Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the Slow Cooker:Set your Ninja Crockpot (or any slow cooker with stovetop function) to high heat.
- Caramelize Sugar & Sear Beef:Add olive oil and 1 spoon of sugar.
- Allow the sugar to burn slightly until golden brown.
- Add the cubed beef and sear until browned on all sides.
- Season the Beef:Sprinkle with ~1 teaspoon Adobo, black pepper to taste, and 1 packet of Sazón.
- Stir in 2 tablespoons sofrito.
- Thicken the Base:Add 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, stirring to coat the beef.
- Mix in 1 cup tomato sauce and 4 cups beef broth.
- Add Vegetables:Stir in potatoes, onions, bell peppers, celery, and cherry tomatoes.
- Mix everything well so vegetables are coated in sauce.
- Slow Cook:Switch setting to slow cooker high for 4 hours.
- OR set to slow cooker low for 8 hours if you’ll be out longer.
- simmer on medium-low for ~2 hours.
- Add Pearl Onions Near the End:At the 3½ hour mark (if cooking on high), stir in the white pearl onions.
- Switch back to stovetop-high mode briefly to reduce excess liquid if desired.
- Finish & Serve:Switch the setting to “warm” until ready to eat.
- Serve hot with white rice or your favorite side dish.
Nutrition
Notes
Pro Tips:
Choose chuck roast over stew meat because the connective tissue breaks down into gelatin during slow cooking, creating that silky, restaurant-quality sauce that coats every piece of beef perfectly - something pre-cut stew meat just can't deliver. Sear your beef in batches, never crowding the pan, because proper browning creates fond that deglazes into the base of your sofrito, adding layers of deep, caramelized flavor that distinguish homemade carne guisada from the bland versions. Add your potatoes in the final 90 minutes only, because I've learned from countless batches that they turn to mush if cooked the full time, and nobody wants potato soup when they're craving hearty stew. Toast your sazón in the pan for 30 seconds before adding liquid because this Dominican technique I grew up with intensifies the annatto and cumin flavors, creating that signature golden color and deeper spice profile.
Choose chuck roast over stew meat because the connective tissue breaks down into gelatin during slow cooking, creating that silky, restaurant-quality sauce that coats every piece of beef perfectly - something pre-cut stew meat just can't deliver. Sear your beef in batches, never crowding the pan, because proper browning creates fond that deglazes into the base of your sofrito, adding layers of deep, caramelized flavor that distinguish homemade carne guisada from the bland versions. Add your potatoes in the final 90 minutes only, because I've learned from countless batches that they turn to mush if cooked the full time, and nobody wants potato soup when they're craving hearty stew. Toast your sazón in the pan for 30 seconds before adding liquid because this Dominican technique I grew up with intensifies the annatto and cumin flavors, creating that signature golden color and deeper spice profile.
