Chile colorado sauce
A brick red sauce of dried guajillo and ancho chillies, garlic and cumin for slow braises.
Make this once, then cook it into 23 different dishes.
- Time50 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.80 a head
- Makesabout 800 ml of red chilli sauce, enough for 2 braises for 4 people
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Heat a dry frying pan over a medium heat. Toast the guajillo and ancho chillies a few at a time for 15 to 20 seconds a side until fragrant. Add the chiles de arbol for 10 seconds. Put them all in a bowl, cover with the boiling water and soak for 20 minutes until soft.
20 min - 2
In the same pan toast the cumin seeds for 30 seconds, then crush them or tip them straight into a blender.
- 3
Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and cook the onion and garlic for 6 minutes until soft and lightly golden. Add them to the blender.
6 min - 4
Lift the chillies into the blender and add 300 ml of the soaking water, the oregano, cloves and vinegar. Blend for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth, then press through a sieve into a bowl.
- 5
Heat the remaining 1 tbsp of oil in a wide pan over a medium high heat. Pour in the chilli puree (it will spit) and fry, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes until darker and thicker.
6 min - 6
Add the stock and the salt and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust the salt and vinegar.
15 min - 7
Cool quickly if you are not using it straight away. To use, add it to browned meat or beans and braise until tender.
About chile colorado sauce
Chile colorado sauce is a deep red Mexican sauce made from dried guajillo and ancho chillies blended with garlic, onion, cumin and oregano. Colorado means red, and the sauce is the base for chile colorado, a stew of beef or pork braised until tender, which is popular in northern Mexico and across the south west of the United States.
It tastes earthy, fruity and a little smoky, with moderate heat that you control with chiles de arbol. It is not a tomato sauce and there is no flour thickening it, so the flavour is pure chilli.
Braise chunks of beef or pork shoulder, chicken thighs or beans and potatoes in it, or use it as an enchilada sauce, tamale filling sauce or burrito wet sauce. Toast the chillies lightly, soak them well and fry the blended puree before adding stock. Those three steps stop it tasting bitter.
Tips
- Guajillo chillies give the red colour and tang, ancho gives sweetness and depth. Keep roughly 3 guajillo to 1 ancho for the classic balance.
- Chiles de arbol bring the heat. Use 3 for a medium sauce, 1 for mild, none for no heat. Remove seeds from all of them for less fire.
- Do not soak the chillies for more than 20 to 30 minutes and throw the soaking water away after using what you need. Used too freely, it can make the sauce bitter.
- Strain the blended sauce through a medium sieve, pressing with a spoon, to get rid of the tough chilli skins.
- For meat braises swap the vegetable stock for gluten free beef or chicken stock, and add salt at the end after tasting.
- To thicken, simmer a little longer or stir in 1 tbsp of masa harina mixed with water. Tick the masa harina label if you need it gluten free.
Storing and freezing
Cool quickly and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze in 400 ml portions for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and bring to a simmer until steaming hot all the way through before using.
Dishes you can make with chile colorado sauce
Burritos de Chile Colorado (Red Chilli Beef Burritos)
EFNFTacos de Chile Colorado (Red Chilli Beef Tacos)
DFEFNFEnchiladas Rojas de Pollo (Red Chicken Enchiladas)
EFNFEnchiladas de Queso con Chile Colorado (Red Cheese Enchiladas)
GFEFNFHuevos Ahogados en Chile Colorado (Eggs Poached in Red Chilli Sauce)
DFNFVCostillas de Cerdo en Chile Colorado (Red Chilli Pork Ribs)
DFEFNFPapas con Chile Colorado (Red Chilli Potato Stew)
DFEFNFGarbanzos en Chile Colorado (Red Chilli Chickpea Stew)
GFDFEFSopes con Pollo en Chile Colorado (Thick Masa Cakes with Red Chicken)
GFEFNFGorditas de Carne con Chile Colorado (Stuffed Masa Pockets)
GFEFNFQuesadillas de Pollo en Chile Colorado (Red Chilli Chicken Quesadillas)
EFNFTorta Ahogada de Carnitas (Drowned Pork Sandwich)
EFNFDFQuestions
What is chile colorado?
It is a Mexican stew, and the sauce it is cooked in. Colorado means coloured or red, and refers to the dried red chillies. The classic version braises beef or pork in a sauce of guajillo and ancho chillies, garlic and cumin.
How spicy is it?
Medium. Guajillo and ancho are mild, so the heat comes mostly from the chiles de arbol. Use 3 for a medium sauce, fewer for mild, and take out the chilli seeds to cut the heat.
Can I use chilli powder instead of dried chillies?
Not really. Standard chilli powder blends contain cumin, garlic and often other fillers, and give a flat result. Pure ancho and guajillo powder works in a pinch, about 4 tbsp total, but whole chillies taste far better.
Is chile colorado sauce gluten free and vegan?
Yes, as written with gluten free vegetable stock. Check the stock label. Always check the packaging on dried chillies and spices too, if you cook for someone with coeliac disease.
Why is my chilli sauce bitter?
Usually from over-toasted or burnt chillies, or too much soaking water. Toast only for 15 to 20 seconds a side, fry the puree to cook out the rawness, and balance with a pinch of salt and vinegar.
More base recipes
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.