Frijoles Charros (Mexican Charro Beans)

Frijoles Charros, or Mexican Charro Beans, are a hearty Mexican bean soup featuring tender pinto beans, smoky bacon, and fiery chorizo sausage in a tomato-based broth. With savoury layers from aromatics and warm notes from traditional spices, this fiesta in a bowl is not your average pot of beans. It’s satisfying, flavourful, and perfect with a side of crusty bread for dipping.

Looking for more authentic Mexican recipes? Warm up with a comforting bowl of Perfect Pozole Blanco with tender chicken and maiz pozolero (hominy). And, if you love beans, you’re sure to love this traditional Mexican Pinto Beans and Rice side dish or spicy Pinto Bean Soup made in the Instant Pot.

Frijoles Charros (Mexican Charro Beans)

There’s nothing like a bowl of beans to warm your soul and fill your belly, am I right? These Frijoles Charros, or Mexican cowboy beans are the epitome of comfort food. When I have a large pot of these on the stove, the whole family hangs around the kitchen waiting for a bowl.

Luckily, they don’t have to wait long. Whether you use soaked dried pinto beans or canned pinto beans, this beans recipe comes together in under 60 minutes (including prep time). Since most of that time is simmering, you have free time to do chores or doom scroll while the beans are cooking.

PS. I highly recommend cooking this recipe in a Dutch oven with a heavy bottom so you don’t need to stir as often. However, a large pot with a lid will and a bit of extra stirring will work just as well.

One taste of these amazing charro beans and you’ll wonder why you don’t cook beans more often. Every spoonful of this thick and chunky bean soup (stew) is bursting with smoky goodness from the bacon and chorizo. The diced onion, garlic, and jalapenos add a layer of savoury heat, balanced beautifully by warm spices like cumin, chili powder, and oregano.

What are Frijoles Charros?

Frijoles Charros, or cowboy beans, are a beloved Mexican dish of (usually) pinto beans, stewed with onion, garlic, and bacon. Other ingredients may include chorizo, chile peppers, tomatoes, ham, or pork.

This brothy bean soup gets its name from the traditional Mexican cowboys, or charros. At one time, the term was considered derogatory because the skilled horsemen were uneducated country men. Now, the term ‘charro’ reflects a sense of pride and the traditional ways of the charro are an important part of Mexican culture.

Ingredients in Frijoles Charros

The ingredients for Frijoles Charros vary from cook to cook and region to region. My recipe contains three kinds of protein: bacon, fresh chorizo sausage meat, and pinto beans. You can also use ground beef or other fresh sausage meat in place of the chorizo.

• Pinto Beans
• Olive Oil
• Bacon
• Chorizo Sausage
• Onion
• Garlic
• Ground Cumin
• Chili Powder
• Dried Oregano
• Diced Tomatoes
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Bay Leaves
• Beef Stock

If you can, use thick cut bacon and chop it in large pieces for this recipe, or use diced ham.

Mexican chorizo is a highly seasoned fresh (not cured) ground pork sausage containing herbs, spices, chile peppers, and usually white vinegar. It used in many recipes and is available in sausage form or as loose sausage meat. Mexican chorizo is spicier than Spanish style chorizo which is made with mild peppers and is often cured.

If you can find Mexican oregano, it will give this bean soup a wonderful authentic flavour. However, you can also use regular oregano and still make a delicious dish.

For full flavour, I like to use fire roasted diced tomatoes in this recipe, but you can also use Italian Roma tomatoes or your usual diced tomatoes.

This dish is so full of flavour, you can use any kind of stock or broth you have on hand. Beef stock, chicken stock and vegetable broth all work well in this recipe. You can even simmer the beans in beer, Borracho beans style!

Diced jalapenos, diced carrots, celery, or bell peppers also make great additions to this stew.

How to Soak Dried Pinto Beans

Dried beans are a pantry staple in Mexico and around the world. They are an economical source of vegetable protein and have a lengthy shelf life. With a little bit of preplanning, you can use dried pinto beans for this recipe.

To soak the beans, place 2 cups dried pinto beans into a colander. Rinse and remove any debris. Add beans to the Dutch oven or large pot you intend to use for the recipe. Cover beans with water to about two inches above the beans.

Bring beans to a boil, then remove from heat, cover and let sit overnight or at least 8 hours. To reduce cook time, feel free to use three 15 oz cans beans.

If you want to use canned beans, you’ll need three 15 oz cans. Since there’s roughly 1 2/3 cups pinto beans in each can, three cans will equal 5 1/2 cups, just a little short of the required 6 cups (the yield from 2 cups of dried pinto beans).

How to Make Frijoles Charros

Begin by cooking the bacon and chorizo. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy, about 5 minutes. Crumble the chorizo into the pot and continue cooking until browned, approximately another 5 minutes.

Remove the chorizo and bacon from the pot and set aside.

Next, sauté the aromatics in the same pot. Add the diced onion to the pot and cook until it becomes soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for another minute.

Replace the cooked bacon and chorizo in the pot. Stir in the ground cumin, chili powder, oregano, salt, and bay leaf. Cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant. Do not allow the spices to burn.

Finally, pour in the beef broth (or chicken broth) and the diced tomatoes into the pot, then add the soaked pinto beans. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Bring bean mixture to a boil, then reduce heat, cover with a lid, and simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until the beans are tender. If needed, add 1 cup hot liquid (water or more stock) and continue cooking until the beans are soft but not falling apart.

Garnish Frijoles Charros with chopped fresh cilantro and serve hot with tortillas, rice, and your favourite toppings.

Leftovers and Storage

Allow any leftover Frijoles Charros to cool to room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge. Beans also freeze well, making them an excellent meal prep protein option.

To freeze, place 1 2/3 cups (the amount equivalent to a 15 oz can) room temperature charro beans in a freezer bag. Lay the bag flat in the freezer and freeze for up to five months. To thaw, simply place bag of beans in hot water for 5 minutes or use the microwave.

Hi! I’m Bernice Hill and I am the recipe developer, photographer, and writer at Dish ‘n’ the Kitchen. It is my pleasure to share easy to follow recipes that are delicious, nutritious, and approachable for the whole family.

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