Charro Beans

This traditional Mexican dish is made with pinto beans, bacon, and chorizo, Chipotle peppers, and adobo sauce add a smoky, spicy flavor that makes this dish taste like it cooked over a campfire.

You can make this recipe with canned beans or start from scratch with dried pinto beans.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time: 20

Cook Time: 25

Additional Time: 1 30

Total Time: 2 15

Servings: servings

Calories: 370kcal

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

1 pound dry pinto beans or 4 cans of pinto beans
1-½ teaspoons salt if using dry beans
2 dry bay leaves if using dry beans
8 to 10 bacon slices cut into chunks
1 pound ground chorizo sausage
3 garlic cloves minced
1 onion diced
1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 chipotle pepper from a can of chipotle in adobo sauce
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1-½ teaspoons salt
1-½ cups chicken broth
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

For stovetop method:

If Starting with Dried Beans: Rinse the beans and soak them overnight if desired. If you don’t soak them, you will need to increase the cooking time.
Add the beans to a large pot. Add 8 cups of water, salt and bay leaves.
Bring the beans to a boil then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Cover the pot and cook for 1 to 1-½ hours (2 to 3 hours if you don’t soak the beans). Check the beans for tenderness and add additional time if needed (see notes).
Drain the beans and set them aside.

For Instant Pot Method:

Add the rinsed beans to the Instant Pot along with 6 cups of water, salt, and bay leaves. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes (20 minutes if you soak the beans).
Let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally for 15 minutes then release the rest of the pressure manually. Drain the liquid and set the beans aside.

To Make the Charro Beans

Add the chunks of bacon to a large pot. Cook until almost crispy.
Toss the ground chorizo in the pot and cook until browned.
Drain the fat from the pot.
Add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is softened. Stir in the tomatoes.
Mash the chipotle pepper then add it to the pot along with some of the adobo sauce (do not add the whole can of chipotle peppers).
Add the cumin, paprika, oregano, and salt.
Stir in the cooked pinto beans and chicken broth. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the cilantro.

To Make Charro Beans in the Instant Pot

Cook the dry pinto beans per the above directions. Drain the beans and set them aside.
Set the Instant Pot to saute mode. Saute the bacon until almost crispy then add the chorizo and cook until browned. Drain the fat from the pot.
Add the onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is soft. Stir in the tomatoes, smashed chipotle, adobo sauce, cumin, paprika, oregano, and salt.
Stir in the chicken broth and reserved beans. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. Let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally for 10 minutes then release the rest of the pressure manually.
Stir in the chopped cilantro.

Notes

Do not use the whole can of chipotle peppers. You can freeze the remaining chipotle peppers and use them at a later date. If you freeze them in ice cube trays, they will be easy and convenient to use at a later date.
For a thicker consistency, remove 1 cup of the pinto beans and mash them with a fork or potato masher. Stir the mashed beans back into the pot.
For a thinner, soup-like consistency, add additional chicken broth.

Starting with dried beans?

Soaking the beans overnight is optional. It will help them cook quicker and some say it will make them more digestible (less gassy issues).
If your beans are old, they will take longer to cook (up to 4 hours if you cook them on the stove). Very old beans (usually, older than 4 years) may not ever get soft.
Salt will not prevent your beans from getting tender but acidic ingredients will. Do not add tomatoes, vinegar, or lemons to the dry beans while they cook.
Optional ingredients: If you want to add additional aromatics to the dried beans, toss in 1/2 an onion, a couple of garlic cloves, and one or two sprigs of fresh thyme or rosemary (you can also use dried herbs)

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