2 1/2 lbs chuck or round roast, cut into 1/2" cubes (or other stew meat)
2 teaspoons Adobo seasoning
1/4 cup sofrito
1 medium onion (sliced)
2 teaspoons Sazon seasoning (with annatto)
3 teaspoons beef or chicken bouillon
32 oz. box unsalted beef broth
1/3 cup dry red wine (like Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon)
1/2 cup tomato sauce (or 2 tbsp tomato paste)
3 dried bay leaves (or 1 fresh)
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning (or dried oregano)
10 pimento stuffed olives
1 cup carrot, sliced into thick rings
1 cup diced potatoes
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar (apple cider vinegar works too!)
salt and pepper, to taste
Categories
Entree
Cuisine
Puerto Rican
Steps
Season the beef cubes with 2 teaspoons of Adobo.
Heat a Dutch oven to medium heat, then add the olive oil.
In 2-3 batches, sear the beef for 3-5 minutes per side, in order to get some nice browning on the outside.
Once the beef is browned, remove from the pan and set it aside.
Add the onions and sofrito to the pan.
Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen the brown bits.
Next, add the Sazon, powdered chicken bouillon, beef broth, red wine, tomato sauce or paste, bay leaves and Italian seasoning.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then add the beef back in.
Stir, then cover and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook the carne guisada for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Next, add the potatoes, carrots, and olives, then cook for 30 minutes more.
When the carrots and potatoes are tender, the carne guisada is done.
Stir in the vinegar, then check the stew for seasoning.
If it needs more salt, add a little bit more powdered bouillon (this stuff is super salty, so use sparingly) or salt to taste.
Serve with white rice, tostones and a salad.
Reviews
Samantha on 2026-07-05 (5 stars): This was one of the most delicious meals I have EVER eaten! I have never had it before so not sure what it was supposed to taste like, exactly, and modified some things based on my own preferences and inhredients on hand. I crave soups, especially with lots of veggies. This time I was craving stewed beef and your recipe looked the best.
I didn't have much stew beef (and don't eat a ton of meat) so I used a lot more carrots and celery and added a large sweet potato. I used about four times more sofrito than the recipe and marinated the beef in vidalia onion vinegarette as well as the sofrito. I didn't have adobo, and just skipped that. I roasted red peppers and added those, a drained can of pink beans, and some corn towards the last hour of cooking. I made this in the crock pot on slow for eight hours, but sauteed everything as directed first. I also added Persian lime powder and some whole chili peppers and added brine from the olives. I used beef bouillon but also a can of Rotel and a can of tomato sauce in place of the same amount of the water, to concentrate flavors. This was even better the next day and better yet again the third day. I topped with full fat Greek yogurt. The first day I had it with Basmati rice but then just ate it as stew with the yogurt. The way I made it, it was tangy, zingy, spicy and so delicious, all the way through the before and beef! Thank you for sharing this recipe, with much love and kindness!
Ellen Holmes on 2026-03-24 (5 stars): Made this yesterday and have to say it is the best beef stew I've made and I've made many. I wanted my daughter and granddaughter to have a Puerto Rican style as my mom was Puerto Rican and trying now to make dishes from there. I have some from my mom but not enough. So. First comment is: everyone loved it and it will be requested I'm sure for holidays. I should have watched the video first.....but did this today and realize I used the red Sofrito as this is what I usually do and not the green one as I watched video today and saw that....so will do that next time. Not sure of the difference in taste.
My husband cut up the roast for me and cut it in 1 inch pieces so it took me awhile to cook the 3 1/2 lbs I bought. So of course added a bit more time and also more to your ingredients to make up the extra amount. I did not have to add any extra salt or pepper as it was perfect. Made it in the afternoon. I let it sit for about 2 hrs and then heated it for dinner. All loved it and daughter and granddaughter took home the leftovers as they really wanted it. Recipe will be shared. All I can say to all .... is definitely make this.
I'm surprised you do not have a higher rating - maybe make the comment section right after the recipe not at the end of all the comments? Like I said it will be one of our main dishes when I have Christmas in the mountains and definitely for company dinner.
This is a 10 rating.
Teresa on 2026-01-18 (5 stars): Loved the recipe, it brought back some fond memories of the foods I used to eat when I was a kid. To give it a little more Caribbean flavor I added a little jerk seasoning to the meat. I added some cilantro stems with the bay leaves when cooking & removed it before serving. I think next time I may add some string beans . Definitely adding this to my fall/ winter menu. I served with yellow rice & plantains on the side. Thank you again for this recipe.
Phyllis on 2024-09-03 (5 stars): I've been looking for some time now for that Latin flavor I had once at a restaurant but - Full stop! I've finally found it! I initially thought the flavor might be similar to the Picadillo recipes I've tried, but this is not even remotely like those. It's waaayyyy better!
I was confused about the 1/2 c. of tomato paste(?). It seemed like a lot. I didn't have tomato paste anyway so I used tomato sauce and it turned out perfect. I did see later in the instructions you referenced "sauce" vs. "paste" so I'm glad I went with the sauce. Either way, it was heavenly. Thank you so much for sharing!!!
Yovany on 2024-05-12 (5 stars): I made this today as a topper for mofongo and it was delicious! I'll be making this again!
carol on 2023-03-14 (4 stars): i followed the recipe but left out sofrito n olives....i even added more sazon but for some reason the stew didnt seem to have the flavor of spanish stew ive bought many places. did it it in a slow cooker, 4 hrs. did i do something wrong? i make reg beef stew which comes out great n obv thicker due to use of flour. idk if i missed something. my son doesnt like sofrito but is it what makes the flavor? plz help! meat was tender n i used spanish rice. thanks
