Chile Colorado with Pork is a spicy, velvety red chile sauce with tender, flavorful shredded pork. This dish is made with dried red chiles and makes an amazing entree or filling for tamales.
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In my husband’s family, on Thanksgiving red chile is poured over turkey and mashed potatoes like gravy. For years, this special side dish was made lovingly by Nana, my husband’s amazing grandmother, and no one could get enough.
It wasn’t until Nana approached her early nineties that her desire to prepare the dish faded. It was also around that same time that I came into the family as a young bride, and the honor of carrying on Nana’s red chile tradition was passed on to me.
Fortunately, I had my parents’ masterpiece for chile colorado with shredded pork ready to go. Every year I get to share this spicy, velvety, delicious dish with the family and celebrate Nana too.
Why You’ll Love This Chile Colorado Recipe
- Healthy: This recipe is made with wholesome ingredients and is Whole30 compatible.
- Gluten-Free: I have seen many red chile sauces that use flour as a thickener, but this recipe doesn’t use any thickening agent and still comes out luscious and velvety.
- Traditional Flavors: Using a combination of dried chiles and spices, this dish encompasses many of the traditional flavors of Mexican cuisine.
- Versatile: From an entree to a filling, for breakfast, lunch or dinner, there are just so many ways to serve and accompany this amazing dish.
The Ingredients
- Shredded Pork: Prepare the meat ahead of time to speed up the cooking process. Follow my recipe for shredded pork, made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker. The result is a juicy, tender, and flavorful pork that complements this red chile perfectly.
- Dried Chile Guajillo: Chiles guajillo are dried mirasol chiles. Their flavor is a mix of sweet and smoky without being too acidic, with a mild to medium heat. Find them in Latin American supermarkets or click here to buy online.
- Dried New Mexico Chile: Dried New Mexico chiles have a fruity, earthy flavor. They are considered medium to hot. They tend to be a bit acidic, which is why this recipe doesn’t use very many. However, in moderation they add a great taste to the sauce. I have found these at Sam’s Club, Walmart, Latin American supermarkets, and online.
- Dried Chile de Arbol: Chiles de arbol are dried small, thin red peppers and are very spicy. They have a smoky, nutty flavor and only a few of them will add lots of heat to any sauce. Find them in many grocery stores, Latin American grocery stores, and online.
- Ground Cumin: Cumin is often overused and too much can completely overpower a dish. However, a pinch helps round out the flavors without even being detected.
- Oregano: Oregano is also a powerful spice, but again, a little adds just the right touch of flavor.
- Cinnamon Stick: Too much cinnamon will make this dish too sweet and taste like, well, cinnamon. Just a small piece adds a hint of cinnamon that goes beautifully with the spice of the chiles and the flavor of the pork.
- Bay Leaf: A bay leaf adds another layer of flavor to the sauce, with a slight sweetness and almost minty flavor that goes great with the oregano and cinnamon. Again, too much and the flavor can overpower, so the key is to let all of these spices work together without any of them taking over.
- Chicken Broth: Chicken broth adds extra flavor and is better than just using plain water when blending the sauce. If you are doing Whole30, just be sure to use a compatible broth.
- Oil
- Salt
How to Make Chile Colorado Pork
1. Prepare the Meat
- Cook and shred meat. To speed up the prep time, cook the pork the night before or in the morning.
- For the chile colorado, you will need 4 cups of shredded pork. Follow my recipe for shredded pork, made in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
2. Make The Red Chile Sauce
- Fill a medium-sized pot halfway with water and bring to a boil.
- Prepare 10 guajillo chiles, 4 New Mexico chiles, and 2 to 3 chiles de arbol by breaking off the stems. Then, add them to the boiling water. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until soft.
- Next, drain the chiles and place them in a blender or food processor. Add and blend with the following ingredients:
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/4 teaspoon of oregano
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 1/8 piece of a cinnamon stick (don’t use to much or the taste will be overpowering)
- 2 cups of chicken broth (use compatible broth for Whole30)
3. Strain and Sauté the Sauce
- Use a fine mesh sieve to strain the sauce. Mix and push the sauce through the strainer with a spoon for a smooth, velvety consistency.
- If you have a high-powered blender you may not need to strain.
- Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil in a small Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Pour the sauce in the pot and bring to a boil.
4. Add the Pork
- Once the sauce is boiling, mix in the shredded pork. If the sauce looks too thick, add 1/4-1/2 cups of additional chicken broth. Do not add too much broth or the sauce will become too thin and runny.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until heated through to allow the flavors to come together.
- Taste and add more salt if needed.
This recipe is amazing as a filling for tamales rojos (red tamales). Follow the same recipe except leave out the cinnamon as it tends to not complement the flavor of the tamales.
