Description
Chile Colorado Burritos are a flavorful Mexican dish featuring tender beef stew meat slow-cooked in a rich and smoky chili sauce made from guajillo and ancho chiles. Wrapped in warm flour tortillas and optionally topped with melted cheese, these burritos combine deep, savory flavors with comforting textures, perfect for a hearty meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Sauce
- 2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup beef broth
- 10 dried guajillo chiles, seeded and stemmed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, seeded and stemmed
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Assembly
- 6 large flour tortillas
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (Monterey Jack or cheddar, optional)
Instructions
- Toast and Soften Chiles: In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the guajillo and ancho chiles until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and soak the toasted chiles in hot water for 20 minutes until softened.
- Prepare Chile Sauce: Drain the softened chiles and blend them with garlic, cumin, oregano, and 1/2 cup beef broth until smooth. Set the sauce aside.
- Brown the Beef: In a large pot, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Brown the beef pieces in batches, seasoning each batch with salt and pepper to enhance flavor and seal in juices.
- Combine Beef and Sauce: Return all browned beef to the pot and pour the chile sauce over it. Add additional beef broth if necessary to cover the meat completely.
- Simmer Meat: Cover and simmer the mixture on low heat for 2 to 3 hours, or until the beef is tender enough to be easily shredded with a fork, allowing the flavors to meld.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and lightly grease a baking dish to prevent sticking.
- Assemble Burritos: Spoon the beef and some sauce onto each flour tortilla, then roll them up tightly and place them seam side down in the prepared baking dish. If desired, sprinkle shredded cheese evenly over the top of the burritos.
- Bake Burritos: Bake the assembled burritos uncovered in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling, and the burritos are heated through.
- Serve: Serve the Chile Colorado Burritos hot, accompanied by extra chile sauce, rice, beans, or guacamole according to your preference.
Notes
- For a spicier version, you can include some seeds from the chiles or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the sauce.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, reduce the amount of beef broth when blending the chiles and during simmering.
- These burritos can be made ahead and refrigerated; reheat in the oven for best texture.
- To make this recipe gluten free, substitute the flour tortillas with corn tortillas or gluten-free wraps.
- Leftover chile beef makes a great filling for tacos or nachos at a later meal.
