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Side view of a Mexican pot with chile colorado with pork

Chile Colorado with Pork

by Gemma Aguayo-Murphy
Chile Colorado with Pork is a comforting and hearty Mexican dish featuring tender shredded pork simmered in a rich, red chile sauce. Made with dried chiles and traditional spices, this versatile recipe can be enjoyed as a main course or used as a filling for burritos or tamales. A great recipe for a weeknight meal but also delicious and impressive enough to serve at a special gathering.
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 8
Calories 561 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 4 cups shredded pork (see notes)
  • 10 dried guajillo chiles
  • 4 dried New Mexico chiles
  • 2-3 dried chile de arbol chiles
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
  • ¼ teaspoon oregano
  • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt (plus more to taste)
  • 1 large garlic clove (or 2 small ones)
  • ½ bay leaf
  • ⅛ 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 ½ tablespoon oil
  • ¼-1/2 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, ¼ 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 ¼-1/2 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 Mexican Shredded Pork.
  • For an extra spicy sauce, add one or two more chiles de arbol.
    For a milder sauce, add only one chile de arbol or leave them out completely. You can also remove the seeds and veins, where most of the heat is found.
  • If you like a soupier consistency, simply double the sauce recipe but keep the shredded pork at 4 cups.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 561kcalCarbohydrates: 7.9gProtein: 92.3gFat: 14.4gSaturated Fat: 4.5gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 237mgPotassium: 1538mgFiber: 2.4gSugar: 4.6gCalcium: 84mgIron: 6mg
Did you try this recipe?Leave me a comment and star rating below or mention @everydaylatina on Instagram!