Slow Cooker Chile Colorado Recipe
Slow Cooker Chili Colorado is a rich and authentic Mexican dish featuring tender beef stew meat simmered in a flavorful homemade chile sauce made from guajillo, ancho, and arbol chilies. Slow-cooked to perfection, this hearty chili bursts with deep, complex flavors and a smooth, silky texture, perfect for an indulgent and comforting meal.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 hours (low) or 4 hours (high)
- Total Time: 8 hours 20 minutes (using low setting)
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
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 Chilies: Bring the beef broth to a boil in a pot, then add all dried chilies (guajillo, ancho, and arbol). Remove from heat and let the chilies steep for 10-15 minutes until they soften and absorb the broth flavor.
- Prepare Chile Sauce: Remove the softened chilies from the broth with a slotted spoon and discard the stems and seeds. Add the chilies, soaked broth, roughly chopped onion, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt to a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 2-3 minutes. Pour the sauce through a fine strainer into a bowl, pressing gently with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible while leaving the pulp behind.
- Coat and Sear Beef: Toss the beef stew meat chunks with the gluten-free flour, remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, and freshly ground black pepper in a bowl until evenly coated. Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, sear the beef for 2-3 minutes per side until deeply browned on the exterior. Transfer each batch to a plate as it finishes browning.
- Combine and Slow Cook: Transfer the seared beef to your slow cooker. Pour the strained chile sauce over the beef and stir well to combine. Add the bay leaves and give everything a final stir. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours or Low for 8 hours until the meat is tender and flavors meld beautifully.
Notes
- Soaking the chilies in broth extracts deeper flavor and softens them for blending.
- Straining the chile sauce removes pulp for a silkier texture, authentic to traditional chili colorado.
- Browning the beef before slow cooking enhances flavor through the Maillard reaction.
- Slow cooking on Low for 8 hours yields more tender meat and richer flavor compared to High setting.
- Use gluten-free flour to keep the recipe gluten-free and accommodate dietary needs.
Keywords: Slow Cooker Chili Colorado, Chile Colorado recipe, authentic Mexican chili, slow-cooked beef chili, gluten-free chili
