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Charro beans are a Mexican favorite! Tender pinto beans are simmered in a flavorful broth seasoned with onion, garlic, and bacon while jalapeño adds just a touch of heat. This Mexican bean soup is the perfect side dish for any meal!
What are Charro Beans?
This Mexican bean soup, is the best side dish for any Tex Mex meals, such as our Chile Rellenos or Cheese Enchiladas. While the beans cook they create the most flavorful broth, which is the highlight of this dish. This bean dish is known by several names. Charro Beans. Frijoles Charros, or sometimes Cowboy Beans. And there is another version that involves beer called Boraccho Beans.
Charro Bean Ingredients & Substitutions
- Pinto Beans: This charro bean recipe can be made with dried or canned pinto beans. If using dried beans they should be soaked overnight, unless you plan on cooking them in the slow cooker all day or in the instant pot. I do not recommend substituting another type of bean for the pinto bean if you are wanting an authentic dish.
- Bacon: These beans can be made using any type of meat: beef, chorizo, ham, or bacon. But bacon is my favorite, it’s easy and gives great flavor. If needed you can omit the meat for a meat-free option.
- Broth: Chicken broth is used when cooking the beans on the stovetop or in the instant pot. When using the slow cooker, the beans cook for several hours and they will actually create their own bean broth with plenty of flavor. You can substitute with a vegetarian broth for a meat free option.
- Jalapeño: These pinto beans have an incredibly mild heat. If you want more heat you can substitute for a Serrano pepper, or you can leave the seeds and membranes in the jalapeño. If you are concerned about the heat you can substitute for a poblano or green bell pepper.
How to Make Charro Beans
If Using Dried Beans
Add the dried pinto beans to a large bowl. Pour in the water, ensure that the beans are covered completely with water. Allow to sit overnight or for at least 5 hours. Drain out any excess water and rinse the beans off.
Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Drain the grease, reserving 1 tablespoon in the pot. Add the diced onion and jalapeño. Cook until the onion and jalapeño are soft and tender. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
Pour in the broth, water, rinsed beans, salt, cumin, oregano and the crumbled bacon.
Bring the pot to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover and allow the beans to cook for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The broth will thicken and be flavorful and the beans will be tender. Serve with fresh chopped cilantro.
Using Canned Beans
If you are using canned beans you will follow the same directions, except instead of soaking beans, you will drain and rinse 3 cans of pinto beans and add them into the broth.
Serving
Charro beans are a common side dish in Texas when served with Tex Mex, some main dishes you may want to try to accompany these beans are Pollo Asado, Barbacoa, Carne Asada, and our Classic Ground Beef Tacos.
Store
Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 3-5 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through, this can take approximately 10 minutes. Or you can use a microwave to reheat.
Freeze
Charro beans can be stored in a freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the beans to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw the beans in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat them on the stovetop over medium heat when ready to serve.
Slow Cooker Directions
- Rinse the pinto beans in cold water, drain off any water. Add the pinto beans and 8 cups of water to a slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours.
- In a medium size pan cook the bacon over medium heat. Once the bacon is cooked, remove and set aside.
- Add the onion and diced jalapeño to sauté in the bacon grease for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the jalapeño softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the onion, garlic and cooked bacon to the beans in the slow cooker.
- Add remaining seasonings and cook beans on low for 4-6 hours or on high for an additional 2 hours.
Instant Pot Directions
- Sauté the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain the excess grease, reserving 1 tablespoon.
- Add in the onion and cook until softened. Then add in the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Pour in the broth, add seasonings, the beans, and the cooked bacon.
- Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and quick release any remaining pressure.
Charro Bean FAQs
Charro translates to “cowboy”, so these beans are known as cowboy beans. Charro beans are believed to have been prepared by cowboys over campfires in Northern Mexico and what is now known as Texas.
Charro, Borracho, and refried beans all start with pinto beans. But the method of preparing the beans is different. Borracho translates to “drunk”, which refers to the beer used in the broth of the beans. Other than that, borracho and charro are very similar. Refried beans are “twice fried” beans. Which is pinto beans that have been cooked, then fried in lard or other oil while mashing.
Watch How To Make
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Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros)
Ingredients
- 1 pound pinto beans dried
- 6 cups water enough to cover the beans in a large bowl
- 4 slices bacon sliced
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 1 jalapeno seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 cups broth chicken or vegetable, low sodium
- 2 cups water
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Topping
- onion diced
- cilantro diced
Instructions
- Add the dried pinto beans to a large bowl. Pour in the water, ensure that the beans are covered completely with water. Allow to sit overnight or for at least 5 hours. Drain out any excess water and rinse the beans off.
- Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Drain the grease, reserving 1 tablespoon in the pot. Add the diced onion and jalapeno. Cook until the onion and jalapeno are soft and tender.
- Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Pour in the broth, water, rinsed beans, salt, cumin, oregano and the crumbled bacon.
- Bring the pot to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Cover and allow the beans to cook for 1 hour 30 minutes to 2 hours, stirring occasionally. The broth will thicken and be flavorful and the beans will be tender.
- Serve with fresh chopped cilantro.
Video
Equipment
Notes
- Pinto Beans: This charro bean recipe can be made with dried or canned pinto beans. If using dried beans they should be soaked overnight, unless you plan on cooking them in the slow cooker all day or in the instant pot. I do not recommend substituting another type of bean for the pinto bean if you are wanting an authentic dish.
- Bacon: These beans can be made using any type of meat: beef, chorizo, ham, or bacon. But bacon is my favorite, it’s easy and gives great flavor. If needed you can omit the meat for a meat-free option.
- Broth: Chicken broth is used when cooking the beans on the stovetop or in the instant pot. When using the slow cooker, the beans cook for several hours and they will actually create their own bean broth with plenty of flavor. You can substitute with a vegetarian broth for a meat free option.
- Jalapeño: These pinto beans have an incredibly mild heat. If you want more heat you can substitute for a Serrano pepper, or you can leave the seeds and membranes in the jalapeño. If you are concerned about the heat you can substitute for a poblano or green bell pepper.
- Using Canned Beans: If you are using canned beans you will follow the same directions, except instead of soaking beans, you will drain and rinse 3 cans of pinto beans and add them into the broth.
- Storage: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container for 3-5 days. Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat until warmed through, this can take approximately 10 minutes. Or you can use a microwave to reheat.
- Freezing: Charro beans can be stored in a freezer for up to 3 months. Allow the beans to cool to room temperature, then transfer to a freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw the beans in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat them on the stovetop over medium heat when ready to serve.
- Rinse the pinto beans in cold water, drain off any water. Add the pinto beans and 8 cups of water to a slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours.
- In a medium size pan cook the bacon over medium heat. Once the bacon is cooked, remove and set aside.
- Add the onion and diced jalapeño to sauté in the bacon grease for 5 minutes until the onion is translucent and the jalapeño softened. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Add the onion, garlic and cooked bacon to the beans in the slow cooker.
- Add remaining seasonings and cook beans on low for 4-6 hours or on high for an additional 2 hours.
- Sauté the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain the excess grease, reserving 1 tablespoon.
- Add in the onion and cook until softened. Then add in the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Pour in the broth, add seasonings, the beans, and the cooked bacon.
- Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes. Then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes and quick release any remaining pressure.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Charro Beans first appeared on House of Yumm on September 11, 2016. Updated February 14, 2020 and January 12, 2024.
Photography by KJandCompany.co
If you want the flavor of the jalapeno, but not all the heat, cut a small slit in the side of the pepper and add it whole to the pot or slow cooker. Remove before serving.
Great tip! Thank you.
Loved these beans. I used the canned beans and I don’t know if the dried would have soaked up more salt? I think I will cut the salt to half next time. I loved them though.
Yes! Canned beans typically already have sodium, make sure you drain and rinse them, and definitely cut the amount of salt needed. I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe though!
Just the way I would make them, oh your good
Excellent! I would add at least one more jalapeño or use the small can of green chiles. I use the crock pot. Took 6 hours on high. I will be making this from now on!
Wonderful! Easy to make.
Flavoring is perfect! Family loves it. Can’t wait to try other House of Yum recipes!
Just amazing my husband loved them!
I was brought up with beans cooked on top of the stove. Are beans cooked in the slow cooker as good?
They are good! One of the things I like about making this particular recipe in the slow cooker, is that I can let the beans cook longer on low, and I don’t need to use a broth, because the beans make their own really flavorful bean broth after cooking that long.
I’m such a knuckle head. For some reason I never read the entire recipe and it always bites me in the butt. Instead of cooking the bacon and garlic, I just threw everything in the crockpot and let it simmer. If it doesn’t turn out I can always take it out and cook afterwards I guess. Arg – it sure does smell good though!!!!!
Made these as a side dish to some grilled chicken and they were just what I had hoped they would be. Thanks for the recipe.