Guisada Taco Recipe

Toast and soak chiles

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast ancho and guajillo chiles for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not burnt. Transfer to a bowl and pour 2 cups of hot (not boiling) water over them. Let soak 20 minutes until softened.

Make chile purée

Drain most of the soaking liquid into a measuring cup, reserving about 1/2 cup. In a blender, combine the softened chiles, reserved soaking liquid, 1 tablespoon tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon oregano. Blend until very smooth, adding up to 1/4 cup extra soaking liquid if needed to reach a thick sauce consistency. Taste and adjust salt.

Strain (optional)

For a very smooth gravy, push the purée through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spatula to extract as much sauce as possible. Discard solids.

Brown the beef

Pat beef cubes dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches if necessary, brown the beef on all sides until well-colored (about 4–6 minutes per batch). Transfer browned beef to a plate.

Sauté aromatics

Reduce heat to medium. Add chopped yellow onion to the same pot and cook 4–5 minutes until softened and beginning to brown, scraping up browned bits. Add minced garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant.

Deglaze and add broth

Stir in the blended chile sauce and the remaining beef broth (about 2 cups). Scrape up any stuck bits from the bottom of the pan. Return browned beef and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon oregano, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to a gentle simmer.

Simmer until tender

Cover partially and simmer gently for 1 to 1¼ hours, stirring occasionally, until beef is tender and sauce has reduced and concentrated. If liquid reduces too much before beef is tender, add up to 1/2 cup additional hot water or broth.

Thicken the gravy

In a small skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon flour and cook 1–2 minutes to make a blonde roux. Whisk the roux into the simmering guisada sauce and continue to cook 3–5 minutes until sauce thickens to a spoon-coating gravy. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

Shred or keep cubed

If you prefer a shredded filling, remove beef pieces and shred with two forks, then return to sauce. For chunky tacos, leave cubes intact. Keep warm over very low heat until ready to assemble.

Warm tortillas

Warm flour tortillas on a dry skillet or comal over medium heat about 20–30 seconds per side until soft and slightly puffed. Keep wrapped in a clean towel to stay warm.

Assemble tacos

Spoon 2–3 tablespoons (or more to taste) of beef guisada onto each warm flour tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and a little crumbled queso fresco if using. Add pickled jalapeños and a squeeze of lime.

Serve

Serve immediately while hot, with extra lime wedges on the side and any additional salsa as desired.