I just love a big comforting bowl of stew. Whenever I have a pot of stew simmering away on the stove, I just know it’s going to be a good day! While this chile recipe isn’t your average Texas chili nor is it your typical beef stew, this recipe manages to take the best of both of them adding in an incredible signature flavor. The sauce is the key. It’s aromatic and full of bold chile flavors coming from 3 different types of chiles! It’s a deep dark red color which is how the stew gets its name – Colorado means ‘colored red’ in Spanish! The stew will simmer on the stovetop for a couple of hours and at the end, you’ll have a thick and smoky sauce with tender fall apart beef. I love to serve it simply with tortillas and a side of my Cilantro Lime Rice. Sounds amazing, right? This easy recipe for Chile Colorado takes beef stew to a whole new level!
Why you’ll love this recipe
Ingredients for Chile Colorado
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Guajillo Chiles. These chiles have a mild heat with a sweet smoky flavor. Chiles de Arbol. These chiles bring more heat and a smoky, nutty flavor. New Mexico chiles. Another mild chile that smells a bit like onions and gives the stew a subtly sweet and smoky flavor. Chicken broth. Homemade or store-bought is fine. If you’re using store bought go for a low sodium variety so you can control the salt level to your tastes. Beef broth will also work here. Whole tomatoes. I use Roma tomatoes. Beef stew meat. Beef chuck would also be a great option. Salt and pepper. You’ll season the stew to taste. All-purpose flour. A light dusting of flour on the beef will encourage a brown outer crust to form when searing. This crust will give the beef tons of flavor! Canola oil or vegetable oil. I like to use neutral-tasting oil when making my stews. White onion. You could substitute yellow onion if that’s what you have on hand. Garlic cloves. No need to chop or mince the garlic, they’ll get thrown into a blender to make the base for the sauce. Whole oregano. Oregano has hints of pepper and mint and goes well with beef. Ground cumin. Cumin adds a warm earthy flavor to the stew and goes great with the smokiness of the chiles. Cornstarch. Combined with a small amount of the sauce, this is used to make a slurry which will help to thicken the stew.
Optional garnish
Cilantro. Love or hate it, cilantro is a popular garnish in Mexican cuisine. If you don’t like the taste, you can leave it out. Limes. Fresh lime juice brightens up the heavier flavors of the beef stew.
How to make Chile colorado
Follow my step-by-step instructions to make a delicious bowl of Chile Colorado! For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card.
Tips for recipe success
Variations
This stew is perfect as is when it’s made the traditional way, but if you’d like to jazz it up a bit, you can try adding some of these suggestions:
Potatoes – Add in some chopped raw peeled yellow or red potatoes in the last 30 minutes of cooking. Frozen peas and carrots – Add these in the last 15 minutes of cooking. Pork shoulder or pork butt – These are good alternatives to beef. Long grain white rice – Throw some in for the last 10 – 12 minutes of cooking. You may need to add a bit more broth. Beans. Black beans or pinto beans would work.
How to Serve Chile Colorado
If you want to go the traditional route like we usually do serving it with rice is the way to go. As mentioned earlier cilantro lime rice is nice, but then again so is plain white rice. Use it as the filling in Mexican beef tacos for a change or in these breakfast burritos and fill them with shredded beef and eggs! Shred leftover chile colorado and top off some poutine or homemade pizza dough. Have a side of flour tortillas, homemade flatbread, or tortilla chips for dipping and a simple tossed salad, and call it a day!
Storing Chile Colorado
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This stew also freezes beautifully. It will keep in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. When you’re in the mood for a bowl of comfort, give this Mexican Chile Colorado recipe a try! You’ll love it! © Little Sunny Kitchen
