Charro Beans Recipe (Frijoles Charros)

• active time: 10 mins
• total time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Ingredients

3 slices bacon chopped

1 medium onion chopped

2-3 jalapeno peppers chopped (use serrano for extra heat)

4 cloves garlic chopped

1 pound dried pinto beans soaked and drained

14 ounce can fire roasted tomatoes or use equivalent fresh tomatoes or canned diced tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth or use vegetable broth - or more as needed

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

FOR GARNISH: Chopped fresh cilantro spicy red pepper flakes, crumbly white cheese

Directions

Heat a large pan or a pot to medium heat and add bacon. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the bacon starts to crisp up. Remove the bacon and set aside.

Drain excess bacon grease and add onion and jalapenos. Cook for 5 minutes to soften.

Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Add the reserved bacon, beans, tomatoes, chicken broth, chili powder, cumin, oregano and salt and pepper. Stir and reduce heat to simmer.

Cover and simmer for 60 minutes or longer, until the beans are tender to your preference. Check at 45 minutes. It could take up to 90 minutes, depending on your beans. If the beans are too dry and not tender enough, add in a bit more broth or water to the pan and continue to simmer.

Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, chili flakes, crumbly white cheese and serve.

Notes

Make it a Meal. You can easily add in extra meats to turn your charro beans into a full meal for dinner or gatherings. Try ground beef, turkey or pork, cooked chopped chicken, slow cooked pork shoulder or loin, spicy chorizo or others. Add some chopped brisket for a great Tex Mex version. So many options.

Additional Ingredients. Try making this with smoked paprika, or cayenne powder for an extra spicy version. Or use ghost powder, my true chilihead friends! A bit of fresh lime juice squeezed over the top is always a very nice addition as well.

Soup Option. Add more broth or a bit of water and serve your frijoles charros as a soup! This is great as a starter to your meal.

Canned Pinto Beans Option. You can easily make this recipe with canned pinto beans (drained). To do so, follow the recipe as written, but reduce the amount of broth to 1/2-1 cup and simmer until warmed, about 10 minutes. This is a quick and easy way to make taste charro beans when you're strapped for time.

Slow Cooker Option. You can easily make this recipe in the slow cooker or Instant Pot by letting all of the ingredients cook slowly on high for 2-3 hours, or until the beans are softened to your preference. Just be sure to cook the bacon and vegetables first before slow cooking.