Name: Chili Colorado Recipe
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 6 ancho chili peppers (stemmed and seeded); 6 guajillo peppers (stemmed and seeded); 2 pasilla peppers (stemmed and seeded); 3 chiles de arbol (stemmed and seeded); 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano; 1 teaspoon cumin; Salt and pepper to taste; 2 tablespoons olive oil; 1 small onion (chopped); 2 jalapeno peppers (chopped (optional – I like the extra heat and flavor)); 4-5 cloves garlic (chopped); 2.5 pounds beef chuck roast (cut into bite-sized chunks); ¼ cup flour; Salt and pepper to taste; 2 cups beef stock (chicken or vegetable stock are good, too); FOR SERVING: Crumbly white cheese, fresh herbs, spicy chili flakes, squeeze of lime juice if desired – Rice and/or warmed tortillas, if desired

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Chili Colorado is a traditional Mexican recipe of pork or beef stewed low and slow in a rich red chili sauce, hence the name "colorado", which means "colored red", not from the state of Colorado.

Easy Chili Colorado Recipe

I've been on a chili kick lately. I love making chili, all that wonderful flavor in a big old pot, cooking low and slow until everything melds together.

It's hard to find a better one-pot meal. If you're a big chili fan, this is one recipe you want to have in your chili recipes repertoire. You can check out my growing collection of chili recipes here.

We're talking Chili Colorado, my friends, and it's a great one.

What is Chili Colorado?

Chili Colorado is a traditional Mexican recipe of pork or beef stewed nice and slow in a rich red chili sauce. While you might think it is a dish of the state of Colorado, that is not the case.

The name derives from the Spanish word "colorado", which means "colored red", named because of the deep red color of the sauce.

It's crazy delicious, and it's all about the chili peppers.

About the Chili Peppers

4 types of Mexican chili peppers for making Chili Colorado

Chili Colorado is traditionally made with dried Mexican chili peppers, including ancho peppers, guajillo peppers, and chiles de arbol. You can also use pasilla peppers.

Ancho peppers are dried poblano peppers and they add a rich depth of flavor and color.

Guajillo peppers are one of the most common and popular chiles grown and used in Mexico. It is mild to moderately hot, and has dark, reddish brown, leathery skin, with a green-tea flavor or fruity flavor, with hints of berries.

Chiles de Árbol are small, red and thin Mexican peppers that add heat and spice.

Pasilla peppers refer to the dried chilaca pepper. The chilaca, when fresh, is also known as pasilla bajio, or as the chile negro or “Mexican negro” because, while it starts off dark green, it ends up dark brown. It offers a rich and smoky flavor.

Together, these peppers develop a richness of flavor you won't get with other chilis.

Let's talk about how to make Chili Colorado, shall we?

Chili Colorado Ingredients

FOR THE CHILI SAUCE
Dried Chiles. I'm using dried ancho chilies, guajillo chilies, pasilla chilies, and chiles de arbol. Look for these at your local Mexican grocery store or online.
Spices. Mexican oregano, ground cumin, salt and black pepper to taste.
FOR THE CHILI COLORADO
Vegetables. Onion, garlic, and jalapeno peppers for some optional extra heat and flavor.
Chuck Roast. I'm making this with beef, but you can also use pork shoulder or other cuts of meat or stew meat that benefits from low and slow cooking.
Flour.
Beef Stock. Or beef broth. You can also use chicken or vegetable stock.
For Serving. Crumbly white cheese, fresh herbs, spicy chili flakes, lime juice if desired – Rice and/or warmed tortillas, if desired

How to Make Chili Colorado - The Recipe Method

Toast the Dried Chilies. Make the sauce first by dry toasting the dried peppers in pan about a minute per side, until the skins blister a bit.

Toasting dried chilies to make Chili Colorado

Rehydrate the Chilies. Set them into a bowl and cover with hot water for 20 minutes, until they are very soft.

Make the Red Chile Sauce. Transfer the peppers to a blender with oregano, cumin, a bit of salt and pepper, and 1 cup of the soaking water. Blend until nice and smooth.

Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and set aside for now.

Making red chili sauce to make Chili Colorado

Season the Beef. Toss some cubed chuck roast (or pork) in a bit of flour with a bit of salt and pepper to coat them.

Brown the Beef. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven to medium high heat and add the olive oil. Brown the beef on all sides, about 5 minutes or so. Set aside onto a plate.

Browning chunks of beef chuck to make Chili Colorado

Cook the Vegetables. Heat a bit more oil in the same pan to medium heat. Cook the onion and jalapeno peppers until they soften up, about 5 minutes or so.

Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the red sauce and stock and bring to a boil. Add the browned meat back to the pot.

Cooking vegetables and a simmering pot of Chili Colorado

Simmer the Chili Colorado. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes to 45 minutes to let the flavors develop. Longer is better. I let mine go about an hour or longer on low, nice and slow, sometimes 2 hours or longer.

