Chili Colorado

Name: Chili Colorado
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 2 h 45 min
Total time: 3 h 10 min
Yield: 8 serving
Ingredients: 6 dried ancho chiles; 5 dried pasilla chiles; 3 dried guajillo chiles; 4 tablespoons lard or neutral oil; 3 pounds chuck roast; 1 large yellow onion; 5 cloves garlic; 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; 3 cups low sodium beef stock; 1/4 cup crushed tortilla chips; 2 large bay leaves; salt and pepper; agave or honey

User Reviews

4.9

42 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 25 mins
Total Time
3 hrs 10 mins
Servings
8
Calories
764 kcal
Course
Main Course
Cuisine
Mexican

Chili Colorado

Gary Gonzalez

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Chili Colorado is a traditional Mexican chili that combines chunks of beef that are braised until tender in a delicious and smoky red chile sauce. Serve with warm flour tortillas, rice, and cotija cheese.

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Ingredients

Servings

For the dried chiles

6 dried ancho chiles stems and seeds removed
5 dried pasilla chiles stems and seeds removed
3 dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed

For the Chili Colorado

4 tablespoons lard or neutral oil divided
3 pounds chuck roast Cut into 1-inch cubes, remove any large pieces of fat
1 large yellow onion diced
5 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
2 teaspoons ground cumin
3 cups low sodium beef stock plus more as needed
1/4 cup crushed tortilla chips for thickening, optional
2 large bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
agave or honey to taste, (optional)

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Instructions

For the dried chilis

Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chile peppers. Toast the chiles in a dry pan over medium heat for 30 seconds per side or until fragrant. Remove chiles from the heat to a large bowl and cover with hot water. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow the chiles to soften for at least 20 minutes.
To a blender, add the reconstituted chiles and 1 cup of new clean water (not the chile soaking water) and blend until smooth.

For the chili

Preheat oven to 300f and set the rack to the middle level.
Heat a large Dutch oven to medium heat with the lard. Pat the beef cubes dry and season with salt and pepper. Sear the beef until browned on all sides working in batches if needed to not overcrowd the pan. Place the seared beef on a plate and set aside.
Add the onions to the pot and cook until soft (about 7-8 minutes). Add the garlic along with the cumin and cook until fragrant (about 2 minutes).
Add the chile sauce to the pot and cook for another 3 minutes while stirring frequently.
Add the beef cubes back to the pot along with the oregano, bay leaves, and beef stock and bring to a boil. Once boiling turn off the heat and cover with the lid. Place the pot into the oven.
After 90 minutes remove the lid and return to the oven for another 30-45 minutes or until the chili has thickened and the beef is tender. Note: If the beef still isn't fork tender, cook for another 20-30 minutes and check again. Add more beef stock if it starts to dry out.
Remove the pot from the oven. If the chili hasn't thickened enough, add the tortilla chips and/or cook over medium-high heat stirring frequently until thickened to your liking.
Taste test the chili and adjust salt and pepper as required. If the chili is too bitter add 1-2 teaspoons of agave or honey to balance it out. Serve in bowls topped with sour cream, jalapeno peppers, diced raw onion, queso blanco, cotija, or whatever you like. Enjoy!

Notes

The single most important thing you can do to improve your chili is to make it one day in advance and refrigerate overnight! The flavors will be so much better.
If the beef isn't tender, simply continue to cook it in the oven and check again after 20-30 minutes.
A mixture of chile peppers was used but you can substitute other mild chiles if you like.
Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days and can be reheated on the stovetop or in the microwave.

Nutrition Information

Show Details

Calories 764kcal (38%) Carbohydrates 4.6g (2%) Protein 53.2g (106%) Fat 60g (92%) Saturated Fat 11.5g (58%) Cholesterol 161mg (54%) Sodium 398mg (17%) Potassium 553mg (16%) Fiber 0.9g (4%) Sugar 2.6g (5%) Calcium 23mg (2%) Iron 6mg (33%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 764 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories	764kcal	38%
Carbohydrates	4.6g	2%
Protein	53.2g	106%
Fat	60g	92%
Saturated Fat	11.5g	58%
Cholesterol	161mg	54%
Sodium	398mg	17%
Potassium	553mg	12%
Fiber	0.9g	4%
Sugar	2.6g	5%
Calcium	23mg	2%
Iron	6mg	33%