Tender chunks of beef simmered in a rich and flavorful sauce made from red chiles is a family favorite comfort food dinner! Made in an Instant Pot to save time although you can make it on the stove or slow cooker. Calling all protein lovers, this hearty Mexican-inspired dish is calling your name!
Prep Time10 minutesmins
Cook Time50 minutesmins
Additional Time20 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr20 minutesmins
Course: Beef
Cuisine: Mexican
Keyword: beef chile colorado, chile colorado recipe, Instant Pot chile Colorado, recipe for chile colorado, what is chile colorado
Servings: 6
Calories: 504kcal
Author: Averie Sunshine
Ingredients
¼cupcanola or vegetable oil
2poundsbeef stew meatdiced into bite-sized cubes* (See Notes)
5cupsbrothdivided (beef, chicken, or vegetable; I prefer low salt versions)
4ancho chilesdeseeded and washed
2pasilla chilesdeseeded and washed
2guajillo chilesdeseeded and washed
one 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoesI used fire-roasted
½medium white or yellow onionfinely diced
2tablespoonssmoked paprikaregular paprika may be substituted** See Notes
2teaspoonsdried Mexican oreganoregular dried oregano may be substituted
1teaspooncumin
3 to 4clovesgarlicfinely minced
1teaspoonkosher saltor to taste
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepperor to taste
2tablespoonsmaseca***See Notes
Instructions
Turn on your Instant Pot to Saute, add the oil, then add the meat in batches to brown it, taking care not to overcrowd the pan. Set is aside after it’s browned.
To a separate cast iron pan, heat the chiles over medium-high heat until pliable; set them aside.
Heat 2 cups of the broth (reserve the remaining 3 cups) until very hot. Cover the chiles with the hot broth (either add them to the pan or put them in a large enough bowl and then pour the broth over the top.**** (See Notes)
Place the softened chiles in the canister of a blender, add 1 cup of the soaking broth, and blend until super smooth. Very important tip - Make sure you are only using broth from the top because no matter how much you wash chiles, there is always some sediment and dirt that will release into the soaking liquid and you don't want to transfer this into the blender so carefully make sure you're just using 1 cup of sediment-free broth from the top of your soaking bowl. Discard everything else that remains.
Add the canned diced tomatoes and blend again until very smooth.
Take the very smooth blended chile mixture and pour it into a sieve or fine mesh strainer, and using a spatula push the mixture through, leaving the pulp behind and then discard it; set strained mixture aside.
To the Instant Pot, add the onions, and Saute for 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened; if the Pot is too hot and onions are browning too fast, just turn it off and keep cooking with the residual heat that remains.
Pour the reserved chile sauce into the pot, add the paprika, oregano, cumin, garlic, and stir to combine.
Add the reserved browned meat, add the 3 cups reserved and previously unused broth, and stir to combine.
Place the lid on the Instant Pot, seal, turn it to the Meat setting, and set the time for 30 minutes.
When the time is finished, allow it to do a Natural Release for 10 minutes.
Then do a Quick Release.
Spoon out 1/2 cup of the sauce mixture, stir in the maseca, and stir this back into the Instant Pot.
Turn the Instant Pot to Saute, and saute for about 10 minutes to thicken the sauce a bit.
Taste the mixture, and if desired, add additional salt, pepper, etc. to taste.
Serve with rice, tortillas, or bread. Extra Chile Colorado will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat gently as desired.
Notes
*I recommend using beef stew meat such as beef chuck shoulder or beef roast. Additionally, you can use pork shoulder or pork butt. Above all, you want to select a protein with a little more fat in it that can cook well in an Instant Pot.**I use 2 tablespoons not teaspoons in order to give proper flavor but of course, season to taste and reduce this if for some reason you are inclined to.***Maseca is Mexican cornmeal that is used to make tortillas and tamales. It helps thicken the broth. You can blend a corn tortilla or a piece of toast in the blender with a bit of the broth and then add it instead.****When you are heating the chiles on the stove and then the broth before submerging them and waiting for them to soften, this can be done in the microwave, too. Place the chiles in a large microwave safe dish and cook in the microwave for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of broth and heat for an additional 2 minutes. The broth should be very hot. Make sure the chilis are submerged in the broth and let them sit for 10 minutes. *****After the chiles have softened and you’re removing them and placing in a blender canister, along with 1 cup of broth, make sure you are only using broth from the top because no matter how much you wash chiles, there is always some sediment and dirt that will release into the soaking liquid.