Description
This Slow Cooker Chili Colorado recipe features tender beef stew meat simmered in an authentic, richly spiced red chile sauce made from dried guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles. The chiles are soaked, blended into a smooth sauce, and combined with seared beef then slow-cooked to develop deep flavors and melt-in-your-mouth texture. Perfect for a comforting Mexican-inspired meal with gluten-free ingredients.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chile Sauce:
- 4 cups beef broth
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 6 dried guajillo chiles
- 2 dried ancho chiles
- 2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 small yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 2 dried arbol chiles
For the Beef:
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp avocado oil (or any neutral oil like canola)
- 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 3 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground preferred
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Hydrate the Chiles: Bring the beef broth to a boil in a pot, then add the dried guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles. Remove from heat and let them steep for 10-15 minutes until softened and infused with the broth flavor. This step extracts the deep flavors and makes the chiles easier to blend.
- Prepare the Chile Sauce: Remove chiles from broth using a slotted spoon, discard stems and seeds. Add the chiles, soaked broth, chopped onion, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a blender. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until smooth. Strain the sauce through a fine strainer into a bowl, pressing to extract as much liquid as possible for a silky texture.
- Coat and Sear the Beef: In a bowl, toss beef stew meat with gluten-free flour, remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and ground black pepper until evenly coated. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the beef in batches for 2-3 minutes per side until deeply browned, then transfer to a plate.
- Combine and Cook: Place the seared beef in the slow cooker. Pour the strained chile sauce over the beef and stir to coat. Add bay leaves and stir again. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours. Longer cooking on Low yields more tender meat and developed flavors.
Notes
- Straining the chile sauce yields a smoother, silkier texture typical of authentic Chili Colorado.
- Coating the beef with flour before searing helps develop a rich crust and thickens the sauce slightly.
- Use Mexican oregano if possible for a more authentic flavor.
- Adjust the number of arbol chiles to modify heat level.
- Cooking on low heat in the slow cooker for 8 hours is preferred for the best flavor and tenderness.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 4-8 hours
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Chili Colorado, slow cooker chili, beef chili, Mexican red chile, gluten free chili, authentic chili recipe, slow cooked beef stew
