Crock Pot Chile Colorado
This restaurant-quality Chile Colorado recipe is easy to prepare and results in lusciously tender beef in the most amazing rich, mild red chile sauce. Serve it with rice, beans, and tortillas for an otherworldly dinner recipe!
Servings: 6 to 8 Servings
Calories: 379kcal
Ingredients
Chile Colorado Sauce:
- 6 dried guajillo chiles
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- 2 dried arbol chiles*
- 1 small yellow onion diced
- 4 cups beef broth or chicken broth
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt to taste
For the Beef:
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 3 lbs beef stew meat
- ¼ cup gluten-free all-purpose flour**
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
Make the Chile Colorado Sauce
- Add all of the dried chilies and the beef broth (or chicken stock) to a large pot. Bring the mixture to a full boil then remove it from the stove top. Allow the chiles to sit in the hot broth while you continue preparing the sauce.
- Add the chopped onion to a high powered blender along with the oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and sea salt. Once the reconstituted chilies are cool enough to handle, remove and discard the stems and seeds and transfer the chilies with the broth to the blender. Blend until everything is well-combined into a relatively smooth puree. Set sauce aside until ready to use.
Brown the Meat:
- Place the beef stew meat in a large mixing bowl along with the flour, sea salt, and pepper. Toss everything together until the beef is coated in flour and seasonings.
- Heat up a large cast iron skillet with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooking oil such as avocado oil or olive oil to medium-high heat. Place the meat on the hot skillet in a single layer (this may take two batches depending on the size of your skillet). Allow the meat to brown for 2-3 minutes before flipping it to the other side and allowing it to brown for another minute or two, or until there is a nice golden brown crust on two sides. Transfer the meat to a plate and repeat this process for the remaining beef.
- Once the meat is browned, transfer the meat to the crock pot.
Slow Cook the Meat
- Pour the chile colorado sauce through a fine mesh strainer into the crock pot. Use a wooden spoon to stir it around until all of the liquid has strained into the slow cooker and the strainer is left with just the pulp. Discard the pulp.
- Add the bay leaves to the crock pot and give everything a stir.
- Secure the lid on the crock pot and set it on High heat for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours. I recommend cooking on Low heat for 8 hours for the best results as the meat will turn out even more flavorful and tender. When the meat has finished cooking, give everything a big stir.
- Serve Chile Colorado with Mexican Rice, tortillas, and any additional toppings or side dishes such as black beans, refried beans, cheese, sour cream, sliced avocado, lime wedges, etc.
Notes
*Chiles de arbol (or dried arbol chiles) are spicy, so omit them for a very mild sauce. Increase the amount for a spicier sauce.
**Or regular all-purpose flour, tapioca flour, or arrowroot starch.
Store leftover Chile Colorado in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Serving (of 8) | Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 58g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 168mg | Sodium: 476mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g