Guisados are dishes found worldwide, as they’re the easiest way to cook whatever ingredients you have on hand. In Mexican cuisine, guisados are foods that, after sautéing, simmer slowly in a liquid like a spicy sauce, often mixing meat and veggies. In English, it’s like a stew; in German, an Eintopf or schmorgerecht, slow-cooked in broths. In Mexico, this staple can’t be missing. Here are the most popular and traditional Mexican guisados.
What Are Mexican Guisados?
As I remember them from Mexico, guisados were home-cooked meals made by moms, aunts, and grandmas. They can be as simple as chorizo with potatoes or as complex as shredded chicken in mole. Always served with Mexican rice, pot beans or refried beans, and a stack of nixtamalized corn tortillas.
Where to Find the Best Guisados?
In Mexico, guisados are typically midday food. Moms make them at home or in local fondas – often “underground” spots where women cook and sell home-style meals to office workers. You’ll also spot them at street stalls or restaurants: on a traditional plate or as “tacos de guisado” with double tortillas to hold rice, beans, stew, and spicy salsa.
Popular Guisados in Mexico – Traditional Recipes
The list of Mexican guisados is endless. Every region, family, or home cook has their twist – some original, some deeply traditional, often improvised. Here are some all-time favorites:
Stews in Green or Red Salsa
Many Mexican dishes cook in salsa verde or roja, named for their color and key ingredients.
- Chicharrón in Salsa Verde: Crispy pork rind (chicharrón) – fried to puff up and shatter in your mouth – simmered in sauce of tomatillos, onion, garlic, cilantro, and green chiles like serrano, jalapeño, or cuaresmeño. Red salsa version swaps for tomato.
- Other Hits: Verdolagas, nopalitos (cactus), pork chops, beef tips or steak – mostly pork for affordability, but beef or shredded chicken too.
Entomatado de Res
Similar to the above, but with tomatillos (green tomatoes) instead of full green salsa. My mom made it often with roasted pasilla chiles – I’d sneak bites of those chiles and get scolded! Don’t confuse with entomatadas, which are like enchiladas.
Rajas Poblanas con Crema
Peeled poblano chiles cut into strips (rajas), cooked with onion, garlic, cream, and cheese. Often with corn kernels for rajas con crema y elote – one of Mexico’s few veggie stars. Great in tacos, quesadillas, or alongside arrachera steak.
Chorizo con Papa
Potatoes (with onion and garlic) cooked in chorizo fat for juicy flavor – no sauce needed, though green or red elevates it. Super cheap and feeds a crowd!
Tinga de Pollo
Shredded chicken with tons of onion in chipotle-tomato sauce. Globally famous among Mexican cooks abroad – easy with everyday ingredients like chicken, tomatoes, onions, and chipotle in adobo. Perfect for tacos, tostadas, quesadillas, or parties.
A Tradition That Keeps Growing
Guisar means slow-cooking ingredients, usually in sauce – infinite variations fueled by improvisation. From weekday budget meals to taquizas and events, they’re the heart of Mexican home cooking.
Give it a try – maybe fusion it with local ingredients for your own Mex-stew! Want SEO data or tweaks?
