Charro Beans

5 from 5 votes

Charro beans (frijoles charros) are pinto beans simmered with bacon, chorizo, tomatoes, and chipotle in adobo for a smoky, savory kick. Use canned beans to speed things up or start with dried beans for the from-scratch route.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Additional Time1 30

Total Time2 15

Course: Side Dishes

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Charro beans, Frijoles charros, Mexican pinto beans

Servings: servings

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

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

Instructions

Cook the Pinto Beans

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.
If using canned beans: Drain and rinse them, then skip to “To Make the Charro Beans.”
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.

To Make the Charro Beans

Add the chunks of bacon to a large pot. Cook until browned and starting to crisp.
Add the ground chorizo in the pot and cook until browned. Spoon off excess grease, leaving about 1–2 tablespoons in the pot.
Add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onion is softened. Stir in the tomatoes.
Mash 1 chipotle pepper (use 2 for more heat) then add it to the pot along with 2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce (do not add the whole can of chipotle peppers). Add the cumin, paprika and oregano. Taste and add salt as needed.
Stir in the cooked pinto beans and chicken broth. If you’re using canned beans, start with 1 cup broth and add more as needed while it simmers. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20 to 25 minutes.
For a thicker consistency, scoop out about 1 cup of beans, mash them, and stir them back in.
Remove from heat and stir in the 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 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.

Nutrition