Crispy Beef Carne Seca
Shredded beef crisped hard in a hot skillet with chiles and cumin—the weeknight version of northern Mexico's legendary dried-beef dish. Ready in under 20 minutes with pantry shortcuts.
- Total time
- 18 min
- Servings
- 3
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 38g
Ingredients
- 1.25 lbs shredded cooked beef (rotisserie or leftover)
- 2 whole dried chile de árbol or guajillo, stemmed and seeded
- 1.5 tsp cumin
- 1 whole lime
- ½ medium white onion, thinly sliced
- 1 whole jalapeño, sliced
Instructions
- 1
Toast dried chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 90 seconds until fragrant. Remove and let cool, then crumble by hand into small pieces.
- 2
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add onion and jalapeño, stir for 2 minutes until softened.
- 3
Add shredded beef, crumbled chile, and cumin. Stir constantly, breaking up clumps, for 6-8 minutes until beef is golden and crispy on edges.
- 4
Squeeze half the lime over the beef. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Toss once and slide onto a plate.
- 5
Cut remaining lime into wedges. Serve the carne seca with lime wedges and warm tortillas.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet or comal
- wooden spoon or spatula
- cutting board
- knife
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