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A close-up view of homemade Carne Guisada in a rustic bowl, highlighting the tender chunks of beef and chunks of potatoes and carrots.

Puerto Rican Beef Stew (Carne Guisada)

This authentic Puerto Rican Beef Stew (Carne Guisada) features tender beef, potatoes, and carrots simmered in a rich, savory broth with sofrito and classic seasonings. It's the ultimate one-pot comfort food meal your family will love.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 8 people
Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Caribbean, Puerto Rican
Calories: 485
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Stew
  • 3 lbs beef chuck roast cut into 1.5-inch cubes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon adobo seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
  • 1/2 cup sofrito store-bought or homemade
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • 4 cups beef broth low-sodium
  • 1 packet sazón seasoning with culantro and achiote
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 cup pimento-stuffed green olives
  • 1.5 lbs potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 3 large carrots peeled and sliced into 1-inch rounds
  • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro chopped, for garnish

Equipment

  • 1 Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot
  • 1 Cutting Board
  • 1 Knife

Instructions
 

  1. Pat the beef cubes dry with paper towels. Season generously with adobo seasoning and black pepper. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sear the beef on all sides until well-browned. Remove the beef and set aside.
  2. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the chopped onion to the pot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and sofrito and cook for another 2 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Stir in the tomato sauce, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Return the seared beef to the pot. Add the beef broth, sazón packet, bay leaves, dried oregano, and olives. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
  4. Once simmering, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The beef should be getting tender.
  5. Add the potatoes and carrots to the stew. Stir to combine, cover, and continue to cook for another 45-60 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the beef is fall-apart tender.
  6. Remove the bay leaves. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and serve hot over rice.

Notes

Tip 1: Don't overcrowd the pan when browning the beef. Searing in batches ensures a deep, rich crust on the meat, which translates to more flavor in the final stew.
Tip 2: For a thicker stew, you can mash a few of the cooked potato chunks against the side of the pot to release their starch, or create a cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp cornstarch + 2 tbsp cold water) and stir it in during the last 5 minutes of cooking.
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