How to Serve
This pork red chile is amazing with a side of refried beans and Mexican rice. It’s also delicious in burritos or with a side of eggs in the morning.
If you are on Whole30, serve this inside of a baked potato, beside some roasted vegetables, or with some mashed potatoes.
Storing and Reheating
Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Also, freeze it for up to 4 months.
To reheat the pork red chile, pour in a small pot over medium heat and cook until warm. You can also microwave it in a microwaveable safe bowl until heated through.
Tips and Variations
- For an extra spicy sauce, add one or two more chiles de arbol. On the other hand, only add one or leave them out completely if you don’t like much spice.
- If you cannot find dried chiles in store, they are also available online on Amazon or at online grocers like mexgrocer.com, see the following links:
I hope you enjoy!
PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW IF YOU MAKE THIS OR TAG ME ON INSTAGRAM @EVERYDAYLATINA.
More Mexican Dinner Recipes
- Enchiladas Rojas
- Tender Shredded Pork in Salsa Verde
- Shredded Pork and Avocado Burritos
- Gluten-Free Mole Poblano
- Bacon and Ground Beef Chiles Rellenos
- Ground Beef Entomatadas
Chile Colorado with Pork
Equipment
- Fine mesh sieve
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 4 cups shredded pork (see notes)
- 10 dried guajillo chiles
- 4 dried New Mexico chiles
- 2-3 dried chile de arbol chiles
- 1/4 tsp cumin
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 large garlic clove (or 2 small ones)
- 1/2 bay leaf
- 1/8 piece of a cinnamon stick (don’t use too much or the taste will be overpowering)
- 2 cups chicken broth (use compatible broth for Whole30)
- 1 1/2 tbsp oil
- 1/4-1/2 additional chicken broth (if needed, see recipe)
Instructions
- Cook and shred meat. To speed up the prep time, you can plan ahead and cook the pork the night before or in the morning.
- Fill a medium-sized pot halfway with water and bring to a boil. Break the stems off of all of the dried chiles and add them to the boiling water. Let the chiles boil for 15-20 minutes until soft.
- Next, drain the chiles and place them in a blender or food processor. Add the cumin, oregano, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, garlic, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, and 2 cups of chicken broth.
- Blend until smooth.
- Strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a different container. Use a spoon to mix and push the sauce to help it through the strainer and get rid of all the seeds and any unblended pieces. If you have a high-powered blender you may not need to strain.
- Heat oil in a small Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Pour the sauce in the pot and bring to a boil.
- Once the sauce is boiling, mix in the shredded pork. If the sauce looks too thick, add 1/4-1/2 cups of additional chicken broth. Do not add too much broth or the sauce will become too thin and runny.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes until heated through and to allow the flavors to come together.
- Taste and add more salt if needed.
Notes
- I have a great and easy recipe for shredded pork that complements the chile colorado perfectly. Click here for Everyday Shredded Pork.
- For an extra spicy sauce, add one or two more chiles de arbol. Only add one or leave them out completely if you don’t like much spice.
- This recipe is amazing as a filling for tamales rojos (red tamales). Follow the same recipe except leave out the cinnamon as it tends to not complement the flavor of the tamales.
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Originally published May 28, 2020. Updated post November 2022.
I make mine similar. The way my mom taught me. I use beef or pork. Always come out great. Question though. You blend the bay leaf too or do you discard it?
Hi Karyn, that’s great. I blend the bay leaf with all the other spices.
I made a small batch for myself and my spouse, I used 8 guajillo chiles and 2 chiles de Arnold. It had no spice. What did I do wrong? We like it spicy. I did remove the seeds, should I have left them?
Arbol *
Hi Christina, the seeds will definitely add more spice. However, I also would suggest to add more chiles de arbol. Guajillo chiles are not typically spicy, all the heat will come from the chiles de arbol.
Thank you for posting this recipe! I have never even tried to replicate my Mom’s because she can never give me real measurements (i.e. “poquito”, what does that mean?! like a tsp? a tbs? ughh!). I tried it about 2 weeks ago and it was super delicious! I kept trying to decipher why my Mom’s tasted different than yours and it might be ground cloves? I remember helping her out last winter making tamales and she added some at the end. Thanks again!!
Hi Diana, thank you for the comment and for trying out the recipe. I am so happy you liked it! I wonder if the cinnamon could be different from your mom’s too? I know it’s something my mom only uses when she makes red chile with pork but leaves it out in other chile colorado recipes.
I’ve never cooked with dried chiles before so I was excited to try this. The recipe came together quickly and the recipe was super easy to follow. I only used Guajillo and New Mexico chiles and the spice was perfect. Delicious!
Hi Isabella, I am so excited you cooked with dried chiles! I will be sharing more recipes using dried chiles in the future so you can keep practicing. So glad you liked it and made changes to fit your spice preference. Thank you!