Description
Chile Colorado is a classic Mexican beef stew featuring tender chunks of beef simmered in a rich, aromatic sauce made from toasted guajillo and ancho chiles, tomatoes, and traditional spices. This hearty dish combines slow-cooked, flavorful meat with a mildly spicy and vibrant red chile sauce, typically served with warm tortillas, Mexican rice, refried beans, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges for a complete and satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chile Colorado Sauce
- 6-8 dried guajillo chiles, seeds and stems removed
- 2-3 dried ancho chiles, seeds and stems removed
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 small onion, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups beef broth (or water)
- Salt to taste
Beef and Seasonings
- 2 pounds beef chuck roast or stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 bay leaf
To Serve
- Flour tortillas or corn tortillas
- Mexican rice
- Refried beans
- Fresh cilantro, chopped
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Prepare the Chile Colorado Sauce: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the guajillo and ancho chiles for about 2-3 minutes, turning occasionally until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them.
- Soak the Chiles: Once toasted, place the chiles in a heatproof bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 15-20 minutes to soften.
- Blend the Sauce: Drain the chiles and transfer them to a blender. Add the chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and beef broth. Blend until smooth. Taste the sauce and add salt as needed.
- Heat the Oil and Season Beef: Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the beef cubes with salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder.
- Sear the Beef: Add the beef in batches to the pot and sear on all sides until browned, about 4-5 minutes per batch. Remove the browned beef and set aside.
- Combine Beef and Bay Leaf: After all the beef is browned, return it to the pot and add the bay leaf.
- Simmer in Sauce: Pour the blended chile sauce over the beef in the pot and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, then cover and reduce the heat to low. Let the beef cook for 1.5-2 hours, or until tender and the sauce thickens. Stir occasionally, adding more broth or water if the sauce gets too thick.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the bay leaf and discard it. Serve the Chile Colorado with warm tortillas, Mexican rice, refried beans, and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.
Notes
- Toast the chiles carefully as burning them will make the sauce bitter.
- Adjust the sauce thickness by adding more broth or water during simmering if needed.
- For extra tenderness, you can cook the beef longer at low heat until it reaches your desired softness.
- Guajillo chiles provide a mild heat while ancho chiles add depth and slight sweetness; adjust quantities to your heat preference.
- This dish can be made a day ahead to allow the flavors to meld even more.
