Charro Beans

One of my favorite things about going to Mexican weddings when I was a kid was the food, and charro beans were always on the menu.

Charro Beans, or frijoles charros as they’re known in Spanish, are the ultimate Mexican dish that can be served as a full meal or a side dish. 

They’re hearty and full of savory, rich flavors that pair well with proteins like carne asada and pollo asado but are also satisfying enough to be served alone with some homemade corn tortillas or flour tortillas for dipping.

The pinto beans are simmered slowly in a rich, flavorful broth with bacon, ham, onions, garlic, jalapenos, and tomatoes, which all come together to make the most amazing bowl of Mexican comfort food. If you’ve never had charro beans, you’re in for a treat! 

What Are Charro Beans?

Charro Beans (or Frijoles Charros in Spanish) is a hearty Mexican dish made from pinto beans simmered with a variety of meats, typically including bacon, ham, and sometimes chorizo or beef. 

The beans are cooked with onions, garlic, tomatoes, and chiles, creating a rich and savory broth. This dish is often seasoned with cumin and Mexican oregano, adding depth and complexity to its flavor.

I like to think of them as the Mexican version of “pork and beans” but with a little spice and a Mexican flavor profile. They’re similar to borracho beans, except they don’t contain any beer for added depth of flavor.

Charro beans are named after the charros, the traditional horsemen or cowboys of Mexico, who often ate these “cowboy beans” because they were hearty, nutritious, and could be prepared in one pot over an open fire.

Ingredients in Charro Beans

• Pinto beans: Pinto beans are popular in Mexican cooking and are the go-to for many bean recipes. I recommend using pinto beans and not substituting them with other beans. 
• Chicken broth: Chicken broth adds lots of great flavor as opposed to just using water. You can also use vegetable or beef broth if you prefer. 
• Bay leaves, onions, garlic: This medley of ingredients helps give the beans a good base of flavor before adding the bacon mixture. 
• Bacon and ham: The star ingredients of charro beans are definitely the bacon and ham. They give just the right amount of salt and flavor to the beans. I used traditional natural smoked bacon and cubed ham, but you can use applewood smoked or any variety you prefer. 
• Jalapeño: I added a jalapeño for an extra kick of spice. I left the seeds in, but you can deseed the pepper if you don’t want it spicy. For more spice, use a serrano pepper instead. 
• Chipotle pepper in adobo sauce: This adds a smoky element to the beans. It adds just a hint of spice, but you can easily add more if you really want it spicy.
• Roma tomatoes: I used 3 large Roma tomatoes, but you can substitute a can of fire-roasted tomatoes. 
• Cilantro: Adding cilantro gives a hint of fresh herbs to the dish.

How to Make Charro Beans

Cook the beans. Add the beans, onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt, Mexican oregano, and enough water to cover the ingredients, plus an additional 3 inches into a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 ½ to 2 hours until they’re soft and tender.

Drain and reserve 4 cups of the cooking liquid. If you don’t have enough, use additional water or chicken broth.

Cook the chopped bacon in the same pot 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, and sauté for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent, and the peppers are tender. Then add the garlic, tomatoes, chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, and ground cumin. Cook for 10 minutes until the tomatoes release their juices and begin to break down.

Combine beans and bacon mixture. Add in the cooked beans and the 4 cups of reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil, taste, and season with salt as needed.

Serve immediately with some cilantro if desired, and enjoy!

Adding Chorizo or Hot Dogs to Charro Beans

Some charro bean recipes use chopped beef franks/hot dogs or chorizo.

I prefer the charro beans flavored with ham and bacon but you can definitely add those extra ingredients for even more pork flavor.

If using, add 1 cup chopped beef franks, or 9-14 ounces of Mexican chorizo when adding in the ham and other vegetables.

Storing and Reheating

To store, place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

To reheat, place in the microwave in 1 minute increments until warmed, or heat in a pot over medium-high heat until warmed through.

More Mexican Recipes

• Frijoles Puercos
• Carnitas
• Chile Colorado

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4.72 from 91 votes

Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros)

By: Isabel Orozco-Moore

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

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Total: 2 hours hours 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

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Ingredients 

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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

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 347kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 26mg | Sodium: 819mg | Potassium: 949mg | Fiber: 10g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you make this recipe?Leave a comment and star rating below!

This post was originally published in May 2018 and has been updated with new photos, more helpful tips, and a better overall improved recipe.

Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.