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Flavorful Carne Guisada in the crock pot is a Mexican beef stew perfect for serving over rice or with tortillas. Its wonderful aroma as it simmers in the slow cooker will have you anxiously awaiting dinnertime.
Carne means meat (but often is used to refer to beef), and guisada means stew.
This is the crockpot version of my Carne Guisada for Instant Pot recipe for those who prefer using a slow cooker. It goes well with Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice.
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Ingredients
- water
- beef stew meat
- salt and pepper
- canned diced tomatoes with green chilies with juices reserved
- chopped onion
- diced green bell pepper
- minced garlic
- flour
- ground cumin
- dried oregano
- chili powder
- sour cream, for garnish
- fresh cilantro, for garnish
- shredded cheddar cheese, for garnish
- pico de gallo, for garnish
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Put ¼ cup water in slow cooker and add meat. Salt and pepper as desired.
Drain juice from tomatoes with green chilies and reserve.
Place tomatoes & green chilies over meat with garlic, onion, and green pepper.
Cover with lid and cook on high for 30 minutes, then add spices to slow cooker.
Add enough water to the reserved juice from tomatoes to make 1-½ cups liquid. Mix ¼ cup of reserved juices with flour and mix well. Add flour mixture to remaining juices; heat to thicken. Add to slow cooker and stir to blend well.
Cook on low for 3-4 hours until sauce is thickened and meat is tender. Stir gently until well mixed, then serve with tortillas or rice and provide shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, pico de gallo, and chopped fresh cilantro as garnishes.
Crock Pots (Size Matters)
The model and size slow cooker you use can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Small slow cookers cook more slowly than larger ones, with larger models cooking the same amount of food more quickly. Additionally, if you change the quantities in a recipe, the cooking time will change.
This Carne Guisada crock pot recipe was tested in a 6 quart Rival CrockPot (affiliate link), which is my favorite slow cooker (when my first one died I bought the exact same model to replace it). You will need to adjust the cooking time based on your individual appliance. For 4 quart models, you will need to increase cooking time, while 8 quart models will need less time to cook.
There is no substitute for getting familiar with your particular slow cooker; based on your experience with recipes over time, you will be able to judge how to adapt cooking times to your model.
FAQ
What is Carne Guisada
Carne means meat, but it is often used to refer to specifically to beef, and guisada means stew. Carne guisada is a traditional Mexican-style beef stew flavored with garlic, onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes. This particular Carne Guisada crockpot recipe is popular because of the ease of preparation.
Is Carne Guisada gluten-free?
This recipe uses flour to thicken the gravy, but you could substitute a mixture of 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch with the room temperature reserved juices instead (do not heat the liquid when using cornstarch) to make it gluten-free. Serve with corn tortillas or rice instead of flour tortillas.
How long does it take to cook Carne Guisada in the crock pot/slow cooker?
Total time is about four and a half hours, with a cook time of 4 hours and prep of about 20-30 minutes. Unlike oven cooking, there is no way to exactly predict the time needed to cook in a crockpot because they vary based on size and model. Small slow cookers cook more slowly than larger ones, and if you change the quantities in a recipe the cooking time will change. This recipe was tested in a 6 quart Rival CrockPot; you will need to adjust the cooking time based on your individual appliance.
Can crock pot Carne Guisada be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze the cooked Carne Guisada for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container. To use, thaw the stew in the refrigerator then reheat on the stove top of in the microwave. If necessary, add water or beef broth while reheating.
My other favorite time-saving slow cooker recipes
Recipe
Carne Guisada for the Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- ¼ cup water
- 4 pounds beef stew meat
- salt and pepper as preferred
- 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chilies, with juices
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 cup water, approximately
- 3 tablespoons flour
Garnishes:
- fresh cilantro
- grated cheese
- pico de gallo
- sour cream
Instructions
- Chop 1 onion and 1 green bell pepper. Mince 3 cloves garlic.
- Put ¼ cup water in slow cooker and add 4 pounds beef stew meat. Add salt and pepper as preferred.
- Drain juice from 28 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chilies into a measuring cup and place tomatoes with green chilies over meat. Add garlic, onion, and green pepper. Cook on high for about 30 minutes.
- Add ½ teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, and 1 teaspoon chili powder to slow cooker and stir.
- Add enough water (about 1 cup water) to the reserved juice from tomatoes with green chilies to make 1½ cups liquid. Heat liquid in microwave or on stovetop. Add 3 tablespoons flour to liquid and mix well. Add flour mixture to slow cooker and stir to blend well.
- Cook on low for 3-4 hours until sauce is thickened and meat is tender.
- Serve with fresh cilantro, grated cheese, pico de gallo, and sour cream with tortillas or rice.
Notes
- These instructions are for making Carne Guisada in the slow cooker; you can find the instructions for the Instant Pot here.
- If you prefer mild vs. spicy food, substitute canned tomatoes for the tomatoes with green chilies.
- Leftovers from Carne Guisada can be used to make beef enchiladas, Tex-Mex Beef Casserole, or burritos.
- Garnishes not included in nutrition data.
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