Have you ever had Beef Chile Colorado? Next time you’re in the mood for chili, take my advice and try the real deal. No beans, just meat and chili sauce, served up with brown rice and tortillas.
And if you want beans with your Chili Colorado, they’re served on the side…..Cowboy Style.
When you hear the words “Chile Colorado” it should evoke thoughts of dried chiles, tender pieces of chuck roast, and seasonings like ground cumin culminating in a symphony of deliciousness.
You can also think of Chile Colorado as a Mexican version of beef stew. And for me, it brings back memories from my childhood growing up in San Antonio, Texas.
Ingredients to make Chile Colorado Sauce
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make the Sauce for Beef Chili Colorado. In chef speak this is called the Mise en Place which translates into Everything in its Place.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
Once you’ve gathered the ingredients for the chili sauce, the first step is toasting the deseeded chili peppers.
This will enhance and deepen the flavor of the chilies. Just be careful not to scorch the peppers, which will make them bitter.
Chef Dennis Tip:
If possible wear plastic gloves when you handle the chilies. Also, make sure to clean all the surfaces and wash your hands thoroughly.
Can I toast the Chiles in the oven?
Yes, you can. Place the chili peppers on a baking sheet and toast in a 350-degree oven just until fragrant and puffed, about 5-6 minutes.
Can I use different Chile Peppers in the Red Chili Sauce?
Yes, you can. Depending upon your tolerance for heat, you can use hotter peppers. The peppers I’ve chosen are mild.
These are some of the other peppers you can use:
- Cascabel – Round, tropical, fruity, relatively mild heat.
- Puya – Similar to guajillos but smaller and spicier, earthy, fruity but with some acidity, medium heat.
- Chipotle – Medium-sized, tough-skinned, smoky, medium heat.
- Chiles de Arbol – Small, nutty, earthy, very spicy.
- Morita – Petite, smoky, sweet dried fruit flavors, medium to high heat.
- Pequin – Tiny, a little smoky, a little fruity, very spicy.
Chef Dennis Tip:
When you toast the chilies, make sure to have your hood fan on and open a window if possible. The lower-heat peppers won’t be a problem, but if you use the spicier varieties, the aroma coming off the peppers can easily choke you.
How to Chile Colorado
Sauté the onion in a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes then add the garlic and continue cooking for an additional minute.
Place the remainder of the ingredients for the chili sauce into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and allow too steep for 45 minutes.
Reserve one cup of broth for later use. Place the remainder of the ingredients into a blender and blend at its highest setting.
Depending on the power of the blender it may completely puree all the ingredients. If it has bits and pieces remaining, run the sauce through a sieve to take out and pieces that didn’t get pureed.
Gather the remaining ingredients, and let’s get started making the Beef Chile Colorado!
Season the beef with sea salt and black pepper. Then seer the beef in a hot pan with a little olive oil. Make sure to sear all the sides of the beef cubes.
Don’t overcrowd the pan, do the beef in two batches if you don’t have a big enough pot.
Add the chile sauce to the seared beef along with the reserved beef stock. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cover the pot. Let the beef simmer covered for 2 hours.
After simmering for two hours, uncover the pot. Mix the masa harina with 2 tablespoons of the broth to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the pot and stir well, making sure to have and lumps from the slurry.
Continue cooking the Chili Colorado for about 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
What should I serve Chile Colorado with?
Serve Beef Chile Colorado with seasoned rice (and beans if desired) and grilled (or heated) tortillas of your choice. I can never decide whether I like corn or flour tortillas the best. Today I went with flour tortillas.
The rich smokey flavor of the chilies with the fork-tender beef will soon become one of your favorite dishes. I love using brown rice with this type of dish, it adds a nuttiness that you don’t get with white rice. It takes a little longer to cook than most of my dishes but trust me when I tell you it’s well worth the effort!
If you like Chili with Beans try my Four Bean, Beef and Beer Chili.
Recipe FAQ’s
Chili Colorado wasn’t named after the state of Colorado? The name “Colorado”, which means “colored red”, is derived from the deep red color of the chile sauce.
Chuck, Short Ribs and Oxtail are my preferred choices for chile Colorado. The cheaper cuts of meat come from muscles that work more and would generally be tougher. But that also means more collagen-rich connective tissue. This connective tissue dissolves into the meat, adding to the body and richness to the stew that more expensive cuts of meat won’t give you. It also keeps the meat tender and moist which is exactly what you want with stew meat.
Chile Colorado gets its deep red color from dried chili peppers. Chile Verde sauce is made mostly with green tomatillos instead of dried red chiles.
