chile colorado

Chile Colorado is a flavorful and hearty stew recipe made with stew meat simmered in a Mexican style red chile sauce until fall-apart tender. This Chile Colorado recipe can be made in the oven, stove top, Instant Pot or slow cooker.

Chile Colorado Recipe (Mexican Beef Stew)

Guajillo chiles *see notes about chiles

New Mexico Chiles

Chile de Arbol chiles

chicken broth

tomato roasted *see notes

beef chuck,

Salt and black pepper

olive oil, vegetable oil or canola oil

onion,

garlic cloves,

cumin

oregano

all spice

apple cider vinegar

masa harina

chicken bouillon (optional)

Salt and pepper

Prep the chiles

Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles.

Heat the chiles

Place the chiles on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for 30 seconds total - in 2 intervals of 15 seconds each.

Quick Soak the chiles

Heat 2 cups of chicken broth until warm - you can do this in the microwave. Submerge the chiles into the broth, cover and microwave for about 2 minutes.

Make Sauce

Place the chiles, the roasted tomato and the liquid into a blender and process until smooth. About 2 minutes. Set aside.When blending hot liquids, you must hold the blender lid down with a kitchen towel to prevent the lid from popping up violently.

To Make the Red Chile Sauce

Season the meat

Season the beef with salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Sear the meat

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef to the pot in a single layer and sear on all sides until the beef turns golden brown. You may need to do this in batches to prevent over crowding the pot.&nbsp;Remove the seared beef to a plate and set aside.

Cook aromatics

When you are done searing all the beef, add the onions to the pot (add more oil if needed), and saute for about 3 to  4 minutes or until the onions become soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 additional minute. Add the spices and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.

Cook stew

Return the beef and any collected juices back to the pot. Add the red chile sauce and the remaining broth and stir to combine. Bring to a boil. (If cooking in the oven or in the slow cooker, you can follow the instructions below).

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook stirring occasionally for about 1.5 hours or until the beef is tender.&nbsp;

To Make the Chile Colorado Beef Stew

Oven Instructions

Preheat the oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the covered pot in the oven and cook for 1.5 hours or until the beef is tender.

If Cooking In the Oven

Slow Cooker Instructions

Place the seared beef, saute onions, garlic and spices into the slow cooker. Add the chile paste and broth. Cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours or until the beef is tender.&nbsp;

If Cooking In the Slow Cooker:

Instant Pot Instructions

Use the saute function to brown the beef Do it in batches not to overcrowd the pot. Remove from the Instant Pot.

When you are done searing all the beef, (see NOTE 1) add the onions to the pot (add more oil if needed), and saute for about 3 to  4 minutes or until the onions become soft and translucent. Add the garlic and the spices and cook for 30 seconds  stirring constantly. Turn the Instant Pot Off.

Pour the remaining broth into the Instant Pot and with a wooden spoon scrape any browned bits stuck at the bottom. Return the beef and any collected juices back to the pot. Add the red chile sauce and stir to combine.

Lock the lid on and check that the valve is set to seal. Cook on HIGH pressure for 30 minutes.

When the cook time is up, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure and carefully open the lid. Continue with the rest of the recipe below. You will use the saute function to simmer the sauce (with the cornstarch slurry) for 5-6 minutes.

If Cooking In A Pressure Cooker (Instant Pot)

Make a slurry

Make a Masa Harina Slurry: In a small bowl, mix the masa harina with 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid (beef juices) until the mixture is smooth. You can also use broth or water, if preferred.

Stir in slurry

Stir the masa harina slurry mixture and the vinegar into the beef stew and simmer on the stove top for 5 minutes. (If using a slow cooker, set the crockpot to high and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes).

Check seasoning and serve

Check for seasoning and add the chicken bouillon (optional) or salt and pepper, if needed. Serve.

After The Beef Is Tender (for all methods)

https://embed.mediavine.com/videos/orpz6ced6b0zhiq3xrqm

This rich and hearty Chile Colorado recipe is lip-smacking good! Beef chunks are simmered in a Mexican style red chile sauce until fall-apart tender. A delicious meal in itself and perfect for tacos or smothered burritos! Recipe instruction to be made n the stove top, oven and crock pot.

