Mexican Hamburger Stew is is one of those classic, throw a bunch of ingredients into a slow cooker or pot on the stove, and pretty soon you have a yummy family meal. It is essentially a classic stew except made with ground beef and then given a Southwestern flair with the addition of green chiles and Southwestern spices (chili powder, cayenne, and cumin).
Personally, I tend to like Southwestern soups and stews on the spicy side. It’s really easy to adjust to your family’s desired heat level by starting with a moderate level and then adding spices to taste. If you want to tweak the flavor exactly to your liking, try directly tasting the 3 spices. I dip my finger in water and the the spice and taste it. The cayenne is what directly adds heat. Cumin and chili powder add the chili taste, but they have different flavors. I think of chili powder as adding classic American chili taste. I grew up in Virginia and our homemade chili had some chili powder but no Southwestern taste; plus it was on the mild side. I had no idea what real Southwestern food was like. For me, cumin is essential in many dishes for getting a real Southwestern flair. I hope you like tweaking the seasonings to get your own balance of flavors. Note that for pot lucks, you might want to separate it into 2 batches – one mild and one hot. Very easy.
This is an easy, basic recipe to make over and over, plus it freezes well. Try it and experiment with your own variations. Hope you like it!
- 2 pounds ground beef
- 2 medium onions, chopped
- 4 cans (14.5 oz each) stewed tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup diced green chiles, mild or medium heat
- 8 medium carrots, thinly sliced
- 4 celery ribs, thinly sliced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 cups water
- ½ cup uncooked long grain rice
- 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tsp chili powder, or to taste
- ½ tsp cayenne, or to taste
- ½ tsp cumin, or to taste
- In a Dutch oven or large skillet, cook beef and onions over medium heat, breaking it into crumbles, until beef is fully cooked; drain. If desired, transfer to large slow cooker. set to high. Add the tomatoes, green chiles, carrots, celery, potatoes, water, rice, salt, pepper and spices; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30-60 minutes or until vegetables
- and rice are tender.
- If desired, add more seasonings (chili powder, cayenne, cumin) adjusting to taste..
- Uncover; simmer 20-30 minutes longer or until thickened to desired consistency.
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