Chile Colorado

This Chile Colorado cooks low and slow in a rich red sauce to create a Mexican Red Chile stew. It is thick, rich and hearty and has quickly become one of my favorite chili and Mexican Recipes.

If you love chili as much as I do, then I am sure you will love this Authentic Chili Colorado. Make sure to check out this Slow Cooker Brisket Chili or Texas Roadhouse Chili Recipe for other family favorites.

What is Chile Colorado?

This Chile Colorado is not a dish from the State of Colorado. The name comes from the Spanish word which means colored red because of the deep red chile sauce from the Chile Peppers. It is a traditional Mexican stew that is made with either pork or beef.

Dried chiles are blended with simple spices and broth to create a delicious sauce that gives the stew meat deep flavor.

We like to cook in one pot on the stovetop but it can also be prepared in the instant pot or slow cooker.

Ingredients

• Dried Guajillo Chiles and Ancho Chiles – Remove stems and seeded
• Yellow Onion – We quartered the onions
• Beef Broth – Gives the best flavor but you can also use chicken broth or vegetable broth
• Cloves Garlic, minced – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
• Dried Oregano, Ground Cumin and Salt – Simple spices to add flavor to the sauce
• Stew Meat – You can use a beef chuck roast diced into bite size pieces instead of stew meat.  
• All Purpose Flour – Helps to thicken the sauce and to coat the meat

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe and ingredients in the recipe card.

How to Make Chile Colorado

Step 1 – Place the chiles and onions in a saucepan. Cover it with broth (add more broth if needed to cover the onions and chiles).  Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to low.  Simmer on low for 20 minutes until the onions and peppers are soft.  

Step 2 – Use a slotted spoon to remove the chiles and onions from the pan to a blender.  Add in 1 cup of liquid from the saucepan. 

Step 3 – Add in the garlic, oregano, cumin and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Blend until well combined.  

Step 4 – Dice the stew meat into approximately ½ inch cubes.  Add to a large mixing bowl. Top with the flour, salt and pepper and toss to coat the meat with that mixture.

Step 5 – Heat the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat.  

Step 6 – Once hot add in the stew meat and brown the beef on all sides (approximately 5 minutes). You will likely need to cook in 2 batches based on the size of your pan. 

Step 7 – Add all the meat back to the pan. Stir in the red chili sauce from the blender, beef broth and bay leaves. 

Step 8 – Bring the mixture to a low boil.  Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer on low for approximately 2 hours until the beef is fork tender.  

• Step 9 – Remove the lid, increase the heat to medium and cook for 15-20 minutes until the sauce thickens.
• Step 10 – Remove the bay leaves, serve with your favorite sides and enjoy! 

Recipe Tips

• Chiles – If you have trouble finding the chiles, you can use Pasilla or mulato dried chilies instead of Ancho chilies and New Mexican chiles instead of Guajillo chiles in this recipe.  
• Make Ahead Sauce – The red chili sauce can easily be made ahead of time and frozen until you are ready to use (for up to 6 months).  
• Blending Sauce – If you do not have a high power blender, you may want to run the red chili sauce through a fine mesh strainer before adding to the pan with the meat. 
• Cooking Beef – If the beef is not fork tender after cooking on low for 2 hours continue to cook until it’s tender.  If the beef is tough, that means it just needs to cook longer.  

Variations Ideas

• Change the Meats – We used stew meats in this recipe but you easily substitute with a pork shoulder or pork butt.
• Add Beans – If you prefer, feel free to add in a can or two of chili beans.
• Instant Pot – This chile can easily be made in the instant pot. After you have prepared the sauce, add it to the pressure cooker with the meat. Cook on high for 30 minutes and finish with a natural release.
• Crock Pot – This recipe can easily be made in the crock pot if you prefer. Make the red chili sauce as directed.  Brown the beef and add the beef, red chili sauce, beef broth and bay leaves to a crock pot.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours until the beef is tender.    

Serving Suggestions

• Rice – Make Instant pot White Rice Recipe, Cilantro Lime Rice or Mexican Rice for a delicious base to this chile colorado.
• Tortillas – For a classic side dish, make Homemade Flour Tortillas Recipe. Feel free to also use corn tortilla. Serve with fresh lime juice for even more flavor.
• Beans – Add a side of Slow Cooker Black Beans and Easy Crockpot Refried Beans Recipe.
• Toppings – Serve this Chile Colorado topped with shredded cheese, Guacamole Recipe and freshly chopped cilantro.