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Beef Chile Colorado
Ingredients
Chili Sauce
- 3 dried Guajillo chiles stems removed and seeded
- 3 dried Ancho chiles stems removed and seeded
- 2 New Mexico chiles (or pasilla) stems removed and seeded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ sweet Vidalia onion chopped
- 3 clove garlic finely chopped
- 3 cups beef broth 1 cup reserved (chicken or vegetable broth can be substituted)
- 3 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or more to taste
- 1½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup fire-roasted tomato
Beef
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 pounds beef chuck cut into 1 inch squares
- 1 tablespoon masa harina
Instructions
Red Chili Sauce
- In a large sauté pan or wide bottom pot, toast the chiles over medium heat for 1-2 minutes to bring out the flavor of the peppers. Remove from the pan until needed.
- Add olive oil to the hot pan and sauté the onions for 2-3 minutes then add in the garlic and continue to sauté for 1 minute.
- Add the toasted chiles, fire-roasted tomatoes, seasonings and beef stock to the pan.
- Bring the mixture to a gentle boil. Turn off heat, cover the pot and let it steep for 45 minutes.
- Reserve one cup of the stock. Add the remainder of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth at the highest setting. Add additional liquid if the mixture is too thick for your blender. Reserve the remainder of the liquid till needed.**Depending on the power of the blender it may completely puree all the ingredients. If it has bits and pieces remaining, run the sauce through a sieve to take out and pieces that didn't get pureed.
Beef
- Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the oil and half of the meat and brown on all sides so they have a good sear, about 5-7 minutes. Transfer the browned beef into a bowl and repeat the process with the remaining uncooked meat.
- When all the beef has browned, return all the meat to the pot. Add in the red chile sauce, and reserved beef broth. Stir to combine and bring the mixture to a boil. Once the mixture has begun to boil, reduce the heat to simmer. Cover the pot and continue to simmer for 2 hours.
- Uncover, taste and reseason as necessary.
- Mix the masa harina with 2 tablespoons of the broth from the pot to make a slurry. Add the slurry back into the pot and mix well.
- Raise to medium heat and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes, until the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly. If you prefer a thicker sauce, cook longer.
- Serve with rice, tortillas and beans and enjoy!
Kushigalu
This was such a delicious recipe packed full of flavors. Love all the tips shared. Thanks for sharing.
Kerri
Oh Chef! This looks delightful! Packed with so much flavor! My family are BIG fans!
Daniela
Love all the info about the different kind of dried chilies and your in process shots made following the recipe so easy! It was delish :).
Gunjan
My brother is making this tonight. So far the aroma is absolutely appetizing. Will update you once it’s ready.
Martha Clyatt
Looking for pepper flavor with low heat scale- sounds good what peppers would give flavor without the heat?
Chef Dennis Littley
The peppers I use in the recipe are low heat, and I also have other peppers listed in the post with a description.
Sam
Yum!! This beef chili colorado was so cozy and comforting. Just what I was looking for in this cooler weather. Love the flavours in there.
Sondra Barker
OMG this looks delicious! I have never tried something like this, I cant wait to make it. Thanks for the recipe and tips.
Alex
I wish we had any of those peppers here in Germany! If I ever make it back to Texas, I’m totally bringing back some of those peppers with me to try this because it looks amazing.
Tim H
Hi Alex, I’m in the UK and ALL those chillies ARE available in Europe.
This truly is the ultimate Chilli recipe. I’m making it right now for the second time and the aromas are amazing when you step outside the house and then step back in again!
Chef Dennis Littley
thanks for letting me know you’ve enjoyed my recipe Tim. It really is amazing how much flavor those chilis provide.
Erin
That’s a great idea to use gloves when handling the peppers! I had never heard of Colorado chili but it sounds great. So easy and flavorful!
Robyn
I have never come across been chili colorado before now, but it sounds such a delicious warming family meal. Can’t wait to try it!
Swathi
This is my kind of chili with touch of spices, It was delicious.
Julie @ Running in a Skirt
What a great recipe for fall! SUch a cozy family meal and everyone asked for seconds. Can’t wait to make again.
Jacqueline Debono
This beef chili Colorado looks so good. I’ve only ever made chili with ground beef but definitely want to try this recipe asap! That beef looks fantastic!
Sarah James
I haven’t come across Beef Chili Colorado before. It looks delicious, my husband isn’t keen on beans so this is the perfect recipe for me to try. Thanks for all the tips on which chillies to use.
Alexis
I love Chili Colorado, this dish was amazing! I’m looking forward to sharing this with friends this weekend.
Alex Ryder
Oh yum, this chilli looks great! I love spicy food too and am lucky not to suffer from heartburn!