Chili Colorado

5 from 3 votes

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.

Prep Time15

Cook Time2 30

Total Time2 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Author: James Delmage and Tara

Ingredients

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" cubes
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)

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 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 75 minutes remove the lid and return to the oven for another 30-45 minutes or until the chili has thickened.
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.
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.

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