You can also transfer it to a slow cooker instead to simmer on low for 4-6 hours or high for 2-3 hours, or until tender.

Optional Thickening. If you’d like to thicken the chili, remove the cover and increase the heat. Cook until the moisture cooks out and your preferred thickness is achieved.

Boom! Done! Your chile colorado is ready to serve! Bust out your favorite toppings, my friends! It's time to dig in.

Serving Chili Colorado

Chili colorado can be served in a bowl on its own, or served with rice. Serve it with warmed corn or flour tortillas for making tacos.

Add all of your favorite toppings, like shredded cheese, sour cream or crema, red chili flakes, fresh chopped cilantro, sliced chilies, lime juice and more.

Recipe Notes and Tips

Add Beans! This recipe does not traditionally included beans like a lot of chilis do, but I sometimes like to serve mine with butter beans. It just works for me!

Doesn't it look good with beans?

Chili Colorado - a version of the dish with beans

Other Dried Chili Peppers. Try making the recipe with other Mexican chili peppers as well, such as New Mexican chilies, California chilies, cascabel chilies, or other Mexican pods.

Also, if you're unable to find dried chili peppers to work with, you can make Chili Colorado with chili powder instead. Many people make it with powder instead of the dried peppers.

Use 2-3 tablespoons ancho powder, 2-3 tablespoons guajillo powder, 1 tablespoon pasilla powder, and 1/4 teaspoon chile de arbol powder (or more to taste - cayenne is a good sub). If using a chili powder blend, use a bit more than 1/4 cup.

Storage and Leftovers

You can store any leftover chili colorado in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. To enjoy it again, simply reheat it over medium heat in a pot on the stovetop.

You can also freeze chili colorado in freezer proof containers for 3 months or longer. I freeze batches all the time. It reheats perfectly after thawing.

That's it, my friends! I hope you enjoy this Chile Colorado recipe! Chow down!

Try Some of My Other Popular Chili Recipes

A big bowl of Chili Colorado, ready to serve

If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.

Chili Colorado Recipe

Chili Colorado is a traditional Mexican recipe of pork or beef stewed low and slow in a rich red chili sauce, hence the name "colorado", which means "colored red", not from the state of Colorado.

Save Recipe

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Keyword: chili, one pot, slow cooker

Prep Time: 25

Cook Time: 40

Total Time: 1 5

Calories: 344kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings:

Tap or hover to scale

4.96 from 105 votes

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Ingredients

FOR THE SAUCE

6 ancho chili peppers stemmed and seeded
6 guajillo peppers stemmed and seeded
2 pasilla peppers stemmed and seeded
3 chiles de arbol stemmed and seeded
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE CHILI

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion chopped
2 jalapeno peppers chopped (optional – I like the extra heat and flavor)
4-5 cloves garlic chopped
2.5 pounds beef chuck roast cut into bite-sized chunks
¼ cup flour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups beef stock chicken or vegetable stock are good, too
FOR SERVING: Crumbly white cheese, fresh herbs, spicy chili flakes, squeeze of lime juice if desired – Rice and/or warmed tortillas, if desired

Instructions

Make the sauce first by dry toasting the dried peppers in pan about a minute per side, until the skins blister a bit.
Set them into a bowl and cover with hot water for 20 minutes, until they are very soft.
Transfer the peppers to a blender with oregano, cumin, a bit of salt and pepper, and 1 cup of the soaking water. Blend until nice and smooth.
Strain the sauce and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to medium high heat.
Toss the cubed chuck roast in the flour with a bit of salt and pepper to coat them.
Brown the beef on all sides, about 5 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium heat. Add the onion and peppers and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and cook 1 minute, stirring a bit.
Add the red chili sauce and stock and bring to a boil. Add the browned meat back to the pot.
Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors develop. Longer is better, 2 hours or more for melt-in-your-mouth tender beef.
If you’d like to thicken the chili, remove the cover and increase the heat. Cook until the moisture cooks out and your preferred thickness is achieved.
Serve!

Video

Notes

Slow Cooker: Follow the recipe through Step 10, then transfer everything to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, or high for 2-3 hours, or until the meat is very tender.

Heat Factor: Mild-Medium. I add a bit of heat to mine by cooking with jalapenos, which is not traditional, and also finishing the dish with spicy chili flakes. You can include hotter peppers to your preference. I like to add 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper with the seasonings.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 344kcal Carbohydrates: 25g Protein: 26g Fat: 16g Saturated Fat: 6g Cholesterol: 78mg Sodium: 238mg Potassium: 1056mg Fiber: 8g Sugar: 13g Vitamin A: 7750IU Vitamin C: 14.4mg Calcium: 44mg Iron: 4.6mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 3/19/23 to include new information, photos, and video. It was originally published on 10/17/18.