Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros)
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4.7
258 reviews
Excellent
Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros)
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Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros) are Mexican cowboy beans simmered in a flavorful broth made of bacon, ham, onions, chiles, tomato, and more!
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Ingredients
For the dried beans
- 1 pound dried pinto beans (see Notes for using canned beans)
- ½ yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- water, as needed
For the charro beans
- 8 ounces bacon, diced
- 1 cup cubed cooked ham
- ½ yellow onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, minced
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- kosher salt, to taste
- chopped cilantro, for serving
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Instructions
- Rinse the beans under running water to remove any dirt, then drain and sort them by picking out and discarding any beans that are shriveled or split, as well as any small rocks that may have made their way into the batch.
- Add the beans, onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt, Mexican oregano, and enough water to cover the ingredients, plus an additional 3 inches, to a large pot or Dutch oven.
- Bring the beans to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until soft and tender. Check the beans at the 1-hour mark and add more water as needed if it begins to dry out.
- Drain the beans into a large bowl to reserve the cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaves. Measure out 4 cups of the liquid. If you don’t have 4 cups, add additional water or chicken broth until you have enough. Set aside.
- In the same large pot or Dutch oven, add the chopped bacon and cook over medium heat for about 8 minutes until the edges begin to crisp and the fat is rendered.
- Stir in the ham, onions, and jalapeños. Cook for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent, and the peppers are tender.
- Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in the tomatoes, chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, and ground cumin. Cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes release their juices and begin to break down.
- Add in the cooked beans and the 4 cups of cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, taste, and season with salt as needed.
- Stir in the cilantro and serve immediately.
Notes
- Adjust the spice level. I left in the jalapeño seeds to add a bit of spice. You can deseed them if you prefer. You can also use more chipotle peppers for more smokiness and heat.
- Use canned beans to save some time. To make this recipe using canned pinto beans, you’ll need four 15-ounce cans of drained and rinsed pinto beans and 4 cups of chicken broth. Then skip to step 5.
- Make this ahead. This is one of those recipes that tastes better the next day, kind of like chili! The longer the ingredients have to sit together and meld, the better it tastes. So you can definitely make this dish up to 2 days in advance if you'd like.
- Add chorizo or hot dogs. Or both! You can add 1 cup chopped beef frank hot dogs and/or 9-14 ounces of Mexican chorizo when adding in the ham and other vegetables.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Serving
1serving
Calories
347kcal
(17%)
Carbohydrates
40g
(13%)
Protein
19g
(38%)
Fat
13g
(20%)
Saturated Fat
4g
(20%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
Monounsaturated Fat
5g
Trans Fat
0.04g
Cholesterol
26mg
(9%)
Sodium
819mg
(34%)
Potassium
949mg
(27%)
Fiber
10g
(40%)
Sugar
3g
(6%)
Vitamin A
263IU
(5%)
Vitamin C
16mg
(18%)
Calcium
78mg
(8%)
Iron
3mg
(17%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 8servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 347 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1serving | |
| Calories | 347kcal | 17% |
| Carbohydrates | 40g | 13% |
| Protein | 19g | 38% |
| Fat | 13g | 20% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Trans Fat | 0.04g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 26mg | 9% |
| Sodium | 819mg | 34% |
| Potassium | 949mg | 20% |
| Fiber | 10g | 40% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 263IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 16mg | 18% |
| Calcium | 78mg | 8% |
| Iron | 3mg | 17% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.7
258 reviews
Excellent
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