Chile Colorado is a delicious Mexican dish made with tender chunks of beef simmered in a flavorful red chili sauce. Here’s a simple recipe to make it at home:
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried pasilla chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
- Lime wedges, for serving
- Warm tortillas or rice, for serving
Instructions:
- Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Toast the dried chilies for about 1 minute on each side, until fragrant. Be careful not to burn them. Remove from heat and transfer the chilies to a bowl.
- Pour hot water over the toasted chilies and let them soak for about 20 minutes, until softened.
- Drain the softened chilies and transfer them to a blender. Add 1 cup of beef broth and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids and set the chili puree aside.
- Season the beef cubes with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the beef cubes in batches and brown them on all sides. Remove the browned beef cubes and set aside.
- In the same pot, add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook until softened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and garlic, stirring constantly, until the flour is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
- Return the browned beef cubes to the pot. Add the chili puree, remaining beef broth, ground cumin, dried oregano, and salt to taste. Stir to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the beef is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Serve the Chile Colorado hot, garnished with chopped fresh cilantro and lime wedges. Serve with warm tortillas or rice on the side.
Enjoy your homemade Chile Colorado!
