Fresh guacamole made with Carnival produce

Chula Vista · Carnival Supermarkets

Made with what
we carry.

Recipes crafted around the freshest ingredients from our departments — from produce and meat to bakery and bulk.

Everything starts in the store.

Every recipe below uses ingredients you can find right here at Carnival Supermarkets Chula Vista. We have the freshest produce, the best marinated meats, house-made tortillas, and bakery pan dulce — so cooking something great starts before you even get home.

Produce Meat & Seafood Bakery Bulk Foods Salsa Bar
6
Recipes
5
Departments
0
Grocery runs needed

The Collection

Pick your recipe

Classic Guacamole Salsa Bar ⏱ 10 min
Produce · Salsa & Guacamole
Classic Guacamole

Hass avocados, lime, serrano, onion, cilantro. Made just like our in-house salsa bar batch.
Carne Asada Tacos Meat & Seafood ⏱ 30 min
Meat & Seafood · Produce
Carne Asada Tacos

Carnival's signature marinated carne asada, grilled and served on fresh corn tortillas.
Salsa Roja Salsa Bar ⏱ 20 min
Produce · Bulk Foods
Roasted Salsa Roja

Fire-roasted Roma tomatoes, dried chiles, garlic, and onion. Deep, smoky, versatile.
Birria Quesatacos Meat & Seafood ⏱ 3–4 hrs
Meat & Seafood · Bulk Foods
Birria Quesatacos

Slow-braised beef in dried chile consommé. Served as crispy cheese-dipped quesatacos.
Pan Dulce French Toast Bakery ⏱ 20 min
Bakery
Pan Dulce French Toast

Day-old conchas soaked in a cinnamon-vanilla egg batter. Caramelized on a griddle.
Agua de Frutas Produce ⏱ 15 min
Produce
Agua de Frutas

Seasonal fruit from our produce department blended with lime, sugar, and cold water.

Salsa & Guacamole Department

Classic Guacamole

The same way we make it at our in-house salsa bar — fresh Hass avocados mashed with serrano, lime, and cilantro. No shortcuts, no gimmicks.

Prep 10 min
Serves 4–6
Difficulty Easy
Produce Salsa Bar

Ingredients

  • 3 ripe Hass avocados
  • 1 serrano chile, minced
  • ½ white onion, finely diced
  • 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 1 tsp sea salt (to taste)

Steps

  1. 1 Halve avocados, remove pits, and scoop flesh into a bowl.
  2. 2 Add lime juice and mash to your preferred texture — chunky or smooth.
  3. 3 Fold in serrano, onion, tomato, and cilantro.
  4. 4 Season with salt. Taste and adjust lime and serrano.
Carnival tip: Pick up Hass avocados from our Produce department — ask our team to pick ones just ripe enough so they're ready by dinner.
Classic guacamole bowl

Meat & Seafood Department

Carne Asada Tacos

Carnival's butchers hand-trim and marinate our carne asada daily using a smoky citrus-adobo blend. Throw it straight on the grill — the hard work is already done.

Prep 5 min
Cook 25 min
Serves 4
Difficulty Easy
Meat & Seafood Produce Salsa Bar

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb Carnival marinated carne asada
  • 12 corn tortillas (or flour)
  • 1 white onion, diced
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  • 2 limes, quartered
  • House salsa roja (from salsa bar)
  • Guacamole (optional)

Steps

  1. 1 Heat grill or cast-iron skillet to high. Grill carne asada 4–5 min per side until charred.
  2. 2 Rest meat 5 minutes, then chop into small pieces.
  3. 3 Warm tortillas directly on the flame or skillet for 30 seconds each.
  4. 4 Double up tortillas, add meat, top with onion and cilantro. Serve with lime and salsa.
Carnival tip: Our butchers season to order — ask for extra adobo or a lighter marinade depending on your preference. Grab corn tortillas made in-house from the Food Court tortilla station.
Carne asada tacos with salsa

Salsa & Guacamole Department

Roasted Salsa Roja

A deep, fire-roasted red salsa built on Roma tomatoes, dried guajillo and ancho chiles, roasted garlic and onion. This is the base of our in-house salsa bar roja.

