Chile Colorado Recipe

Chili comes in all shapes and sizes, and there's really no right or wrong way to eat it. While chili is traditionally prepared with beans, ground meat, and tomato sauce, there are a lot of other recipes floating on the internet, including Chile Colorado. This recipe for Chile Colorado is one of the most unique and flavorful dishes around, and it comes complete with three different types of chiles, providing plenty of spice. Rather than ground meat, this hearty chili uses beef stew, which makes it incredibly filling.

Recipe developer Kate Shungu is the creative mind behind this dish, and there are plenty of great things about it. "Chile Colorado is a Mexican stew, made with beef and dried chile," Shungu shares. "I love the richness of the sauce — it has a gorgeous hue, and it's packed with flavor." This would be great for a family dinner or to serve during game day at your house. It would also be a great solo dish. Keep reading to find out how to make this wonderful recipe.

Once you commit to this recipe, the first thing you need to do is gather all of the ingredients. Start with dried guajillo chiles, ancho chiles, and dried pasilla chiles. You will also need a small yellow onion and a few cups of low-sodium chicken stock. Next, grab some vegetable oil and beef stew meat.

Your second to last stop at the store should be in the spice aisle, where you will need to get some salt and black pepper. Be sure to check at home first in case you have it already. Next, get cumin and oregano, and last but not least, you will need a few cloves of garlic.

Once you have all of the ingredients together, you can get to the actual cooking part. Grab your chile peppers, and remove the stems from them. Next, take out a large saucepan, and put it on your stove. Place the chiles and the onions into the saucepan, followed by a few cups of chicken stock. Crank up the heat, and bring the liquid to a boil. Once you see bubbles reaching the surface, remove the pan from the heat, and place the lid on top. Set your timer for 20 minutes, and let it sit.

Now, grab a blender, and put it in a safe spot on your counter — you know, somewhere where the kids and dog can't come in contact with the cord. If you don't have a blender, no worries. "You can use a food processor if you don't have a blender," Shungu notes. (Note that it's crucial to follow the proper safety precautions when blending hot contents in a blender to avoid a potential mishap in the kitchen.) 

Pour the mixture from your saucepan into the blender. Then, remove the middle section from the blender lid. Place the blender lid on top of the blender, and cover the opening with a kitchen towel. Turn the speed up to high, and blend until it's completely smooth.

For now, you can put the blender and its contents to the side. Now, take out a large stockpot, and pour in the vegetable oil. In the meantime, season the meat with salt and pepper. Add half of the meat to the stockpot, and cook until it's browned on the bottom. (As a reminder, you should have cut the meat into ½ inch cubes ahead of time.) Stir and cook for two to three minutes or longer until the meat is browned on all sides. Then, remove the meat from the heat, and place it on a plate. Repeat the same process with the remaining beef.

Add all the meat back to the pot, and then sprinkle in the cumin, oregano, garlic cloves, and the remaining teaspoon of salt. Pour the last cup of chicken stock and the chile mixture, and stir to combine. Then, turn the heat up, and bring the mixture to a boil before reducing the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot, and cook it for 45 minutes. 

Once those 45 minutes are up, uncover the pot, and cook for an additional 30 to 45 minutes or until the meat is tender. "The meat is done when it's tender. Grab a piece from the pot with tongs, let it cool slightly, and test it for tenderness," Shungu shares. "If it's still pretty chewy, give it another 15 minutes of cooking time, and try again."

Once the timer goes off, take the Chile Colorado off of the heat, and serve as you wish. Some people prefer eating it in bowls, and others prefer a cup-sized serving. This would be great by itself, but there are also several other serving ideas from Shungu. "I like serving it with Mexican rice," she shares. "The sauce sinks into the rice and adds lots of flavor. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for three to four days." We hope you enjoy this delicious dish as much as we do, and cheers to yet another amazing fun and delicious recipe.