Chili Colorado gets its name from the Spanish word colorado, meaning “colored red” — a nod to the deep red chile sauce that makes this dish so special. This classic Mexican stew is all about rich flavor with just the right amount of heat.

The heart of the dish is the homemade chile sauce made ancho, New Mexico, and chiles de arbol. Simmered low and slow in the chile sauce and plenty of beef bone broth, the beef becomes fall-apart tender and soaks up every bit of that smoky, vibrant chile goodness.

Serve with refried or charro beans, Mexican rice, minced onion, fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeños, lime wedges, and a stack of warm tortillas. It’s comforting, bold, and the kind of recipe that fills the whole house with the most irresistible aroma – a perfect weekend staple that tastes even better the next day (and freezes great)!

INGREDIENTS

• 6 dried ancho chiles
• 3 dried New Mexico chilies 
• 2 dried chiles de arbol
• 8 cups beef broth, divided
• 1 medium yellow or white onion – use half for the chili and half for garnish
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2-3 pounds 1915 Farm Grassfed Stew Meat or Boneless Chuck Roast, cut into small chunks
• Kosher salt
• 1 Tbsp avocado oil
  
• 2 bay leaf, optional

Serve with Mexican rice, refried or charro beans, warmed flour tortillas, minced onion, cilantro, lime wedges, thinly sliced jalapeños. 

INSTRUCTIONS

Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles (I find using scissors is easiest).

Bring 3 cups of the beef broth to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the chiles and push down under the broth. Cover and turn off the heat. Let sit until soft, about 30 minutes.

Pour chiles and broth into a blender. Add half the onion, garlic cloves, cumin, and oregano. Puree completely and set aside.

Season beef on all sides with kosher salt salt. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add half of the beef, or less – don't crowd the pan. Cook meat chunks until browned on all sides. Remove to a large plate and continue searing meat in batches.

Return seared beef to the pot along with the blended chile sauce, remaining 5 cups of broth, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, stirring to scrape up any browned bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.

Reduce the heat to low so the sauce is barely simmering. Cook, uncovered until the meat easily pulls apart with a fork and the sauce is silky and luxurious. If the sauce is getting too thick before the meat is cooked, cover the pot and continue cooking. The meat will take about 3 hours to get pull-apart tender.

Serve with refried or charro beans, Mexican rice, cilantro, minced onion, sliced jalapeños, lime wedges, and warmed tortillas.

Leftovers freeze well for up to 3 months!

We hope you love this recipe! If you’d like to share your delicious dish on Instagram, don’t forget to tag us @1915_Farm

P.S. If you love our delicious grassfed beef – consider subscribing to the Grassroots Meat Club (ships free in TX, reduced in other states). Each Grassroots Meat Club box includes a variety of hand-selected grassfed and pasture raised meats, such as chicken breasts, chicken tenders, leg quarters, wings, thighs, drumsticks, whole chicken, ground beef, kabobs, stew meat, stir fry, cutlets, London broil (top round), beef roasts, beef ossobuco, short ribs, various sausages, pork roasts, pork chops, bacon, ground pork, fajita meat, country style ribs, spare ribs, and bacon!

Recipe by Hola Jalapeño