Frijoles Charros

Comforting Frijoles Charros (Mexican Cowboy Beans) for a hearty family dinner with rich and saucy bean soup with bacon, sausage, seasoning, and juicy tomatoes.

If you love Mexican food and beans, this Northern Mexico staple meal should be on your to-do list. A simple cooking process, tons of flavors and textures, and a load of protein make this dish a nice healthy meal.

Add tomatoes, herbs, and spices, and such a simple recipe will transport you to Mexico!

What Is Frijoles Charros?

Frijoles Charros is a traditional Mexican dish.

Frijoles means beans in Spanish so Frijoles Charros is a recipe using pinto beans. Charros is the word for traditional Mexican horsemen or Mexican cowboys as we would say. So altogether it is Cowboy beans.

The original recipe makes beans stewed in a flavorful broth, seasoned to perfection, with some meats, and hot peppers.

As a Mexican dish, charro beans can be spicy and are made with chili peppers. It is traditionally a side dish, that goes well with meats, like carne asada, but can also be served as a main dish. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Just as good (or maybe better) as in Mexican restaurants. Home cooking always hits different, don’t you agree? Think tender beans, thick stew, smoky bacon, succulent chorizo, and a bit of spice.
• Easy one-pot meal, perfect for cold weather for a big family or a small gathering.
• This recipe is good to make ahead as we need to soak beans overnight in water for at least 8 hours, soGreat for weekly meal prep on a budget
• A perfect side dish for a special occasion like a Cinco De Mayo dinner.
• Amazing leftovers. It’s one of those dishes that taste even better the next day.

Kitchen Equipment

• Large pot or large Dutch oven
• Bowl

How To Make Frijoles Charros

1: Prep The Pinto Beans

1. Place beans in a large bowl with cold water. The water should cover all the beans plus an additional 2 inches. Soak overnight.
2. This step is crucial because soaked beans take little time to cook. For ex., soaking beans for up to 5 hours, cooking time will be around 2.5 hrs, but beans soaked overnight will be cooked in about 30-40 minutes.
3. Adding salt is optional.

2: Pre-Cook Bacon And Chorizo

1. Combine the diced bacon and olive oil in a large pot. Heat over medium heat, cooking the bacon until crispy. (about 5 minutes) 
2. Add the chorizo to the pot and cook until browned about 5 minutes. Remove the chorizo and bacon from the pot and set aside. You can use bacon grease to cook the remaining ingredients, if there is too much, wipe out some of it.

3: Assemble And Add Beans

1. Cook the onion in the same pot until softened – about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
2. Stir the cooked bacon and chorizo back into the pot. Add the cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and bay leaf. Give it a good stir and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant. 
3. Mix in the diced tomatoes, beef broth, and soaked and rinsed beans. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally (or until the beans are tender). You can incorporate hot water 1 cup at a time if needed.
4. Serve hot with chopped cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.

What Do You Eat With Frijoles Charros?

As this bean dish is very hearty and filling, you should serve it as a full meal with warm tortillas, tortilla chips, crusty garlic bread, rice, or a simple green salad and some pico de Gallo.

Storage

Store leftover frijoles charros in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days or freeze in individual portions for up to 3 months. Let the cooked beans cool completely before storing or freezing. 

Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat till hot on the stove all the way through for 6-7 minutes or in the microwave for 1 minute.

Substitutions & Variations

• Different meats. You can use 1/2 pound ground beef, pork rinds, salted pork, hot dogs, ham, or beef franks if you don’t have fresh chorizo.
• If you can’t find pinto beans, use kidney or black beans.
• Other vegetables such as fresh or pickled jalapeño peppers (or hotter ones like serrano peppers, chipotle pepper, and chile verde), diced carrots, celery, or bell peppers can be added.
• Adobo sauce is one of the best additions to charro beans if you like the heat.
• Sprinkle some crumbled Queso Fresco (soft Mexican cheese) over the hot soup for serving.
• The Drunken Frijoles charros (frijoles borrachos) recipe is just the same with a secret ingredient – dark beer 

Expert Tips To Make The Best Frijoles Charros

• Can’t soak beans overnight? An easy way to soften them is to use boiling water and let dried beans soak for 2-3 hours or simmer them with some aromatics.
• A secret ingredient that will deepen the flavors and add a caramelized taste is light brown sugar. 
• To make this charro bean recipe in a slow cooker, let the beans cook on high for 3 hours in the crock pot.
• Instant pot. First, cook bacon and chorizo on a saute setting. Add onion, garlic, seasoning, tomatoes, peppers to the pressure cooker, and cook for 5 minutes. Then add beans and broth, and cook on manual (high pressure) for 30 minutes.
• If bean soup feels too thin, stir in cornstarch slurry to thicken it.

If you love this easy dinner recipe, you’re going to love these other recipes to pair it with too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Dishes with Frijoles

Smoked Baked Beans

Instant Pot Chicken Chili

Instant Pot Bean Soup

Crockpot Red Beans & Rice

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