The BEST Spanish Rice & Beef Chile Colorado Bowls
a.k.a. the dinner that makes you feel like you could open a food truck now
Let’s set the scene: It’s a weeknight, you’re craving something bold and comforting, and you maybe forgot to defrost the chicken. We’ve all been there. Enter: Spanish Rice & Beef Chile Colorado Bowls — the cozy, saucy, tender-beef-loaded dinner that’s got more personality than half the people you went to high school with.
Chile Colorado is one of those dishes that looks super impressive, but it’s really just beef simmered low and slow in a rich red chile sauce until it’s melt-in-your-mouth perfection. Pile it over a bed of fluffy Spanish rice and boom—restaurant-level comfort food at home.
But not just any rice. No, no. We’re using the good rice: Royal® Basmati Rice, baby.
Let’s talk rice (because it matters more than you think):
Royal® Basmati Rice is the real deal—aromatic, fluffy, and grown in the foothills of the freaking Himalayas. It cooks up into loose, individual grains (none of that sticky lump stuff), and the aroma? It literally makes your whole house smell like a five-star chef just moved in.
It’s not just rice. It’s Royal®.
✨ Family-owned.
✨ Proudly grown in India.
✨ Consistently top-tier quality.
✨ America’s #1 Basmati brand for a reason.
🧠 Fun food fact: Basmati means “fragrant” in Hindi, and you’ll totally get why when your kitchen starts smelling like heaven at minute 10.
Why this dinner hits so hard:
- Slow-simmered beef in rich, smoky red chile sauce = chef’s kiss.
- The Spanish rice is buttery, tomato-y, and perfectly fluffy.
- You can pile it all in a bowl, top it with fresh cilantro or queso fresco, and feel like you’ve got your life together.
- Bonus: this also makes amazing leftovers. So if you’re a meal-prepper? This one’s for you too.
This dish is spicy (but not too spicy), hearty, and totally customizable. Toss in some black beans or grilled corn. Add avocado. Go nuts with toppings. Or keep it simple. Either way, this bowl delivers.
Serve it up on a chill weeknight, impress your friends on a weekend, or double the batch and live your best leftovers life. Just don’t skip the Royal® rice—it’s the foundation of the whole vibe.
The BEST Spanish Rice & Beef Chile Colorado Bowls
Ingredients
Chile Colorado:
- 2.5-3 lbs. beef chuck roast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 3 chile de arbol stems and seeds removed
- 6 guajillo chilies stems and seeds removed
- 4 ancho chilies stems and seeds removed
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons beef bouillon
- 2 fresh bay leaves
Spanish Rice:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups Royal Basmati Rice
- 1 10 oz can of diced tomatoes and green chiles
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon
- 1 cup 8 oz plain tomato sauce
- 1 tsp tomato bouillon optional
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
For the Chile Colorado:
- Start by warming a dry skillet over medium heat and toasting your dried chiles for 2–3 minutes, stirring often. Once they’re smelling bold and smoky, transfer them to a small saucepan along with the chopped onion and garlic cloves. Add enough water to fully cover everything, then bring it to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, or until the chiles are nice and soft.
- Use a slotted spoon to scoop the softened chiles, onion, and garlic into a blender. Add 1 cup of the soaking liquid, plus the cumin, coriander, oregano, water and bouillon. Blend it all on high until the sauce is super smooth and velvety. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
- Next, cut your beef into roughly 2-inch cubes and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss the beef with a bit of flour until evenly coated. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil, and brown the beef in batches so it gets a good sear—don’t crowd the pan! Once all the beef is browned, pour off any excess oil.
- Add all the browned beef back into the pot and pour in just enough of your chile sauce to cover it (you can freeze any extra for later). Toss in a couple of bay leaves, pop the lid on, and let it simmer low and slow for about 2 hours, until the beef is fork-tender and totally irresistible.
- Skim any oil off the top before serving. Serve with warm tortillas, rice (like Royal® Basmati!), and all your favorite toppings.
Spanish Rice:
- Rinse the rice in a fine mesh strainer under cool water until it runs mostly clear—this helps keep it from getting sticky. Let it drain for about 5 minutes.
- In a pot, Dutch oven, or braiser, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the drained rice, cumin, chili powder, garlic, and oregano. Toast everything together for a couple of minutes, stirring often, until the rice smells nutty and the spices are fragrant.
- Pour in the water, add the bouillon, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, bay leaf, and a good pinch of salt. Stir well to dissolve the bouillon and bring it all to a boil. Once it starts bubbling, cover the pot, turn the heat way down to low, and let it gently simmer 12-15 minutes or until water is evaporated and rice is tender. I usually let it rest for a couple minutes before using.
- That’s it—perfect Spanish rice, ready for bowls, burritos, or just straight out of the pot.
