Description
Delicious Slow Cooker Chili Colorado made with tender beef chunks simmered in a rich chile sauce of guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles, garlic, cumin, oregano, and onion. Perfectly balanced flavors that meld beautifully over slow cooking for a deeply satisfying dish.
Ingredients
- 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
- Beef:
- 3 lb beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1/4 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Bring beef broth to a boil. Add guajillo, ancho, and arbol chiles and steep 10–15 minutes.
- Remove stems and seeds from chiles. Blend chiles, broth, onion, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and salt until smooth. Strain for silky sauce.
- Toss beef chunks with gluten-free flour, salt, and pepper. Heat oil in skillet and sear beef 2–3 minutes per side until browned. Set aside.
- Transfer seared beef to slow cooker. Pour chile sauce over beef, add bay leaves, and stir.
- Cover and cook on High 4 hours or Low 8 hours until meat is tender and flavors meld.
Notes
- Hydrating the dried chiles is essential for deep flavor.
- Searing the beef builds rich, savory depth via Maillard reaction.
- Use Low setting if time allows for more tender meat and developed spices.
- Prep Time: 2 hours 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course, Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Mexican-American