno's next time. Also, going to try it with a different cut of meat. Maybe those stir-fry slices that they sell in the store. All in all this is a keeper for me.
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you, Joanne, for the 5 stars. I am glad you and hubby enjoyed the recipe ๐
Carla G Ulloa says
I made it with three jalapeรฑos and it came out just perfect. Awesome recipe!
Lalaine says
Thank you for the 5-rating, Carla! I am glad you enjoyed the recipe ๐
Ellen says
Is it okay to freeze this?
Lalaine Manalo says
Yes, you can freeze it. ๐
Lisa Diggs says
Can you make it in a crock pot or instead pot
Lalaine says
I am sure you can. I haven't personally tried it, though, so I am not sure how many hours it would take and what adjustments to make.
Riots Phillips says
Thank you so much!!!
Lalaine says
You're welcome ๐
Noemi says
Thank you for the recipe! My mom makes carne guisada all the time! This turned out very tasty and tender. My only problem was with the potatoes. They took an extra long time to soften. I believe the problem was that my liquid had reduced too much. I ended up adding a bit more broth so that the potatoes would cook. This is definitely a recipe I will be making again.However, it was a bit time intensive with all the prep and cooking that I probably save it for weekends.
KathyF says
We don't have jalapeno pepper here in Singapore. Anything that I substitute it with?
Lalaine Manalo says
You can substitute any type of chili peppers to add heat such as Thai chili peppers.