Chile Colorado recipe with tender pork pieces is an authentic northern Mexico dish. Colorado pepper refers to pepper that is very popular in the gastronomies of the northern states of Mexico. It is also known as “Chile de la Tierra”, “Chile Seco del Norte”, “Chile de Sarta”, and many other names that vary by region in that part of the country.
Chile Colorado with Pork and Nopales
In the northern states, like the State of Chihuahua, the salsas made with Chile Colorado are often thickened with flour and used to prepare dishes like enchiladas, chilaquiles, and the dish featured in this post: Chiles Colorado with Nopales (it can also be made with potatoes).
Chile Colorado is not easy to find outside of this region of Mexico, so most people use Guajillo peppers to prepare this dish (that’s what I’ll be using in this recipe). You can also use dried Anaheim or New Mexico peppers as well. There are many recipes out there for making Chile Colorado (like most recipes that vary from household to household), but a lot of them are very similar.
Most of the peppers mentioned above could be found at Latin stores or at your supermarket Latin aisle, if you don't find it you can order it online via Amazon. Here are the links to those peppers: Ancho pepper, Guajillo Peppers, Arbol Pepper & Chile Colorado
PEPPERS AND SIDE DISHES FOR YOUR CHILE COLORADO
Don't worry about the size fo the peppers bags, you can use them in several salsas and stews, there are plenty of recipes HERE in the blog. To store the peppers you don't use, place in a Ziploc bag, store in your pantry, and even in your freezer. They will last several months.
I love to serve stews with vegetables, but this Chile Colorado is a very comforting, and it is perfect to serve with side dishes like rice, corn or flour tortillas, and the whole o refried pinto beans.
How to make Chile Colorado with Pork and Nopales
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Place the meat in a large heavy pot. Add ¼ of the white onion, 2 bay leaves, and 2 of the garlic cloves. Cover with 1½ cups of water and turn the heat to high. Once it starts boiling, reduces the heat to low and gently simmer. Cooking the meat will take about 20-30 minutes, this will give you plenty of time to prepare the sauce and to precook the nopales. (Please check the ingredients list below)
- While the meat is cooking, clean the peppers by removing the seeds and veins. Place them in a saucepan, cover with water, and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the water starts boiling, turn off the heat, cover the saucepan, and set aside for 20 minutes or until the peppers are soft.
- Precooking the nopales: Place the chopped nopales in a saucepan, cover with 4 cups of water, and cook over a medium heat. As soon as the water starts boiling, reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes. After this, remove the nopales from the heat, strain, and set aside.
- By this time, the water in the pot where you’re cooking the meat should have been reduced, and the meat will start to brown in its own fat. Remove the garlic and onion. If the meat is too lean and doesn’t render any fat, add 2 tablespoons of lard or vegetable oil. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of flour and stir well, browning the pieces of meat.
- Drain the peppers from their soaking water. In a blender, place the peppers, ¼ of the white onion (chopped), 2 garlic cloves, cumin, and oregano, 1-½ of water or chicken broth. Blend on high until you have a very fine puree.
- Pour the sauce over the cooking meat using a strainer (stir and add more water, if needed, to create a smooth sauce). Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and simmer for 15 more minutes until the meat is really tender and the sauce has thickened a little.
- Stir in the cooked and drained nopales, and keep cooking for 5 more minutes. Taste to see if it needs some adjustment with the seasoning, I know some of you would like to add more cumin and oregano. Serve with rice, beans, and a stack of warm flour tortillas.
If you like this Chile Colorado recipe, check this recipe for "WEDDING STEW" from the State of Nuevo Leon.
📖 Recipe
Chile Colorado with Pork and Nopales
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. of pork shoulder with some fat, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 4 small garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- ½ of a large white onion
- 1½ cups of water
- 3 cups of fresh Nopales cleaned & cut into small strips (about 12 oz.)
- 6 – 8 Guajillo Peppers*
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1¼ teaspoons of cumin seeds or 1½ teaspoons of ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons of Mexican oregano
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the meat in a large heavy pot. Add ¼ of the white onion, 2 bay leaves, and 2 of the garlic cloves. Cover with 1½ cups of water and turn the heat to high. Once it starts boiling, reduces the heat to low and gently simmers. Cooking the meat will take about 20-30 minutes, this will give you plenty of time to prepare the sauce and to precook the nopales.
- While the meat is cooking, clean the peppers by removing the seeds and veins. Place them in a saucepan, cover with water, and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the water starts boiling, turn off the heat, cover the saucepan, and set aside for 20 minutes or until the peppers are soft.
- Precooking the nopales: Place the chopped nopales in a saucepan, cover with 4 cups of water, and cook over a medium heat. As soon as the water starts boiling, reduce the heat and cook for 5 minutes. After this, remove the nopales from the heat, strain, and set aside.
- By this time, the water in the pot where you’re cooking the meat should have been reduced, and the meat will start to brown in its own fat. Remove the garlic and onion. If the meat is too lean and doesn’t render any fat, add 2 tablespoons of lard or vegetable oil. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of flour and stir well, browning the pieces of meat.
- Drain the peppers from their soaking water. In a blender, place the peppers, ¼ of the white onion (chopped), 2 garlic cloves, cumin, and oregano, along with 1-½ cup of water. Blend on high until you have a very fine puree.
