The basement complex of the Sierra Madre region in north-eastern Mexico is classified into four domains: (a) granulite facies rocks of Grenville age (ca. 1 Ga) known as the Novillo Gneiss, (b) the Palaeozoic Granjeno Schist, (c) an unmetamorphosed succession of Palaeozoic marine siliciclastic and volcanic rocks, and (d) an Ordovician plagiogranite body. We present a geochemical and provenance study of the metasedimentary rocks of the Granjeno Schist, which are associated with metavolcanic and meta-ultramafic rocks. In the Granjeno Schist, trace element ratios (Th/Sc, La/Sch, La/Sc, and Zr/Sc) and REE compositions of the metasedimentary rocks are similar to values for the mean continental crust values and are consistent with derivation of detritus from felsic rocks. Chemical index of alteration values of 30–80 indicates low to moderate weathering of the source. The clastic metasedimentary rocks have moderately radiogenic Nd-isotopic compositions with initial εNd(t) values of −9 to −6, and model ages between 1.5 and 1.7 Ga. Ages of detrital zircon grains from the metasedimentary rocks are mostly 1.6–1.1 Ga, but some ages are 530–410 Ma. Such a Novillo Gneiss-like age spectrum argues for short transport for the majority of zircon grains, with potential additional transport from the Maya Block. Na-amphibole and mica geobarometer results of up to 6 kbar indicate high-pressure subduction-related metamorphism of the Granjeno Schist that was followed by a Pennsylvanian–Permian sub-greenschist to greenschist metamorphic overprint in an accretionary prism. Thus, the Granjeno Schist is a representative of ocean-plate stratigraphy that originated proximally close to a continent.