Hilachas is a popular Guatemalan recipe made of cooked and shredded beef that is simmered in a mildly spicy tomatillo-tomato sauce. Pair it with a side of rice and fresh corn tortillas for a full meal.

Guatemalan Hilachas Recipe
Hilachas is a dish originating in Guatemalan cuisine that is similar to ropa vieja.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs beef flank steak or 2skirt steaks cubed
- 5 cups water
- 2 -3 tbsp oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 cup tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup tomatillo chopped
- 2 -3 guajillo chilies warmed over a flame, deseeded and chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb potato peeled and chopped
- 2 -3 Carrots peeled and chopped
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 bunch cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Place the beef, water and a big pinch of salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beef is very tender.
- Remove the beef to a bowl, reserving the broth, and set aside to cool
- When cool enough to handle, shred the beef with your fingers and set aside.
- While the beef is simmering, place the onion, tomatoes, tomatillos and chiles in a food processor or blender and puree, adding a little water if necessary.
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium flame. Add the onion-tomato puree and simmer until the puree is cooked down and darkens somewhat in color, about 10 minutes. Do not burn.
- Add the shredded beef and about 3 cups of the broth to the onion-tomato puree and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for about 15 minutes.
- Stir in the potatoes, onions and a little more broth or water if necessary Simmer until the potatoes and carrots are cooked through, about 15-20 minutes.
- Stir in the breadcrumbs to thicken the sauce.
- Then stir in the chopped cilantro, adjust seasoning and serve hot with corn tortillas or rice.
Recipe Roundup Weekly Newsletter
Signup to receive our new recipes every week. Every Monday we send out last week’s newly published recipes. Never miss a recipe from Hispanic Food Network.
Processing…
Success! You're on the list.
Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.