- Pour the sauce over the cooking meat using a strainer (stir and add more water, if needed, to create a smooth sauce). Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and simmer for 15 more minutes until the meat is really tender and the sauce has thickened a little.
- Stir in the cooked and drained nopales, and keep cooking for 5 more minutes. Taste to see if it needs some adjustment with the seasoning, I know some of you would like to add more cumin and oregano. Serve with rice, beans, and a stack of warm flour tortillas.
Notes
- As mentioned above, you can also use New Mexico or Anaheim Peppers instead of Guajillos. You can also use a combination of Guajillo and Ancho peppers. If you decide to use Ancho, use 6 Guajillos and 2 Ancho peppers for this recipe.
- This dish is not a spicy dish, but I know that some of you might like to add a little bit of heat. If so, add 4 Arbol peppers when prepping the sauce.
Micki Flores
This dish was incredible. I had it many years ago but never got the recipe. I was excited when I found it on your site. I made it and loved it. My daughter was amazed at how good it was too. I now make it on occasion and relish each and every bite!
Andrea Smith
I followed your directions exactly and it came out perfectly. I was worried I had done something wrong at first because when I tasted the chili mixture before adding it to the meat, it tasted really bitter and not good at all. But I proceeded with the recipe and hoped it would correct itself and it did! I guess the raw onion made it not taste right but after it simmered the amount of time it needed, it was absolutely delish! The flavors all just blended together it was great. I didn't have the nopales and don't really like them anyway so I used some Mexican squash I had cooked the night before and it worked out great. And I don't even know which chilis they were I used. They might have been New Mexico ones because the market I go to doesn't label them. They assume most Mexicans know which is which! But I tasted them raw and they were good so I used them. Ok so I didn't follow your recipe 100% exactly. But I followed your instructions and that's what worked.
Mely Martínez
Hello Andrea,
It is so glad to know you enjoy cooking the recipe and that came out to your liking.
Thank you for sharing about the addition of squash.
Michelle Mendoza
Delicious
My husband is from Mexico City and said this is amazing.
Mely Martínez
Hello Michelle,
Thank you for trying the Chile Colorado recipe. It's so nice to know your husband likes it.
Yolanda McIntosh
Oh, Mely. How I love your recipes. I purchased your cookbook and I love it. I've made the lengua. I was a little hesitant but cooked it anyway. It was unbelievably delicious. Thank you so much for the great choice of recipes in the cookbook. Please write another. I can't wait to buy it, too.
Mely Martínez
Hello Yolanda,
Thank you for your kind words, it is so nice to hear you like the recipe in the cookbook. I do want to write another one, I will make sure to post about it.
Jia
I just want to take the time to tell you that this recipe was soooooo good. I’m literally sitting in bed wiping my plate clean with a loaf of bread!
Mely Martínez
Hello Jia,
Thank you for trying the Chile Colorado recipe. Enjoy it!
Alexia
Can I substitute the pork for chicken?
Mely Martínez
Hello Alexia,
Yes, you can use chicken thighs and legs.
Mark Hazell
I’m looking forward to making this - the Chile Colorado I’ve been making for years has beef chuck and potatoes, and a blend of guajillo, ancho, pasilla, New Mexico, and chipotle chiles with cumin, oregano and cloves. It is delicious but I find it is even more so if I allow it to simmer for at least six hours, as the flavours really blend with extended cooking. I wonder if the same would be true with this recipe?
Mely Martínez
Hello Mark, the combination of peppers you are using is great. This is a simpler versión, and yes, simmering the sauce for a longer time will blend the flavors beautifully.
Alicia Martinez
This recipe was super easy, not long to make and my entire family loved it. I am adding this to my list of quick dinner recipes. Thank you!
Crystal Castro
Very Easy to make.
Mely Martínez
Hello Crystal,
Thank you for trying the recipe. Happy cooking!
Frederik
Hi Mely,
i am Freddy from Germany and love cooking your recipes.
here are only Nopales in a can or plastic available. I think they are pickled.
Can i use them instead of fresh ones? And do i have to precook them? Or just direct into the Stew?
Thanks in advanced.
Freddy
mmartinez
Hello Frederik,
You can use those ones from the jar, just drain and add to the stew or any other dish you want to cook that includes nopales. No need to cook them. They are already precooked.
Frederik
Thank you very much.
Martha Realivasquez
Can you roast the nopales over an open flame instead of boiling?
mmartinez
Hello Martha,
Yes, you can grill the nopales over a charcoal or gas grill, you can even make them on a skillet-comal. Sometimes, I even add them raw after chopping them. They will cook in the stew.
Brenda Martinez
Wow! This recipe was delicious! Love the sauce. Thank you for sharing with us. I look forward to trying another recipe tomorrow ❤️
mmartinez
Hello Brenda,
Thank you for trying the recipe. So happy to know you like it, and that you will be trying more of the recipes.
Happy cooking!
Kerry
So how would this recipe work with potatoes? Would I boil the potatoes first then stir them into the sauce mixture?
mmartinez
Hello Kerry,
You can either slightly fry the potatoes cut into cubes or boil them first until cook but still al dente before adding to the sauce.
Claudia
What type of beef do I use for this?
mmartinez
Hello Claudia,
You can use beef chuck cut into cubes.