Chile Colorado Beef Stew

Chile Colorado

chili peppers

chicken stock,

chuck

vegetable oil, divided

kosher salt for beef

black pepper

beef stock (boxed

bay leaves

yellow onion, diced

garlic

salt

tomato paste

molasses

red wine vinegar

Scallions chopped for serving

Cilantro

6” flour tortillas

Rice and beans,

Place all three chili peppers in a medium pan big enough to hold them laying flat and cover with the boiling hot chicken stock. Cover and let sit covered for 30 minutes.

While the peppers are rehydrating, place a medium to large Dutch oven over a burner set to high heat along with two tablespoons of the oil.

Salt and pepper the beef cubes and once the oil is hot, add half the beef not touching each other and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side until nicely browned and seared. Remove to a bowl then add the remaining oil and once hot, sear the remaining beef.

Pour the first batch of beef back into the pan and add the beef stock and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Lower to a medium simmer and cook uncovered for one hour. A medium simmer should be closer to a low boil and less like a simmer. If you don&#8217;t have the heat high enough, not enough of the liquid will evaporate and the finished sauce will be thin.

As soon as the beef is cooking, the peppers should be ready for the next step.

Add onions, garlic, oregano, salt, cumin and tomato paste to the pan with the peppers and cook for 15 minutes on medium heat, uncovered. Stir in the molasses and vinegar after the 15 minutes. Place the whole pan full of peppers and onions in a blender and puree until smooth with no lumps. (I tried an immersion blender and found the regular blender to be easier and quicker). Set this aside until the beef reaches one hour of cooking.

After the beef has cooked for one hour, stir in the pepper puree and cook uncovered for another hour at a medium simmer using a heat diffuser under the pan and stirring occasionally to make sure the beef doesn’t stick to the bottom. A medium simmer should be closer to a low boil and less like a simmer. If you don&#8217;t have the heat high enough, not enough of the liquid will evaporate and the finished sauce will be thin. Stir often so the mixture does not stick, particularly towards the end when it gets thick.

After the two hours, test the beef for tenderness and only if needed, cook a little bit longer. The sauce will be dark brown, thick and creamy once done.

Place a cover over the pot and let it sit off of the heat for 30 minutes while you prepare the beans and rice if serving along with scallions, cilantro and flour tortillas. This step is important so even if you are not serving with beans and rice, let the meat sit covered for 30 minutes off heat.

Can you please explain what you mean by a 'diffuser'. I've never heard of this in cooking. And can't this be put in the oven to cook.

Love this!!  The sauce didn't thicken much. Any suggestions? Also what should I do with all the sauce that is left?  Thanks.

I am in the process of making this recipe.  2 quarts of beef stock seems like way too much.  Is there an error there.  My dish is coming out like a soup.  Is it supposed to be runny or like in your pictures.  I’m going to keep trying to simmer it down.
Thanks.

I tried hitting reply to your comments and it didn't work, so I'm submitting a new one.  Sorry for the inconvenience.  I stated in my original comment that I was in the middle of cooking the recipe so the sauce was still soupy.  I think your instructions were fine and I understand a medium simmer.  The sauce did thicken (it was delicious and creamy), but the sauce to meat ratio was leaning very heavy towards the sauce side, which you said would be the case...if I just read the other comments.  When all the meat was eaten, there was still a large tub of sauce left (not a bad thing).  We substituted the colorado sauce for some of the enchilada sauce that we made on cinqo de mayo and the smoky flavor added another element.  In the future, I may just add more meat and freeze the leftovers...or wait for your Burrito recipe.  Thanks for sharing.

A popular Mexican stew, Chile Colorado includes tender pieces of beef simmered in a red chile sauce made from dried Mexican chiles, broth and spices.

ancho chiles (,

guajillo chiles (, or New Mexican chiles)

chicken broth (, divided)

onion (, chopped)

½ of a jalapeno (, minced (optional, for more heat))

garlic powder

Paprika

½ lbs stew meat (,

Tablespoons flour

Tablespoons oil

bay leaf

lime

Cornstarch slurry (1 Tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 Tablespoon water)

corn

chopped fresh Cilantro (, for garnish)

radishes

Mexican rice

Remove meat from fridge and cut into ½ inch cubes. Set aside.

