Frijoles charros can be served as a side dish or even entree, your choice!
Charro beans has special cultural flavors that take you back to the most memorable fiesta moments. Whether you enjoy it on special occasions; or any time of the year, you know this is comfort food at its best. It is mainly used as a side dish for carne asadas and on holidays, but you can also make it year round. The possibilities are endless when it comes to frijoles charros.
Flavorful and hearty charro beans served in a bowl.
Meaning behind the name “Charro beans”
Frijoles charros are named after the famous and traditional Mexican cowboy horsemen, called “charros”. These Mexican cowboys typically dress in a very detailed outfit composed of a jacket, close fitting pants and a beautiful sombrero.
Soaking the beans overnight
Soaking the beans overnight can be a great option because it reduces the cooking time. Previously soaked beans can take about 30 minutes to fully cook, isn’t it crazy? On the other hand; being able to cook beans whenever you wish without having to do much prep is also possible. All you need to do is add all the necessary components to a large pot and cook on a gentle simmer for about one and a half hours. The second option does take longer but you can do other things around the house while monitoring the beans. Both choices are available according to your needs.
Type of beans you can use
- Most commonly used: Pinto beans
- Other option: Peruano beans
- Note: Time it takes to cook can vary depending on the beans you are using. This recipes is based on pinto beans.
Why I blend a small portion of the beans
If you were wondering what blending a small portion of the beans actually does, let me break it down for you. This process actually enhances the bean flavor and adds a kiss of creaminess that is great on so many levels. If you haven’t tried this step, I suggest you do because it makes such an impact.
Remove excess fat
The bacon, beef franks, ham and chorizo all release fat. The fat released does add flavor but as you cook the meats feel free to remove excess fat and leave behind just enough to cover the bottom of the pot. It is important to have enough of it to cook every item but just use what’s necessary. All the excess amount will rise to the surface making the charros beans really greasy. Watch out for the ham because it can really soak up the fat if not removed prior to adding, just a tip.
Other items you can add:
Add salt to taste
The meats have seasoning already, specially the chorizo. This is why I season at the end with salt to taste if necessary.
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Frijoles Charros Recipe
Course: Sides, EntreeCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy10
servings10
minutes1
hour50
minutes2
hoursCharro beans has special cultural flavors that takes you back to the most memorable fiesta moments. Whether you enjoy it on special occasions; or any time of the year, you know this is comfort food at its best.
Ingredients
- Cook the beans
1 lb pinto beans, rinsed
1/2 medium white onion
6 garlic cloves, peeled
12 cups of water
2 tsp of kosher salt
- Bean paste
1 cup from the beans we cooked
1 cup of the bean broth
1/2 cup water
- Meats (prep)
6 oz ham, diced
5 bacon strips, sliced into strips
4 beef franks, round
12 oz pork or beef chorizo, remove from casing & break apart.
- Vegetables (prep)
3 garlic cloves, minced
10 oz roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 medium white onion, diced
1 serrano or jalapeño pepper, diced
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
Directions
- Cook the beans: Place the rinsed beans, onion, garlic, water and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil over medium high heat. Once boiling, lower to medium low heat and let it reach a simmer. Cover and cook until tender, about 1.5 hrs. Check periodically to make sure there is enough water.
- When the beans are ready, remove the pot from the heat. Transfer 1 cup of the cooked beans with 1 cup of the broth to a blender and process until smooth. Set to the side until needed.
Cook the “charro beans” - Meats: Place a large pot over medium heat and brown the bacon. Feel free to remove excess fat at any point if needed. Transfer the bacon to a heat proof plate when ready.
- Leave enough fat to thinly coat the bottom of the pot and brown the franks. When almost browned add in the ham and cook for about a minute. Transfer the franks and ham with the browned bacon.
- Add the chorizo to the same pot and break it apart.
- Vegetables: when the chorizo has fully cooked and browned, stir in the onion. When the onion has slightly softened, mix in the garlic and serrano pepper. After about a minute, stir in the tomatoes and let them cook until the juices release (tender).
- When the tomatoes look fully cooked, dump all the meat back into the pot and mix to combine.
- Remove the onion and garlic from the cooked beans. Add the beans, broth and bean paste into the pot with the meats. Get the last bit of paste from the blender using water and pour into the pot as well.
- Stir and let it simmer. Then add the cilantro, stir and close the pot. Allow it to simmer for about 10 minutes. Lastly, taste and add salt if needed.
- Serve hot/warm as a side or main dish.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE RECIPE !!
My pleasure, glad you liked the recipe.
Very good sofrito add in. I used black eyed peas in instant pot.
Black eye peas sound great, thanks for sharing.
It certainly does take quite some time to find fantastic information such as this. Thank you very much.
Glad you enjoyed the recipe!