Chile Colorado Recipe: Easy Sonoran Style Beef in Red Chile Sauce
This chile colorado recipe delivers deep, vivid red chile flavor in about 25 minutes. “Colorado” means red in Spanish, and this dish earns that name with a rich, brick-red sauce built from frozen red chile puree, Mexican oregano, garlic, and a splash of red wine vinegar. Cubed beef chuck simmers directly in the chile sauce until tender and deeply flavored. This chile colorado recipe comes from my cookbook Taste of Tucson, and it works as a sauce for Sonoran flat enchiladas, a filling for tacos and burritos, or a topping for tostadas and salads.
What Makes This Sonoran Chile Colorado Different?
Most chile colorado recipes require toasting and soaking dried chiles, blending a sauce from scratch, and simmering for an hour or more. This Sonoran version uses frozen red chile puree – a smart shortcut that skips the prep without sacrificing depth of flavor. Frozen red chile puree is a staple in Sonoran and New Mexican cooking. It captures the flavor of freshly roasted and pureed red chiles in a convenient form. The beef browns in the same pan as the thawing chile disc, which means the drippings and the chile meld together from the very start. Red wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce add brightness and umami that round out the sauce beautifully. The result tastes like it simmered all day.
Prep Time: 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time: 20 minutesminutes
Chile Colorado Recipe: Easy Sonoran Style Beef in Red Chile Sauce
Colorado means “red” in Spanish, and this dish is indeed a deep, vivid red. Cubed beef is simmered in red chile sauce. Serve over my flat Sonoran-Style Enchiladas, or in tacos, tostadas, salads or burritos.
Ingredients
114-ounce container frozen red chile puree, or 2 cups red enchilada sauce
2tablespoonsolive oil
1 ½poundsbeef chuckcut into 1-inch pieces
4garlic clovesminced
3tablespoonsall-purpose or almond flour
1tablespoondried Mexican oregano
½teaspoonsea salt
1tablespoonred wine vinegar
1teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
⅛teaspoonAdobo seasoning
Instructions
run the container of chile puree under hot water to defrost it slightly. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove the partially frozen disc of chile puree from its container and place it on one side of the pan. (It will defrost and cook while the beef is browning.) Add the cubed beef and sauté for 10 minutes or until cooked through and the chili is totally liquefied. Reduce the heat to medium-low, stir in the rest of the ingredients, cover, and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Keep warm
Notes
Frequently Asked QuestionsWhat is chile colorado? Chile colorado is a Mexican and Southwestern dish of meat — most commonly beef — simmered in a rich red chile sauce. The name comes from the Spanish word "colorado" meaning red, referring to the deep brick-red color of the dried chile sauce. It's a staple of Sonoran and New Mexican cooking and serves as a base sauce for enchiladas, burritos, tacos, and tostadas. This recipe comes from Jackie Alpers' Taste of Tucson cookbook.What is the difference between chile colorado and chili con carne? Both dishes feature beef in a red chile sauce, but they differ in origin and technique. Chile colorado is a Sonoran and Mexican dish built on a pure dried red chile sauce with no tomatoes, beans, or cumin-heavy seasoning. Chili con carne is a Tex-Mex dish that typically includes tomatoes, cumin, and sometimes beans. Chile colorado has a cleaner, more intense chile flavor. For a comparison, see Jackie's Texas-style chili con carne recipe.What cut of beef is best for chile colorado? Beef chuck is the ideal choice — it has enough fat and connective tissue to become tender and flavorful during the simmer without drying out. Cut it into 1-inch cubes for even cooking. Beef stew meat works equally well and is often pre-cut at the grocery store. Avoid lean cuts like sirloin or round, which can turn tough and dry in a braised dish.What is frozen red chile puree and where can I find it? Frozen red chile puree is made from roasted, peeled, and pureed dried red chiles — most commonly New Mexico or Hatch red chiles. It captures the deep flavor of freshly made red chile sauce in a convenient frozen form. Find it at Latino grocery stores, Southwestern specialty markets, and some well-stocked supermarkets in the Southwest. If unavailable, substitute 2 cups of good quality red enchilada sauce — the dish will still be delicious.What do you serve with chile colorado? Chile colorado is one of the most versatile Sonoran dishes you can make. Serve it over Sonoran flat enchiladas for a classic Tucson meal, spoon it into warm flour tortillas for burritos, or pile it onto tostadas with queso fresco and shredded cabbage. It also works beautifully as a taco filling alongside Sonoran-style chunky guacamole and chicken tortilla soup for a full Sonoran spread.Can I make chile colorado ahead of time? Yes — chile colorado actually improves overnight as the flavors deepen. Make it up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat, adding a splash of chicken broth if the sauce has thickened too much. It also freezes well for up to 3 months.Is chile colorado gluten free? It can be. Substitute almond flour or masa harina for the all-purpose flour called for in this recipe. The dish works equally well either way and the almond flour is listed as an option in the ingredients. All other ingredients are naturally gluten free. Always check your enchilada sauce or chile puree label if cooking for someone with celiac disease.
Course Main Course, Taste of Tucson: Sonoran Style Recipes
