Chile Colorado Recipe

This Chile Colorado is rich and flavorful with a deep red chili sauce and tender chunks of beef

This hearty stew recipe is simple to make in an Instant Pot, slow cooker, or in the traditional way on the stovetop in a large pot

Pieces of tender beef cooked in a mildly spicy red chile sauce make this authentic Chile Colorado recipe one you will use over and over. The process is surprisingly simple but big on deep rich flavor!

What is Chile Colorado?

Chile Colorado (sometimes spelled Chili Colorado) is a rich Mexican stew with tender pieces of beef, slowly stewed, in a flavorful sauce of red chiles.

It’s an authentic dish normally served with Mexican rice and warm tortillas. The flavorful red chile sauce is slightly spicy and very flavorful. The word Colorado means “red” in Spanish and that is where this recipe gets its name, from the color of the smoky red sauce, rather than the state of Colorado.

Ingredient List

• Beef – 3 pounds of beef stew meat – eye of round, chuck roast, and London broil are the best cut of beef. Choose one of these for the best results
• Canola Oil – olive oil will work, as well
• 4 dried Anaheim Chiles or California Red Chile Peppers
• 4 dried Pasilla Chiles, Ancho Chiles, New Mexico Chiles, or Guajillo Chiles
• Beef Broth – chicken broth or chicken stock will work as well
• Garlic Cloves – fresh is best
• Spices – Ground Cumin, Allspice, and Bay Leaves
• Salt and Black Pepper
• Optional – fresh cilantro and sliced radishes as garnish

How to make Chile Colorado from scratch

There are 3 basic steps involved:

• Sautéing the meat
• Making the Chile Colorado sauce – the star of this dish
• Stewing the meat and sauce together

The fresh chile sauce is the best part of this authentic dish! If you’ve never worked with dried chilies before don’t worry because it’s surprisingly simple and we’ve got the simple step-by-step below.

• STEP ONE – PREPARING THE BEEF:
• Cut beef into about 2″ chunks. Remove any excess fat.
• Heat the oil over medium-high heat until shimmering, add meat in a single layer, and sauté in the hot oil until browned. Make in batches.
• It’s important to do this step in batches because overcrowding the meat will lead to steamed meat instead of browned meat. Browning is where the flavor lives!
• Drain excess oil and reserve meat after browning
• NOTE: If using your slow cooker or crockpot you need to brown the meat in a skillet before adding it to the slow cooker

• STEP TWO – MAKING THE FRESH CHILE SAUCE:
• In a large dry sauté pan warm the dried red chilies over medium heat until they begin to smell fragrant and are lightly browned (about 3-5 minutes). Turn occasionally to prevent burning.
• Remove from pan and let cool for a few minutes.
• Cut off the stems and discard them. Cut chili peppers in half, and remove and discard the seeds.
• Bring 24 ounces of hot water to a boil in a saucepan.
• Add dried chile pieces to the pan, remove from heat, cover, and let steep for 20 minutes to soften the chile pods.

• Strain the chile water but RESERVE about 10 ounces of the chile water for use in the sauce.
• In a blender, add the softened chiles, 2 cups of broth, garlic, cumin, and allspice.
• Blend until completely smooth.
• For safety reasons, it’s always a good idea to place a towel over the top of a blender when blending warm or hot ingredients.
• Add 8 ounces of the reserved chile water. Blend again and add more of the soaking liquid if the sauce seems too thick

Cooking the Chile Colorado

STEP THREE – Stewing the meat and sauce together:

The cooking method you choose will determine the pan, but in the end, you will combine and cook the meat and sauce together into a tender flavorful stew.

• Stovetop Method:
• Sauté the meat in a large pan or Dutch oven, drain excess oil, cover in fresh chile sauce, and add bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer uncovered on low for between 90 minutes and 2 hours or until beef is very tender. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

• Slow Cooker Method:
• Add the sautéed meat to the bowl of your slow cooker, then add the fresh chile sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Cover and cook for 7-8 hours on low heat or 3-4 hours on high heat and cook until meat is tender. Remove and discard the bay leaves.

• Instant Pot Method:
• Sauté meat in batches in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting, drain excess oil and turn off sauté mode. Cover meat with fresh chile sauce, add bay leaves, and stir to combine.
• Secure the lid and seal the vent. Turn the Instant Pot to the Stew/Meat setting to cook (the timing is automatic but will be about a 35-minute cook). Let the pressure release naturally. When done carefully remove the lid. Stir, remove, and discard the bay leaves.

Finishing the Stew

When the meat is fork tender the stew is ready. Taste the stew to see if it needs any salt and pepper. Serve in bowls and top with a little cilantro and sliced radishes, if desired.

The best type of beef to use

Like most stews, this Chile Colorado recipe doesn’t require an expensive cut of meat. My favorite is a chuck roast because it has more marbling and flavor.

Round roast is a great option and is a bit leaner and easier to shred after it’s cooked. You can also use an eye of round or even a London broil. Any of these work perfectly, so buy what’s easiest to find (or what is on sale!)

How to make a Chile Colorado Burrito

One of the tastiest and most popular ways to use Chile Colorado is to lightly shred it and then fold it up in a warm flour tortilla to make a burrito.

Add rice, a little cheese, sour cream, a squeeze of lime juice, chopped onions, and drizzle with our zesty Salsa Verde. Chile Colorado is also delicious on top of tortilla chips for a plate of nachos.

PRO TIP: Use a slotted spoon when adding the meat to the burrito, otherwise it can be a bit saucy and hard to eat!

Chef Tips for Success

• A variety of dried chile pods can be used. We recommend using at least 2 types of chiles to give the sauce a more complex flavor.
• Dried chiles are sold in bags in most grocery stores or sometimes loose at a specialty Mexican market.
• Use caution when blending the warm chile sauce. Be sure to keep your hand on the lid, drape it with a towel, and don’t overfill the blender.
• I like to serve my Chile Colorado chunky, but shredded is great, as well.
• You can easily double the sauce, which makes an easy dinner for next time.
• Want a thicker sauce? Whisk in a little finely ground cornmeal or masa harina.

Lefotovers and Storage

• REFRIGERATOR: The finished recipe and sauce can be refrigerated in an airtight container for 3 days. This stew tastes even better the next day!
• FREEZER: This recipe freezes beautifully. Be sure to cool completely, and store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
• SAUCE ONLY: You can also make just the Chile Colorado sauce and freeze it. Thaw, prepare the beef, and continue by using the directions above.

What to serve on the side

• Warm Flour Tortillas or Corn Tortillas
• Pinto Beans or Refried Beans
• This pairs perfectly with our Homemade Spanish Rice
• Spicy Mango Margaritas are a festive drink to serve with Chile Colorado