Slow-Cooker Carne Guisada
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Slow-Cooker Carne Guisada

Woohoo! We have another all-star slow-cooker recipe on our hands! This was really labor intensive to put together, but it was oh so very worth it. I usually like slow-cooker recipes where you can just dump the ingredients into the slow cooker, turn it on, and go about your day. This one takes a lot of prep time…browning meat, sautéing veggies, thickening a spiced sauce…but it’s all about the layers of flavor here. I couldn’t find a piece of organic chuck or bottom round, so I used a piece of top round London broil. I also only used about half the amount of meat that it called for, because I didn’t need to have that much meat for just my husband and I. I don’t know how much of a difference that would have made in the whole recipe – I just had a lot of extra liquid, so I used a slotted spoon to serve the meat/veggies. The cheese and cilantro absolutely make these tacos complete, so don’t skip out on that part. This almost knocked out our favorite Slow-Cooker French Dips for the number one slow-cooker recipe we’ve had, but not quite. I will most definitely be making these again. Yum!

Slow-Cooker Carne Guisada

Slow-Cooker Carne Guisada
Everyday Food November 2010

Beef simmered with garlic and peppers in a thick tomato sauce makes for a warm and satisfying dinner. A slow cooker turns a less expensive cut of meat into a flavorful stew. Serve it in flour tortillas or spoon over rice.

2 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast or bottom round, cut into 1-inch pieces
coarse salt and ground pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium white onion, diced medium
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced medium
1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced small
5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon chili powder
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 ounces) diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
Flour tortillas, warmed, grated cheddar, and cilantro, for serving

Season beef with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 2 teaspoons oil over high. In two batches, cook beef until browned on all sides, 5 minutes per batch (add 2 teaspoons more oil for second batch). Transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

In same skillet, cook 2 teaspoons oil, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, and garlic over medium, stirring and scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon, until vegetables are tender, 5 minutes. Add cumin, chili powder, oregano, and flour and cook 1 minute. Slowly pour broth into skillet, stirring until liquid is smooth. Simmer 2 minutes, then transfer mixture to slow cooker, along with tomatoes and bay leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir to combine. Cover and cook on high 6 hours. Serve in tortillas with cheese and cilantro.

Cook’s Note: Refrigerate cooled mixture in an airtight container, up to 3 days.

Big Flavors Rating: 5 Stars

Ashley Covelli is a food photographer, recipe developer, and culinary instructor based in Ossining, New York. She loves helping people become enthusiastic and adventurous in the kitchen so that they can build skills and confidence to cook for themselves and their loved ones. She can almost always be found with at least 3 different beverages within arm's reach.

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