Deep, rich, and smoky—Mexican Pot Roast with Guajillo Chile Sauce (Carne Guisada) is comfort food with bold attitude. Pot roast is simmered slowly in a rich blend of guajillo chiles, garlic, and warm spices. It’s a dish that brings the soul of Mexican home cooking straight to your table.
What Is Carne Guisada?
Carne guisada is a traditional Mexican or Tex-Mex dish that translates to “stewed meat.” It typically features chunks of pot roast beef simmered slowly in a richly seasoned gravy or sauce until tender. The flavors vary by region, but the base often includes ingredients like onions, garlic, tomatoes, chile peppers, and warm spices such as cumin, garlic and Mexican oregano.
In Mexican-style carne guisada, the sauce is deepened with dried chiles like guajillo or ancho for a smoky, earthy flavor. In Tex-Mex versions, it might lean toward a brown gravy with milder spices. It’s usually served with rice, beans, or warm tortillas.
Why Guajillo Chile’s Elevate This Recipe
A Mexican cuisine staple, the guajillo pepper has gained popularity in my kitchen over the years. This sweet and smoky pepper, the “Holy Trinity” of Mexican chilies can be used for a variety of sauces in Mexican cuisine such as moles, marinades, soups and stews. And commonly used in Mexican Red Sauces, They are dried Mirasol Chile Peppers and are easily found on the Mexican Aisle at the supermarket sold in clear plastic bags.
For this Carne Guisada recipe, we’ll toast the guajillo peppers to add a sweet, smoky, fruity and spicy flavored sauce for this Mexican pot roast. Let’s take a look.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chuck Roast: You’ll be choosing a boneless shoulder roast, which is commonly labeled as a chuck roast.
- Dried Chile Peppers, such as Guajillo.
- Poblano Peppers: I like poblano peppers for a Mexican Pot Roast. They’re mildly spicy and earthy, rich, mildly sweet flavor. And when roasted they take on a smoky flavor to compliment.
- Canned tomatoes: If you can find them, choose Cento San Marzano. They are packed in a rich tomato sauce which will enhance the flavor of this recipe.
- Tomato Paste: see below.
- Cinnamon and Mexican Oregano: Cinnamon is commonly used in Mexican cuisine. It’s used in sweet and savory dishes, adding depth and complexity. Mexican Oregano is robust in flavor and brings a more earthy flavor than Mediterranean oregano.
Chef’s Secret: Tomato paste is an MVP in the kitchen. The long cooking time used to make tomato paste gives it a concentrated sweet rich flavor. Just a dollop can add a subtle burst of robust flavor and body into just about any soup or tomato based pasta sauce. Add tomato paste at the beginning of the cooking process to add another layer of flavor. It’s a brilliant little trick.
Step by Step Instructions, How To Make Mexican Pot Roast
- Step 1: Prepare The Dried Chile Peppers: Important: Proper way to toast and soak chile peppers: We’ll start by toasting the dried chile peppers. Use a dry non-stick skillet and toast them for about 3-4 minutes per side over medium high heat. Once toasted, add 1 ½ cups water to the pan and sit a salad plate on top to help immerse the peppers in water. Let soak for 20 minutes.
- Step 2: Prepare The Poblano Peppers. You’ll need to roast the poblano peppers. I prefer the open flame method over a gas stove, as you have more control in blistering the nooks and crannies. One darkened and blistered, place them in an unclosed zip log bag until nice and steamed. About 10 minutes. Take a look at my recipe for Mexican Baked Eggs for a video of roasting poblano peppers stovetop.
- Step 3: Once the poblano peppers have steamed, chop off the top stem and using your hands slide off most of the skin. Rough chop and set aside.
- Step 4: Prepare the chuck roast: Cut the chuck roast into large chunks. Heat neutral oil in a large skillet and brown about 5 – 6 minutes per side.
Pro Tip: Don’t skip searing the meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal. Searing creates what is technically called Maillard reaction. Maillard reaction is the process where a crust is created. Simply stated, it’s responsible for the complex flavors and aroma that makes bread taste toasty, and a grilled or seared burger taste charred. It’s a technique that brings science to your cooking skills.
- Step 5: Remove beef and place in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Use ½ cup or chicken broth or white white to deglaze the skillet. Add that liquid to the Dutch Oven. It’s full of wonderful flavor.
