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Final Serving Dish: Chili Colorado Recipe with tender beef in red sauce, garnished with pickled radishes, sour cream, jalapeño slices, and Mexican rice.

Chili Colorado Recipe

A rich, authentic Mexican Chili Colorado Recipe featuring tender beef simmered in a smoky, complex red chile sauce made from guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles. Perfect for family dinners, meal prep, and versatile leftovers.
5 from 1 vote
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Course: Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine: Latin American, Mexican
Keyword: Bueno chili Colorado recipe, Chili Colorado recipe food network, Chili Colorado recipe slow cooker, Chili Colorado sauce, Chili colorado with potatoes, Las Palmas chili Colorado recipe, Pork chili Colorado recipe
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Soaking Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 410kcal
Cost: $20

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven / Heavy pot (For slow simmering and browning beef)
  • 1 Blender (To puree the chile sauce until smooth)
  • 1 Fine mesh strainer (To strain out chile skins and seeds)
  • 1 Cutting board (For chopping beef and onions)
  • 1 Skillet (dry) (Safe surface for prep work)
  • 1 Gas burner or grill (For toasting dried chiles)
  • 1 Wooden spoon (For charring onion and/or chipotle (secret tip!))
  • 1 Tongs (For stirring during cooking)
  • 1 Mixing bowl (To flip and handle meat without mess)
  • 1 Measuring cups & spoons (For soaking chiles or holding ingredients)

Ingredients

  • 6–8 Dried guajillo chiles - Stems & seeds removed
  • 4 Dried ancho chiles - Stems & seeds removed
  • 2 Dried pasilla chiles - Stems & seeds removed
  • 1 Chipotle chile in adobo - Adds smoky depth
  • 3 lbs Beef chuck roast - Cut into large chunks
  • 2 teaspoon Salt - To season beef
  • 1 teaspoon Black pepper - Freshly ground
  • 1 White onion - Chopped
  • 5 cloves Garlic - Minced
  • 2 teaspoon Ground cumin Warm - spice
  • 2 teaspoon Mexican oregano - Dried
  • 2 Bay leaves - Whole
  • 4 cups Beef broth - Regular or low-sodium
  • 1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar - For brightness
  • 2 tablespoon Tomato paste - Adds body
  • 1 oz Dark chocolate - Optional balances bitterness
  • 1 teaspoon Brown sugar - Optional adds sweetness
  • — Extra salt - To taste

Instructions

  • Toast and soak dried chiles
    Soaking Dried Chiles: A bowl filled with dried red chiles soaking in hot water until softened.
  • Blend chiles into smooth sauce
    Preparing Chile Sauce: Blended red chile mixture being poured from a blender into a measuring cup, smooth and thick.
  • Brown beef and sauté aromatics
    Browning Beef with Onions: Beef chunks searing in a pot with diced onions to build the flavor base.
  • Add sauce, broth, and spices
    Adding Sauce and Spices: A Dutch oven with browned beef chunks, herbs, and spices, as a vibrant red chile sauce is being poured in.
  • Simmer until tender, adjust seasoning
    Chili Colorado Bowl: A rich beef stew in red chile sauce, topped with fresh cilantro and diced onion, served with tortillas, Mexican rice, and pickled onions.

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Nutrition

Serving: 300g | Calories: 410kcal (21%) | Carbohydrates: 12g (4%) | Protein: 38g (76%) | Fat: 23g (35%) | Saturated Fat: 9g (56%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 115mg (38%) | Sodium: 780mg (34%) | Potassium: 950mg (27%) | Fiber: 4g (17%) | Sugar: 5g (6%) | Vitamin A: 2200IU (44%) | Vitamin C: 12mg (15%) | Calcium: 55mg (6%) | Iron: 4.5mg (25%)
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