Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros)

5 from 3 votes

Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros)

Charro Beans, also known as Frijoles Charros, are an easy-to-make Mexican side dish made with pinto beans, bacon, and ham. The beans are well-seasoned with an assortment of spices resulting in a smoky, savory side that pairs well with all your favorite Mexican dishes.

Prep Time45

Soaking Time10

Total Time3

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: charro beans, frijoles charros

Servings: to 14

Calories: 307kcal

Author: Tara Teaspoon

Ingredients

1½ pounds dried pinto beans picked of rocks and bad beans
4 ounces dry-cured chopped bacon or 4 ounces thick cut bacon, chopped
1 medium white onion finely chopped
2 garlic cloves minced
2 roasted jalapeños charred*, skinned, deseeded, and finely chopped
2 small roasted tomatoes charred*, deseeded and chopped
1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle peppers in adobo sauce optional**
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano crushed
2 bay leaves
1¼ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon ground coriander
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper and/or ¼ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
1 small ham hock 13 to 15 ounces
1 quart (4 cups) low-sodium chicken broth
1½ quarts (6 cups) water

Instructions

In a large bowl or pot, cover beans with water so the water is 2 to 3 inches above the beans. Cover and let soak at least 10 hours or overnight at room temperature. Drain and rinse soaked beans in cold running water. Set aside.
Char fresh jalapeños and tomatoes under the broiler on with a kitchen torch. Skin and deseed roasted jalapeños, and deseed roasted tomatoes. Chop them according to ingredient directions.
In a large (6 to 8 quart) Dutch oven or stock pot, over medium heat, sauté chopped bacon, cooking it slowly to render (melt) the fat. Stir occasionally until the meaty bits are cooked and the fat is almost completely melted in the pan, 7 to 10 minutes.
Increase heat to medium-high and add the onion, garlic, charred jalapeños, charred tomatoes, and chipotles in adobo (optional), stir. Cook until onions are starting to soften, about 2 minutes.
Add the spices including salt, Mexican oregano, bay leaves, cumin, paprika, coriander, garlic powder, and cayenne (and/or chipotle powder). Stir to combine.
Nestle the ham hock into the pot. Add the soaked beans, then the chicken broth and water. Stir to combine and cover the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to low to simmer.
Simmer beans, covered, until tender, about 1½ hours. During the last 20 minutes, remove the ham hock to a separate bowl to cool while the beans continue to simmer uncovered.
Once the ham hock is cool enough to handle, trim the meat off the bone and chop into pieces. Add the bits of ham back to the pot of beans and discard the bay leaves.
Taste, and season beans with more salt or hot sauce. Serve hot or cool.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months (thaw in the fridge). Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until heated through.

Video

Notes

For a thicker soup, you can puree a few cups of cooked beans and add the puree back to the pot to create a thick broth.

* Charred peppers and tomatoes: If you don’t want to fire or broil the peppers and tomatoes, use a small kitchen torch to generously char the skin. Pull the charred skin of the peppers off before chopping, and leave the charred tomato skin on before cutting open and removing the seeds.

** Chipotles in adobo sauce: Keep in mind that this ingredient is very spicy. If you've never used it before, add it conservatively until you know how much you can tolerate.

Slow cooker instructions: For a slow cooker version, sauté the bacon and aromatics (onion, jalapeño, tomato, and spices) as directed, and add a few cups of the chicken broth to deglaze the pan (lift up all the tasty bits on the pan). Pour the mixture into a slow cooker and add the beans and remaining liquid. Slow cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 4 hours until the beans are tender. The slow cooker method will result in a more soupy mixture. You can always reduce the liquid by boiling it on the stove or use the excess liquid for soup or other uses.

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