- Step 6: Make the sauce: When the chiles are soaked, cut the tops off the chiles and remove seeds. I just knock them against the sink so the seeds spill out. Place the soaking water and the chiles in a food processor.
- Step 7: Grind the peppers until chunky blended.
- Step 8: Finish the Guajillo Chile Sauce: Add garlic cloves, oregano, cinnamon, cumin and tomato paste and and blend. You should have a thick red sauce that resembles the thickness of catsup. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water.
- Step 9: Spoon the Guajillo Chile Sauce over the chuck roast in the Dutch oven.
- Step 10: Add the undrained tomatoes and the chopped poblanos on top. Cover and cook for 3 hours or until beef is fall apart tender.
Serving Suggestions
Now that you got a pot full of this luscious Carne Guisada, here are some tips on how to serve it.
- Place a couple of spoonfuls of the Mexican Pot Roast on warmed or toasted corn tortillas.
- Garnish simply with some thin sliced radishes. Sliced radishes are commonly used as a garnish on Mexican food dishes such as enchiladas or posole. They are visually striking and offer a bright, fresh and slightly bitter contrast to the richness of any Mexican sauce.
- Offer a wedge of fresh lime. A squeeze of fresh lime juice will brighten flavors of any Mexican entree.
- Make it a meal by serving it with a bean side dish like these smoky Bolita Beans spiked with red wine and jalapeno peppers. Or try this Toasted Mexican Green Rice.
- Shred the meat and use as a filling for tacos, burritos or even enchiladas.
Storage and Reheating Tips
- Refrigeration: Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
- Freeze: Freeze portions in a freezer safe container for up to three months. I like to use zip-lock style bags. Squeeze the air out, seal and you can store them flat to maximize freezer space. And don’t forget to label with name and date.
- Reheating: When using the microwave, the 50% power feature is your best friend. Reheat individual servings in 30-second increments. The lower power will keep the beef nice and tender. You can also reheat on low stovetop in a shallow skillet or saucepan.
Variations
- Protein Swaps: Use a boneless pork shoulder roast, or even boneless skinless chicken thighs. If using pork, cooking times will not need to be adjusted. If using chicken, cook on lower heat for 1.5 hours.
- Spice Level Adjustments: Want to make it spicier? Use a spicier dried pepper such as a Puya or Chile de Arbol. You can also add some spicy ground chile powder, like Chimayo Chile Powder, or even Ground. Cayenne Pepper. Want to tone down the heat? Use dried Ancho Peppers or Dried Anaheim.
Tips For Success
- Don’t over toast the dried chile peppers. Burning them will result in a bitter taste.
- Don’t skip searing the meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal.
- Don’t skip adjusting seasoning. Taste and add salt if the sauce is too over powering. You’d be surprised how a little bit of salt can correct strong pungent flavors.
- Try to find poblano peppers that are rounder and full. The wrinkled ones with their nooks and crannies will be more of a challenge to roast.
Make Ahead
What Can I Do The Day Before?
- Roasting the poblano peppers is a time consuming task. If you roast them the day before, chop and store in the refrigerator, you can save about 20 minutes the day of cooking.
- Prepare the sauce: Prepare the sauce a day ahead of time. Store in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, you can sear the meat and start cooking.
FAQ’s
Yes. After searing the meat and preparing the sauce, combine all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low 6 – 8 hours. Or until meat is fall apart tender.
Simmer uncovered to reduce the sauce, or add a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water).
Dried guajillo chiles should be the most common dried chili you can find on the Mexican aisle at the supermarket. But if you can’t find them, substitute dried Ancho chiles. The heat level will decrease and the flavor profile will slightly change.
More Mexican Recipes Using Chuck Roast
And don’t miss my Mexican Food Category. You’ll find lots of ways to spice up your meal plans, including the most popular Mexican beef recipe for this Mexican Casserole with Ground Beef and Corn Tortillas.
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Mexican Pot Roast with Guajillo Chile Sauce (Carne Guisada)
Ingredients
- 5 Guajillo peppers dried
- 1 Cup water
- 4 whole poblano peppers roasted and some skin removed
- ¼ cup Neutral oil Avocado, vegetable or canola oils work well here.
