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    Home » Recipes » Beef Recipes

    Authentic Chile Colorado Recipe

    Published: Sep 30, 2020 · Modified: Nov 5, 2022 by Chef Dennis Littley

    768 shares
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    5 from 83 votes
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    pinterest image for beef chili colorado

    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.

    overhead view of a white bowl with beef chili colorado rice and flour tortillas

    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

    ingredients to make chili 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.

    chili peppers toasting in a large saute pan

    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

    onions and garlic cooking in a large pot

    Sauté the onion in a little olive oil for 2-3 minutes then add the garlic and continue cooking for an additional minute.

    ingredients for chili sauce in a large pot

    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.

    2 images one of the chili sauce ingredients in a blender and one of the fully blended ingredients in the blender

    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.

    ingredients to make beef chili colorado

    Gather the remaining ingredients, and let’s get started making the Beef Chile Colorado!

    beef chunks browning in a large pot

    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.

    seared beef with chili sauce and broth in a large 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.

    This post includes affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    I used my All-Clad 6 Qt Pot to make the Chile Colorado, It’s a great all-purpose pot.

    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.

    close up of beef Colorado and rice in a white bowl

    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

    Why is it called Chile Colorado?

    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.

    What cut of beef should I use for Chile Colorado?

    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.

    What is the difference between Chile Colorado and Chile Verde?

    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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    chile colorado and rice in a white bowl
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    5 from 83 votes

    Beef Chile Colorado

    Don't think because you hear the word Chile that it's got to be hot. It's all about picking the right chile for the right dish. Of course, you can always dial up the heat, but if you're looking for the earthy rich flavor that only chilis can give a dish, then my Beef Chile Colorado is just what you're looking for.
    Prep Time25 mins
    Cook Time3 hrs 45 mins
    Total Time4 hrs 10 mins
    Course: Entree
    Cuisine: American
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 589kcal
    Author: Chef Dennis Littley

    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
    US Customary – Metric
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    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!

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 589kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 1540mg | Potassium: 916mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 586IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 105mg | Iron: 7mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @askChefDennis or tag #askChefDennis!

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    About Chef Dennis

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    Chef Dennis is a semi-retired Chef, writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of A Culinary Journey with Chef Dennis aka Ask Chef Dennis®. Chef Dennis worked professionally in White Table Cloth Restaurants for 40 years and has been developing easy to make, restaurant-style recipes since 2009. The second phase of his reinvention from chef to blogger has earned him a place at the Worlds Dinner Table. Join him on his Culinary Journey enjoying his easy to make Restaurant Style recipes and travel adventures. For more details, check out his About page.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Martha

      March 26, 2022 at 8:33 pm

      5 stars
      Wow!!! This is absolutely delicious and really pretty simple to prepare. Going to make it for the 6th time. I recommend that all Mexican food lovers give it a try.

      Reply
    2. Angela

      March 03, 2022 at 6:36 pm

      Dennis,
      I’m having difficult time finding Mesa herina. I’m in Spokane WA. From what I have read this ingredient is different from Corn Meal. Any suggestions?
      Thank you,
      Angela

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        March 03, 2022 at 9:46 pm

        you can use a fine or medium grain corn meal in place of the masa harina

        Reply
      • John

        August 22, 2022 at 4:25 pm

        Angela, I’m in North Idaho and go to DeLeon Market in Spokane Valley for all my Mexican needs. They’ll have it there for sure.

        Reply
    3. Marie W

      February 13, 2021 at 11:06 pm

      My husband’s favorite meal is Chile Colorado. He loves only the one at one of our local restaurant. I’ve tried making it in the past with different recipes. They were just ok. Tonight I used your recipe. Wow!! It was delicious. He loved it. Kids loved it. I loved it. I didn’t have ancho chiles so I subbed chipotle in adobe sauce.
      The only bummer to this is that he will now expect me too cook it more often.

      Reply
    4. Michelle

      January 29, 2021 at 10:11 pm

      I made this today and it was absolutely delicious! My family was amazed and it honestly tastes like it was from an authentic Mexican restaurant. The aromas in my kitchen from the variety of chili’s is incredible.

      Reply
      • Chef Dennis Littley

        January 29, 2021 at 10:20 pm

        I’m happy to hear you enjoyed making the chili Colorado, I love the flavors of the chilis

        Reply
    5. Sapana Behl

      October 07, 2020 at 4:21 am

      5 stars
      All those Mexican chilies sounds so flavorful and tasty. I am sure they must have given a unique and exquisite taste to the beef chili colordao.

      Reply
    6. Marysa

      October 06, 2020 at 7:01 pm

      Never heard of this before, but it sounds like a wonderful and hearty dish! Sounds like my kind of chili.

      Reply
    7. Ramona

      October 05, 2020 at 4:38 pm

      5 stars
      Wat a delicious recipe packed with amazing flavours of all kinds! i especially love the different kind of dried chillies that you showed, i love chillies! thank you for sharing this recipe.

      Reply
    8. Gail Montero

      October 05, 2020 at 10:25 am

      5 stars
      Looks so tasty and perfect dinner option for fall’s chilly nights! Adding this to our must-try list!

      Reply
    9. Kushigalu

      October 05, 2020 at 9:11 am

      5 stars
      What a delicious recipe packed with full of flavors. Love all the tips shared. Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
    10. Kerri

      October 05, 2020 at 8:10 am

      Oh Chef! This looks delightful! Packed with so much flavor! My family are BIG fans!

      Reply
    11. Daniela

      October 05, 2020 at 2:31 am

      Love all the info about the different kind of dried chilies and your in process shots make following the recipe so easy! Looks so delish :).

      Reply
    12. Gunjan

      October 04, 2020 at 7:31 pm

      My brother is making this tonight. So far the aroma is absolutely appetizing. Will update you once it’s ready.

      Reply
      • Martha Clyatt

        October 08, 2022 at 11:19 am

        Looking for pepper flavor with low heat scale- sounds good what peppers would give flavor without the heat?

        Reply
        • Chef Dennis Littley

          October 08, 2022 at 7:14 pm

          The peppers I use in the recipe are low heat, and I also have other peppers listed in the post with a description.

    13. Sam

      October 04, 2020 at 7:06 pm

      Yum!! This beef chili colorado looks so cozy and comforting. Just what I was looking for in this cooler weather. Love the flavours in there.

      Reply
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