I’m proud to add this recipe to my growing list of amazing, authentic Mexican recipes like chile relleno, Huevos Rancheros, Sopaipillas, and Horchata! Charro beans make a great main dish or side dish!
What I love about this recipe:
What are Charro Beans?
Charro beans (AKA frijoles charros or cowboy beans) are a popular Mexican dish consisting of pinto beans in a boldly flavored broth with other types of meat (chorizo, bacon, ham), chili peppers, tomatoes, and spices. Its consistency os similar to soup and it can be served as a main dish or side dish. It almost reminds me of “pork and beans”, but way better and more boldly flavorful.
Ingredients:
Produce: onion, garlic, jalapeño pepper, cilantro. Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes. I often substitute a 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies or habaneros and leave out the jalapeño in the recipe. Spices: salt, pepper, bay leaf, cumin, paprika, oregano. Meat: bacon, chorizo, ham. Dried pinto beans: to use canned beans, see recipe notes. Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (optional): Chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce are located in the Mexican aisle at the grocery store and add a great smoky flavor to the beans. You only need ½ or 1 whole pepper (depending on your spice preference) for this recipe. You can add the leftover chilis and sauce to a freezer bag and freeze for later use. Chicken bouillon Water
How to Make Charro Beans:
Cook the Pinto beans: Pour dry beans into a colander and rinse them off, removing any unwanted pieces. Add to a large pot with 6 cups of water (or enough to cover them by about 2 inches), a small chunk of onion, bay leaf and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 hours, until the beans are tender, but not bursting. (Mine usually take about 1 hour but it will depend on how dry/old your beans are). Check them a few times during cooking to make sure they are covered in water and add a little more water if needed.
Drain and reserve broth. Once the beans are tender, drain them, reserving the liquid and pouring it into a measuring cup. Add water (or reduce leftover broth, as need) to the measuring cup to make 2 ½ cups of total liquid. Stir in 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon. Set aside.
In a large pot add the bacon and chorizo and cook for about 5 minutes or until bacon is cooked. Remove some of the grease. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add ham (sausages, if using), diced tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, oregano, paprika, cumin, black pepper and cook for 5 additional minutes.
Add the cooked beans, and broth and simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, or additional spices if needed.Serve garnished with cilantro.
You can serve charro beans as a main dish soup with warm tortillas on the side. When serving them as a side dish I like to stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water) to thicken the sauce.
Instant Pot Charro Beans:
Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. Add bacon and chorizo and cook. Remove some of the grease. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions are softened. Add ham, diced tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, oregano, paprika, cumin, and cook for 5 additional minutes. Add dry pinto beans and 5 cups of chicken broth. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release before removing the lid (about 20-30 minutes). Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Slow Cooker Charro Beans:
Sauté bacon, chorizo, onion and garlic in a pan and add to slow cooker with ham, diced tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, oregano, paprika, cumin, dry pinto beans, and 6 cups of chicken broth. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until beans are tender. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Variations and adaptations:
For canned pinto beans: 5-6 cups of canned pinto beans may be substituted. Drain the liquid from the canned beans into a liquid measuring cup and add water, if needed, to reach 2 ½ cups of total liquid. Stir in chicken bouillon. Add the beans and liquid when directed in step 2, under “Make Charro Beans”. Substitute black beans: You can substitute dried black beans, cooking them the same way. For Borracho beans: In step 3 after cooking the beans, only reserve ¼ cup of bean liquid and add 12 oz. of dark beer. Substitute different meat: Traditionally, charro beans are made with whatever meat you have on hand. Add pork rind beef, or other pieces of chopped meat. To thicken the beans: Charro beans are not traditionally “thick” but more like a soup. If you want the sauce slightly thickened you can stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon of corn starch mixed with 2 tablespoons of water). I do this when serving them as a side dish. Spice Level: Control the spice with the chipotle peppers and jalapeños. Add more, less, or remove the seeds and veins from the jalapeño to reduce heat. Vegetarian/Vegan Charro Beans: omit the meat and add vegan chorizo, extra beans (like black beans), or additional vegetables like tomato, celery, and bell pepper. Also substitute 1 tsp vegetable bouillon.
Make ahead and freezing Instructions:
To make ahead: The dry pinto beans can be cooked and stored, along with their reserved liquid, several days in advance, or the entire recipe can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Rewarm over low heat on the stove. To make the dish even simpler, you can substitute canned pinto beans (see my notes in the recipe card). To freeze: Allow to cool before storing in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then re-warm in a pot on the stove.
Serve with:
Warm flour tortillas Mexican Rice Cheese Enchiladas Carne Asada Tacos Carnitas
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