Chile Colorado Recipe

Chile Colorado with cilantro and radishes in a white bowl

5 from 5 votes

Chile Colorado is chunks of tender beef cooked in a mildly spicy flavorful chile sauce. Step-by-step for the stovetop, the slow cooker, and the Instant Pot. Gluten-free recipe.

Prep Time30

Cook Time4

Total Time4 30

Course: Dinner, lunch

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: servings

Calories: 494kcal

Author: Cyndy Ufkes - The Art of Food and Wine

Ingredients

Beef:

3 lbs Beef - eye of round, chuck roast, beef roast (visible fat trimmed)
3 Tbsp Canola Oil

Fresh Chile Sauce:

4 each Dried Anaheim/California Red chile peppers
4 each Dried Pasilla or Ancho chile peppers
16 oz beef or chicken broth
5-6 cloves fresh garlic
1 Tbsp ground cumin
½ tsp allspice
2 bay leaves
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper

Instructions

Preparing Beef:

Cut beef into 2" x 2" pieces
Add oil to a large sauté pan set to medium-high heat, or the Instant Pot set on Sauté mode.
Once the oil is hot, sauté the meat on all sides. Cook in batches to avoid crowding. (If you overcrowd the pan you will steam rather than sauté)
Drain and discard excess oil from pan

Making the Fresh Chile Sauce:

In a dry skillet, over medium heat, lightly heat the dried chile pepper pods until they are slightly brown and fragrant. About 3-5 minutes, turning occasionally.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, cut in half to remove the stem and the seeds inside. Discard stem and seeds
Heat 24 ounces of water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, add the chile pieces, remove from heat, cover and let steep for 20 minutes.
Strain the chile but reserve about 10 ounces of the chile water.
In a blender add the broth, garlic cloves, cumin, allspice and softened chiles. Blend on high until you have a very smooth sauce. Add 8 ounces of the reserved chile water and test for thickness. Add more chile water if needed.

Slow Cooker Instructions:

Add sautéed meat to the slow cooker bowl
Pour freshly blended chile sauce over the meat and mix to coat. Add bay leaves
Cover and cook for 3-4 hours on High or 7-8 hours on low. Check meat for tenderness.
Remove bay leaves. Check seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed

Stovetop Instructions:

Sauté meat as directed above in a dutch oven, drain excess oil.
Pour freshly blended chile sauce over meat and mix to coat. Add bay leaves.
Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cover.
Simmer for about 90 minutes - 2 hours. Check meat for tenderness
Remove bay leaves. Check seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed.

Instant Pot Instructions:

Sauté meat as directed above on the Sauté setting, remove meat and drain excess oil.
Turn off Sauté mode. (You will need to sauté in batches)
Add meat and pour freshly blended chile sauce over meat and mix to coat. Add bay leaves.
Secure the lid of the Instant Pot and seal the vent.
Turn Instant Pot to the Stew /Meat setting to cook. (this setting is automatic, but if setting it manually set for 35-minutes)
Let the pressure release naturally.
When done carefully remove the lid. Stir, remove bay leaves, and check seasonings. If needed, add salt and pepper.

Notes

The liquid will not reduce as much in the instant pot as it will on the stovetop or slow cooker.
For the beef, you can successfully use: top round, London broil, beef chuck, or chuck roast
The sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for 3 months
Completed recipe can be refrigerated for 3 days or frozen for up to 3-months
Want to mix it up: try this sauce with pork or chicken!

Nutrition