Prep 5 min
Cook 15 min
Makes ~2 cups
Difficulty Easy
Produce Bulk Foods

Ingredients

  • 6 Roma tomatoes, halved
  • 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed & seeded
  • 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed & seeded
  • 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
  • ½ white onion, quartered
  • 1 tsp cumin (from bulk)
  • Salt to taste
  • ½ cup water

Steps

  1. 1 Toast dried chiles in a dry skillet 30 seconds per side. Soak in hot water 10 minutes to soften.
  2. 2 Char tomatoes, garlic, and onion on skillet until blackened in spots, about 8 minutes.
  3. 3 Peel garlic. Blend all ingredients with ½ cup water until smooth.
  4. 4 Fry salsa in 1 tbsp hot oil for 3–4 minutes to deepen flavor. Salt to taste.
Carnival tip: Dried guajillo and ancho chiles are available in our Bulk Foods department. Grab a handful — they keep for months and are the backbone of countless Mexican sauces.
Making salsa with fresh produce

Meat & Seafood Department

Birria Quesatacos

Slow-braised beef short ribs or chuck in a smoky, spiced dried chile broth. The consommé becomes a dipping sauce. The tortillas get dipped and crisped in the fat on the griddle.

Prep 30 min
Cook 3–4 hrs
Serves 6
Difficulty Intermediate
Meat & Seafood Bulk Foods Produce

Ingredients

  • 3 lb beef chuck or short ribs
  • 5 dried guajillo chiles
  • 3 dried ancho chiles
  • 2 dried chiles de árbol (for heat)
  • 1 white onion, halved
  • 6 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp cumin, oregano, cloves (from bulk)
  • 2 Roma tomatoes
  • Corn tortillas + Oaxacan cheese
  • Diced onion, cilantro, lime to serve

Steps

  1. 1 Toast and soak dried chiles 15 minutes. Blend with tomatoes, garlic, and spices into a smooth paste.
  2. 2 Season beef with salt, coat in chile paste. Marinate 1 hour or overnight.
  3. 3 Add beef and 4 cups water to a pot. Braise covered at low heat 3–4 hours until tender.
  4. 4 Shred meat. Dip tortillas in the fat layer of the consommé, fill with cheese and meat, fold and griddle until crispy.
  5. 5 Serve with a cup of warm consommé for dipping.
Carnival tip: Our meat counter carries beef short ribs and chuck daily — ask the butcher to cut the beef into large chunks for braising. Dried chiles and whole spices are in our Bulk Foods aisle.
Birria quesatacos

Bakery Department

Pan Dulce French Toast

Day-old conchas from our bakery absorb a cinnamon-vanilla custard beautifully. Caramelized on a griddle and served with fresh fruit and a dusting of powdered sugar.

Prep 10 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 2–4
Difficulty Easy
Bakery Produce

Ingredients

  • 4 conchas (day-old, from Bakery)
  • 3 eggs
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • Powdered sugar and fresh fruit to serve

Steps

  1. 1 Whisk eggs, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon together in a wide bowl.
  2. 2 Slice conchas in half. Soak each half in the egg mixture for 30 seconds per side.
  3. 3 Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook conchas cut-side down 2–3 min until golden.
  4. 4 Flip and cook another 2 minutes. Serve with powdered sugar and seasonal fruit.
Carnival tip: Our bakery makes conchas, cuernos, and pan de muerto fresh daily. Day-old conchas work best — grab them in the afternoon for next-morning french toast.
Carnival conchas pan dulce

Produce Department

Agua de Frutas

Blended seasonal fruit from our produce section with lime, sugar, and water. Use whatever is ripe — watermelon, mango, tamarind, or hibiscus flowers from bulk for agua de jamaica.

Prep 10 min
Chill 30 min
Makes 1 pitcher
Difficulty Easy
Produce Bulk Foods

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cubed watermelon (or ripe mango)
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 3–4 tbsp sugar (to taste)
  • 4 cups cold water
  • Pinch of salt
  • Mint leaves (optional, from Produce)
  • Ice to serve

Steps

  1. 1 Blend fruit with 1 cup of water until smooth.
  2. 2 Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher.
  3. 3 Add remaining water, lime juice, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Stir well.
  4. 4 Chill 30 minutes. Serve over ice with mint.
Carnival tip: Check our produce section for what's in season. Watermelon and mango are available year-round. For agua de jamaica, grab dried hibiscus flowers from the Bulk Foods aisle — steep in hot water, sweeten, and chill.
Fresh fruit agua fresca