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Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros)

Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros) are Mexican cowboy beans simmered in a flavorful broth made of bacon, ham, onions, chiles, tomato, and more!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
2 hrs 10 mins
Total Time
2 hrs 40 mins
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 347 kcal
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: Mexican

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

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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.
  5. 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.
  6. Stir in the ham, onions, and jalapeños. Cook for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent, and the peppers are tender.
  7. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  8. 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.
  9. Add in the cooked beans and the 4 cups of cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, taste, and season with salt as needed.
  10. 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

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

% 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.