Carne Guisada for the Instant Pot

Carne guisada, a flavorful Mexican beef stew, is quick and easy when made in the Instant Pot. Try it over rice or served with tortillas.

Servings per Recipe: 10 servings

Calories per Serving: 217

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 1 15

Total Time: 1 25

4.41 from 76 votes

¾ cup water, plus extra
3-4 pounds beef stew meat
salt and pepper as preferred
20 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chilies or plain diced tomatoes, reserve juices
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons flour
½ teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder

Chop 1 onion and 1 green bell pepper. Mince 3 cloves garlic.
Put ¾ cup water in Instant Pot and add 3-4 pounds beef stew meat. Add salt and pepper as preferred.
Drain juice from 20 ounces canned diced tomatoes with green chilies or plain diced tomatoes into a 2 cup measuring cup and place tomatoes with green chilies over meat. Add garlic, onion, and green pepper.
Cook on manual pressure (high if you have the option) for 25 minutes. NPR for 15 minutes, then release pressure and open lid. Add ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon oregano, and 1 teaspoon chili powder and stir.
Add enough 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 cooked meat and stir to blend well. Cook on sauté mode for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, to thicken the sauce.
Turn off Instant Pot to stop the hard boil, and let sit for 10 minutes. Turn back on to slow cooker mode to keep warm while serving.
Garnish with fresh cilantro, grated cheese, pico de gallo, and sour cream, and serve with tortillas for dipping.

If you prefer mild vs. spicy food, substitute the 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.
These instructions are for making Carne Guisada in the Instant Pot; you can find the instructions for the slow cooker here.
Nutrition data does not include garnishes.
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.