Remove the stems (and seeds if you want, for milder heat) from the dried chiles while rinsing them under cold water. Place chiles in a saucepan and cover with broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the meat. Season on all sides with salt and pepper and sprinkle with flour. Add oil to a skillet over medium high heat. Once hot, add meat and cook until browned on both sides. Depending on the size of your pan you will need to do this in a few batches to keep from overcrowding.

Remove meat to a plate and set aside. Add onion and jalapeno to the pan and saute for several minutes.

As the onions cook, pour the softened peppers and the broth into a blender. Add the sautéed onion and jalapeno and blend until smooth. Set aside.

Return browned beef (and accumulated juices) back to the pot. Strain the chili sauce from the blender through a fine mesh strainer, into the pot. Add oregano, cumin, paprika, garlic powder and stir well. Add bay leaf.

Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about an hour, or until the meat is very tender.

Uncover and stir in lime juice and cornstarch slurry. Cook for a few more minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened.

Serve as a stew with tortillas for dipping and a side of Mexican rice and beans.

https://content.jwplatform.com/videos/ZDYbZ3SN.mp4

A popular Mexican stew, Chile Colorado includes tender pieces of beef simmered in a bold, flavorful red chile sauce made from dried Mexican chiles, broth and spices.

Colorado Chile Salsa recipe from Pati&#039;s Mexican Table Season 9, Episode 1 &quot;Tucson: Gateway to Sonora&quot;

Colorado Chile Salsa

tomatoes

colorado chiles

onion

vegetable oil

Combine the tomatoes, chiles and garlic in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until tomatoes are completely cooked and mushy and the chiles are plumped and rehydrated.

Transfer the tomatoes, chiles and garlic to a blender, add the onion, salt and pepper, and purée until completely smooth.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, pour in the tomato sauce, cover partially and simmer for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flavors and color have deepened and the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve hot, warm, room temperature or chilled. The salsa will keep for 5 days in the refrigerator.

Dirty Rice with Clams recipe from Pati&#039;s Mexican Table Season 9, Episode 8 &quot;Super Sonoran&quot;

Dirty Rice with Clams

littleneck clams

Colorado, New Mexico or guajillo chiles (stemmed and seeded)

garlic cloves

salt (divided,

olive oil (divided)

unsalted butter

white onion

red bell pepper

leeks

carrots

beer

water

Mahatma® Rice white rice (or jasmine white rice)

parsley

Rinse and scrub the clams under a thin stream of cold water. Discard any that are open or broken. Drain well.

Place the chiles, tomatoes and garlic cloves in a medium saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, until the chiles have plumped and rehydrated and the garlic and tomatoes are fully cooked, soft and mushy, but not falling apart. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the tomatoes, chiles and garlic to a blender, along with 1 cup of the cooking liquid, and allow to cool slightly. Add the cumin, oregano and 1 teaspoon salt. Puree until completely smooth. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat in a large wide casserole or lidded sauté pan. When the butter begins to foam add the onion, bell pepper, leek and carrot, and cook, stirring often, for about 5 to 6 minutes, until the vegetables have fully softened and begun to lightly brown along the edges. Stir in the wine or beer and 1/2 teaspoon salt, and simmer until the wine or beer has just about evaporated, about 4 to 5 minutes. The vegetables should be quite soft and moist but not wet.

Pour the tomato puree over the vegetables, bring to a boil and add all the clams. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until the shells open. Turn off heat and leave undisturbed for 5 more minutes. Uncover and, using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove all the clams and place in a bowl. Transfer the sauce and vegetables to a bowl or a large heatproof measuring cup and wipe the casserole or sauté pan clean. Add enough water or broth to the sauce to measure 5 cups.

Remove about 3 dozen clams from the shells and discard the shells.

Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat in the casserole or sauté pan until hot but not smoking. Add the rice and cook, stirring often, until it crackles, becomes milky white, and feels heavier as you stir it, about 3 to 4 minutes. Don’t let it brown. Stir in the reserved sauce and veggies and the remaining teaspoon salt. Stir well, add all the clams, both shelled and those still in their shells, bring back to a boil, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated and the rice has cooked. Taste the rice, and if it seems a bit too dente or not fully cooked and all of the liquid has almost evaporated, add another 1/4 to 1/2 cup water or broth, scrape the bottom, cover and cook for a few more minutes.

When ready to serve fluff with a fork, garnish with fresh parsley or cilantro or both and dig in.

This sweet potato and chickpea stew with a Mexican twist is made with guajillo and ancho chile, cumin, oregano, and thyme.

Sweet Potato and Chickpea Stew in Chile Colorado

Ancho chiles, (dried, deseeded)

Guajillo chiles, (dried, deseeded)

Tomato, (medium)

Garlic

Oregano, (dried)

Bay leaf, (dried)

Cumin, (ground)

Onion, (white, minced)

½ cups (1 large) Diced Sweet Potato

(1 medium) Diced Yukon gold potato

(14.5 oz) Chickpeas, (drained)

Thyme

Vegetable stock

Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add chiles, tomato and bay leaf and turn heat down to a reallt slow simmer. Let simmer for 8 minutes.

While the chiles are simmering, heat a large pot to medium heat and add ¼ cup of water. Add onion and sweat until tender and translucent, about 4 minutes.

Add potatoes and sweet potatoes and 1 cup of vegetable stock. Cover and let simmer for about 6 min or until potatoes are beginning to become tender, but are not fully cooked.

Strain the chiles, but reserve one cup of the chile soaking liquid. Place the drained chiles, garlic, tomato, oregano, cumin, and 1 cup of the chile soaking liquid in the blender and blend until smooth. Strain the sauce.

Add sauce, chickpeas, and sprigs of thyme to the pot. Let simmer slowly for 8-10 minutes or until the sweet potatoes are cooked through. If the sauce is too thick, add more vegetable stock accordingly.

Season with salt and pepper. Remove thyme sprigs before serving.

Serve with rice and warm corn tortillas.

Turned out great! Muy delicioso! My husband said, “save this recipe”!  I’m thinking ahead for my maternity leave and think I’ll make a batch to freeze. Do you think this will freeze well?

I used a combination of mulato, chipotle, pasilla and ancho ? Loooveed it. I served it with steamed barley. Pleaseee give us more recipes. I made so many of yours and love them

Chile Colorado is a flavorful and authentic Mexican stew. Tender beef chunks simmer in a tasty red sauce made from dried chili peppers.

guajillo chilis (or New Mexico chilis)

ancho chilis

2-3 árbol chilis (optional)

garlic, divided

Tbsp oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)

½ tsp black pepper

roast,

all-purpose flour

Tbsp canola or vegetable oil

Cut the stems off and make a slit...

Cut the stems off and make a slit along the side to open them and discard the seeds. Add the chilis into a small pot and add water until they are completely submerged. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Do not discard soaking water.

Transfer soaked chilis, 2.5 cups of the soaking...

Transfer soaked chilis, 2.5 cups of the soaking water, 3 garlic cloves, oregano, cumin salt, and pepper to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

If you prefer a smoother sauce (which we...

If you prefer a smoother sauce (which we do), pour the prepared red sauce through a fine mesh sieve. Use a spoon to push down and work all of the liquid portion through the holes.

Season the beef chunks generously with salt and...

Season the beef chunks generously with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear beef chunks on all sides, working in batches if necessary. Remove to a plate.

Add the onion into the pot and sauté...

Add the onion into the pot and sauté until it begins to soften. Add in remaining two garlic cloves (finely chopped), and cook for a minute.

Add beef chunks back into the pot, along...

Add beef chunks back into the pot, along with red chili sauce and bay leaves. Mix well. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and cook for 1.5 hours, stirring occasionally.

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