Chile Colorado Tacos definitely need to make it to your table soon! Nothing beats a fabulous taco, and these fit the bill. This is a great dish (so flavorful!), especially now that the weather is cooling down.
It’s not Tuesday, but any day is a good one for Chile Colorado Tacos! I never tire of tacos, do you? In fact, when I was telling my husband what I was sharing, he said, “You should count how many taco recipes are on the site.” Ten. The answer is 10, and there is always room for more!
My husband originally suggested Chile Colorado burritos, but I wanted a little less in the carbs department for dinner. You could wrap up this flavorful beef filling into a burrito if you’d like, but I went somewhere in the middle and turned to tacos.
Chile Colorado Tacos
Chile Colorado is a Mexican dish, with the name Colorado meaning, “colored red.” The red comes from the chiles used to make this pork (or beef) stew. The sauce is a lovely red shade (and it’s spicy, too).
This recipe might not be 100% authentic because we didn’t have dried chiles to reconstitute and blend. We used dried seasonings instead. The color of the stew for Chile Colorado Tacos is rich and enticing and the seasonings give it great flavor with a bit of a kick (and that’s easy to adjust to your tastes).
Beef is the name of the game with this recipe, but you could use pork or even chicken to make the “stew” base for these tacos. If you’re looking for a hearty, Mexican-inspired recipe try my Pork al Pastor Bowls. It’s a traditional dish served in a non-traditional presentation.
Like I said, who doesn’t love a good taco? If you’re on the hunt for more taco recipes, I’ve got you covered from breakfast to dinner. Check out the following, as I’m sure you’ll find something for every taste!
Tacos, Tacos, and More Tacos
Breakfast Tacos with Sweet Potatoes, Sausage, Spinach and Lime Crema
Pork Carnitas Tacos with Roasted Butternut Squash Puree
Grilled Salmon Tacos with Fresh Cherry-Chipotle Salsa
Grilled Corn, Peppers & Black Bean Tacos with Creamy Poblano Sauce
Chile Colorado Tacos have a rich, bold flavor, so there’s no need to add an amount of crazy toppings (unless you’re really into it). I added sliced radishes, a few crumbles of Cotija cheese, and cilantro as garnish over the tops. I could see adding avocado or a small dollop of sour cream.
Try Chile Colorado Tacos soon! You won’t regret it — they’re fabulous as a hearty meal.
Patricia Conte/Grab a Plate
Yields Serves 4-6
5 based on 10 review(s)
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- Salt and black pepper to season the beef
- 1 pound boneless beef short ribs
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons arbol chile powder
- 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
- 2 teaspoons guajillo chile powder
- Note: use standard chile powder if you don’t have access to the above
- 1, 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- Juice of one lime
- 2 cups beef stock
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- Flour tortillas
- For garnish: Radishes, sliced thin, cilantro, and Cotija cheese to crumble over the tops
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 350 degrees. F.
- Season the beef with a few pinches of salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- Add a Dutch oven to the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add one tablespoon of the oil. When hot, add the beef.
- Sear the beef on all sides, cooking about two minutes on each side. Remove the beef from the pan onto a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining oil, when hot, add the onion and cook for several minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the cumin and chile powders to the skillet and stir for about 30 seconds.
- Add the diced tomatoes with juices, tomato paste, and lime juice. Stir to combine. Add the oregano and bay leaf.
- Transfer the seared beef back to the Dutch oven. Add the beef stock to the pan.
- Cover with a lid and add to the oven to cook for one hour.
- Remove the beef from the oven. Remove the bay leaf from the pan.
- Place the Dutch oven with the sauce over medium heat. Skim off any fat that might accumulate on the surface. Cook to reduce the sauce, about 15 minutes. You want enough sauce to cover the shredded beef that you’ll add back to the pan.
- Transfer the beef to a platter or cutting board. Let the beef rest for about 15 minutes.
- Use a fork (or two forks) to shred the beef. Place the Dutch oven over medium heat on the stove. Add the shredded beef back to the Dutch oven.
- Stir the beef to combine with the sauce.
- Remove from the heat and serve on flour tortillas with your favorite toppings.
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