Beef Chile Colorado
Learn how to make Beef Chile Colorado, a rich Mexican red chile stew with tender beef, bold flavors, and comforting tradition in every bite.
Ingredients
Prep the Beef
- 3 lbs boneless beef chuck roast
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Black pepper, ground, as needed
- Beef tallow, or oil, for cooking
Chile Colorado
- 8 large guajillos chiles, stemmed, de-seeded
- 2 medium ancho chiles, stemmed, de-seeded
- 5 cups beef broth, low sodium, divided
- 1 tsp whole cumin
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- ½ white onion, diced
- 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 bay leaves
Finishing Touches
- Lime juice
- Fresh Cilantro, chopped
Instructions
Prepare the Chile Sauce
- Heat 4 cups of beef broth until steaming or gently simmering, then turn off the heat.
- Lightly toast the guajillo and ancho chiles on a comal over medium-low heat, turning frequently until fragrant, about 10–20 seconds. Be careful not to burn them. (See Notes)
- Immediately remove from heat, rinse and drain the chiles, then submerge them in the 4 cups of hot beef broth. Let soften for 5–10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Toast the cumin and cloves until fragrant, then add the Mexican oregano during the last 5 seconds. Immediately remove from heat and transfer the spices to a small dish to stop the toasting. Using a paper towel to scrape off any remaining oregano from the pan is helpful.
- Blend the softened chiles with the soaking broth, toasted spices, and oregano until completely smooth. Strain the sauce if needed, then set aside.
Prepare the Beef
Cook the Chile Colorado
- Heat 2–3 tablespoons beef tallow in a large pot over medium-high heat. Brown the beef in batches, searing two sides to develop good color while avoiding overcrowding.
- Once all the meat is browned, remove it from the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add a little more tallow if needed and sauté the onion until slightly softened. Add the garlic and cook for about 1 minute.
- Return the beef to the pot. Add the remaining 1 cup beef broth, the prepared chile sauce, and the bay leaves. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.
- Cover and gently simmer over medium-low heat for 45 minutes. Then uncover and continue cooking for another 45 minutes, or until the meat is tender and the sauce thickens. Skim off excess fat if desired.
- Taste and adjust salt as needed.
Serve
- Serve the Chile Colorado warm with frijoles de la olla, queso fresco, Mexican rice, fresh salad, pickled red onions, and warm corn or flour tortillas.
- Garnish with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice.
- For more pairing ideas, see the Serving Suggestions section in the article.
Notes
Handling the Chiles
Avoid burning the chiles, as this will make them bitter and ruin the sauce. Toasting them over low or medium-low heat helps maintain better control.
Unfortunately, once a chile sauce becomes bitter, it’s not fixable. In my experience, it’s usually a matter of starting over.
That’s why it’s important to taste the sauce after blending to make sure it isn’t bitter before adding it to the dish.
If toasting the chiles feels intimidating, you can simply skip that step—the sauce will still taste great.
Blending the Sauce
Blend the sauce until completely smooth – Strain if needed for a smoother texture.
Building Flavor
Use low-sodium beef broth – This allows you to control the seasoning and adjust the salt to taste.
Cook with beef tallow – It complements and enhances the natural flavor of the beef.
Cooking the Beef
Don’t overcrowd the meat – Brown in batches if necessary to develop proper color and flavor.
Serving the Dish
Once served, finish with a squeeze of lime – it brightens and opens up the flavors.
Nutrition
Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 583kcalCarbohydrates: 17gProtein: 57gFat: 33gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 2gCholesterol: 188mgSodium: 1133mgPotassium: 1444mgFiber: 6gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 5243IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 90mgIron: 8mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and intended as an approximation only.