Chili Colorado is what happens when you let beef sit in a red chili sauce all day until it is fork-tender. There are no beans or ground beef, just tender chunks of meat and a sauce with real depth to it. It’s the kind of dinner that makes people slow down at the table, and it’s cooks in my slow cooker on the busiest weeknights all winter.
The name throws people off. Colorado means “colored red” in Spanish, so this is about the deep red chile sauce, not the state. That sauce is the whole point. It comes from dried guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles blended with broth, onion, and garlic, and it tastes like nothing you get from a jar.
Of course, the catch is that making the sauce will require a little work up front. It takes about 20 minutes in the morning to cook the sauce, and while it is cooking you might as well brown the beef. After that, you’re done. The slow cooker handles the rest while you get on with your day, and by dinner the beef is fall-apart tender, and the whole house smells like roasted chiles.
It also makes a big batch, which is another reason it earns a spot in my week. One morning of cooking gets me stew tonight, tacos tomorrow, and a container in the freezer for the day I don’t want to think at all.
Below, I’ll walk you through making the red chili sauce from scratch (easier than it sounds), getting the beef just right, and a few ways to serve it. Twenty minutes in the morning for a meal that tastes this good is a trade I’ll make every time.
Looking for more Mexican-inspired slow cooker recipes? Try chicken birria tacos, enchilada casserole, and slow-cooker carnitas.
Ingredient Notes
For exact amounts needed see the recipe card below
- Beef chuck roast: Cut into 1-inch chunks. Chuck has enough fat and connective tissue to turn tender over a long cook, so it’s the best choice here.
- Dried chiles: This is what makes the sauce. I use a mix of guajillo (mild and bright), ancho (a dried poblano, mild and a little sweet), and arbol (the hot one). Remove the stems and seeds first. Use fewer arbol chiles for a milder sauce, more for heat.
- Beef broth
- Onion
- Garlic
- Mexican oregano: This is more citrusy than the Mediterranean oregano in most spice racks. Regular oregano works though if that is what you have.
- Oil
- Seasoning: Season with cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
- Cornstarch with water: Optional, for thickening the sauce at the end. Skip it if you like a thinner stew.
How to Make Crockpot Chili Colorado
- Rinse the dried chiles, then add them to a saucepan with 2 cups of the beef broth, the quartered onion, and the garlic. Bring it to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.
- While the chiles cook, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot, sear the beef in batches on all sides until browned. Transfer the seared meat to the Crockpot.
- Take the saucepan off the heat. Pour in the remaining beef broth to cool, then transfer everything to a blender or food processor. Blend well to make a smooth red chile sauce.
- Pour the sauce into the Crockpot with the beef. Add the salt, pepper, Mexican oregano, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and bay leaves.
- Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours or high for 4 to 5 hours, until the beef is tender.
- During the last 30 minutes, stir together the cornstarch slurry and stir it into the sauce. Cover and finish cooking until the sauce thickens. Pull out the bay leaves before serving.
Serving Ideas
My favorite way to serve this is as a stew in a bowl with tortilla chips for scooping, topped with chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and a few thin slices of radish. A dollop of sour cream cools it down if you went heavy on the spicy chiles.
It’s just as good spooned over rice or turned into a rice bowl. And the beef is great pulled into tacos, burritos, enchiladas, or nachos, so that a single batch can be dinner in two or three different ways. For a heartier plate, serve it over mashed potatoes, or cook it with chunks of potato and carrot to stretch it further.
How to Store and Reheat
Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until heated through. The stew thickens as it sits, so stir in a little broth or water to loosen it back up.
Substitutions and Variations
- Swap the chuck for sirloin steak or stew meat. Pork shoulder or chicken breasts or thighs also work well.
- Skip the searing to save time. Searing does make the beef more tender, adds flavor, and improves its color, but the recipe still works without it.
- Change up the dried chiles to suit your taste. Add cayenne to the sauce or serve with sliced jalapeños for more heat.
- Cook it with chunks of potato and carrot to turn it into more of a full meal in one pot.
Tips
Be sure to check out the step by step instructions
- Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles before simmering. The seeds add bitterness and extra heat you can’t control.
- Sear the beef in batches, not all at once. A crowded skillet steams the meat instead of browning it.
- Let the chile mixture cool a bit before blending, and hold the blender lid down with a towel, since hot liquid builds pressure.
- Control the heat with the arbol chiles. Use just one or two for a mild sauce and more if your family likes it hot.
- Adjust the thickness at the end. Use less cornstarch for a thinner stew, and stir in broth if it gets too thick.
Reader Questions
A mix gives you the most rounded sauce. Guajillo brings a bright, mild flavor; ancho adds mild sweetness; and arbol brings the heat. You can find these in the Mexican section of most grocery stores or a Latin market. Adjust the ratio to control how spicy it is.
No, but it’s worth it. And you might as well sear it, since the red sauce takes a while to cook.l Searing gives the beef better color and flavor and helps it turn tender. If you’re short on time, you can skip it and add the beef straight to the Crockpot.
Yes. Cut back on the arbol chiles, which are the hot ones, and lean more on guajillo and ancho. A dollop of sour cream on top also mellows the heat at the table.
Chili colorado is beef simmered in a red sauce made from dried chiles, with no beans and no tomatoes. It’s closer to a Mexican stew than the ground-beef-and-beans chili most people picture.
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Crockpot chili colorado
Ingredients
- 3 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck roast cut into 1-inch chunks
- 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil for searing meat
- 10-15 dried chiles stems and seeds removed. Use varieties like guajillo, ancho, and arbor.
- 4 cups beef broth divided
- 1 onion quartered
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
- Cornstarch slurry 2 tablespoons cornstarch + 2 tablespoons water, optional to thicken sauce
Instructions
- Rinse the chiles, then add them to a saucepan with 2 cups of beef broth, onions, and garlic. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, then simmer uncovered for 20 minutes.10-15 dried chiles, 4 cups beef broth, 1 onion, 4 cloves garlic
- As the chiles cook, heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, sear the meat in batches on all sides until browned. Transfer seared meat into the Crockpot.3 ½ pounds boneless beef chuck roast, 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Remove the saucepan with the chiles, onions, garlic, and broth from the heat. Pour in the remaining beef broth to cool, then transfer everything into a blender or food processor. Blend well to make a red chile sauce.
- Pour the sauce into the Crockpot with the seared beef. Add the salt, pepper, Mexican oregano, ground cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and bay leaves.1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon, 2 bay leaves
- Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4-5 hours, until beef is tender.
- During the last 30 minutes, make a cornstarch slurry and stir it into the sauce. Cover and continue cooking for the remaining time until the sauce thickens. Discard the bay leaves before serving.Cornstarch slurry
Notes
- Swap the chuck for sirloin steak or stew meat. Pork shoulder or chicken breasts or thighs also work well.
- Skip the Searing to save time. Searing does make the beef more tender, adds flavor, and improves its color, but the recipe still works without it.
- Change up the dried chiles to suit your taste. Add cayenne to the sauce or serve with sliced jalapeños for more heat.
- Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles before simmering. The seeds add bitterness and extra heat you can’t control.
- Control the heat with the arbol chiles. Use just one or two for a mild sauce and more if your family likes it hot.
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