- 2 ½ pounds Chuck roast cut into large chunks
- 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ½ teaspoon Freshly grated black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 ½ teaspoons Mexican Oregano
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon ground
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ Cup Tomato Paste
- 28 ounce chopped tomatoes undrained
Instructions
- Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat. When hot, add dried chile peppers and toast on each side. About 3-4 minutes per side. Turn off heat and add about 1 ½ cups of water, just enough to submerge peppers. Place a salad plate over the peppers to help submerge them in the water. Let the peppers soak for 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, roast the poblano peppers. You can either roast them over a gas flame stovetop, turning until blistered. Or place them on a sheet pan and broil them in the oven until starting to blister. Turn poblano peppers and broil on the other side. I prefer the open flame method, as you have more control in blistering the nooks and crannies. One darkened and blistered, place them in a zip log bag until nice and steamed. About 10 minutes. When cooled, remove most of the skin with your hands. Don't rinse peppers under water or you'll rinse away that wonderful smoky flavor. Rough chop the poblanos
- Heat oven to 325 degrees.
- Cut roast into large chunks, remove any large chunks of fat. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat on stove top. Salt and pepper the chunks of beef and brown in skillet. Turning once. Remove beef and place in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Use ½ cup or chicken broth or white white to deglaze the skillet. Add that liquid to the Dutch Oven. It's full of wonderful flavor.
- When the chiles are soaked, cut the tops off the chiles and remove seeds. Place the soaking water and the chiles in a food processor and blend until smooth.
- Add garlic cloves, oregano, cinnamon, cumin and tomato paste and and blend. You should have a thick red sauce that resembles the thickness of catsup. If the mixture is too thick, add a little water. Pour this mixture over the beef in the Dutch oven.
- Add the undrained tomatoes and the chopped poblanos on top. Cover and cook for 3 hours or until beef is fall apart tender. Check the roast after about an hour and a half and make sure the liquid isn't gone. That depends on the pan you're using. Add about a cup more water or chicken broth if dry.
- Serve over warmed corn tortillas. Garnish suggestions: radish, limes and avocado.
Notes
- Don’t over toast the dried chile peppers. Burning them will result in a bitter taste.
- Don’t skip searing the meat. This is a crucial step in getting the most flavor out of this meal.
- Don’t skip adjusting seasoning. Taste and add salt if the sauce is too over powering. You’d be surprised how a little bit of salt can correct strong pungent flavors.
- Try to find poblano peppers that are rounder and full. The wrinkled ones with their nooks and crannies will be more of a challenge to roast.
Nutrition
Mexican Pot Roast (Carne Guisada) … It’s What’s for Dinner
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
I LOVE pot roast. This sounds amazing. I love the idea of Guillio peppers! Never cooked with them before!
Love this recipe and looks so delicious! Mexican is my favorite cuisine so will have to try your recipe for next week’s Taco Tuesday! WOOOOOHOOOOO!
Thanks for stopping in Karrie. Mexican is our favorite too.
Radishes are always so pretty on a plate, I’m afraid that I am the person that enjoys them separately, will try them together next time. Love all the flavors going on here, another great dish Lea Ann.
Thanks Cheri. Give those radishes a try with a bite of spicy Mexican food …
I’ve got guajillo peppers in my pantry and your pot roast is calling my name. I agree with you about the radishes, I think they make a nice accompaniment.
Thanks Karen. Those guajillo peppers are a permanent resident in our pantry.
Yes ma’am! A former editor of mine used to bring a dish similar to this to our occasional potlucks. It was fabulous. (Admittedly, your recipe looks like it offers up a deeper flavor.) Keep’em coming, girl!
I’d like to hear more about your editor’s version. Any vegetables?
Yumm, my kind of dish! I love anything with chiles in it.
Thanks Kathryn. 🙂
Mmmm, big flavor! This looks terrific — exactly the sort of dish I like. I sometimes do a quick pickle of radishes — they’re a nice garnish. This looks great — thanks.
I need to try pickled radishes. Why haven’t I??? 🙂
I’m one of those who push my sliced radishes aside, he he. Raw radishes some how is not for me:) But, this pot roast with all those chillies, oh my…. I’m drooling right now!
Thank you Maria. You really should try a bite of raw radish with Mexican food.
Looks delicious LA. I recently made an Italian pot roast and now believe my next one should be Mexican – I’ll try to figure out how to make the red sauce from all of that pepper powder we’ve brought home from each trip out there.