Cowboy Charro Beans

Name: Cowboy Charro Beans
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 6 oz sliced uncooked bacon (chopped); 8 oz fresh uncooked Mexican chorizo (casings removed, chopped); 1/2 cup white onion (chopped); 1 jalapeño pepper finely chopped (more or less to taste, seeded if desired); 1/2 lb roma tomatoes (about 2 to 3 tomatoes, chopped); 1 tsp kosher or sea salt (plus more as needed); 5 cups cooked pinto beans and their cooking liquid (or substitute with black or Peruvian beans)

Frijoles Charros con Tocino y Chorizo

Recipe Yield

6 servings

Cooking time

30 minutes

Rate this recipe

4.45 from 9 votes

Ingredients

6 oz sliced uncooked bacon chopped
8 oz fresh uncooked Mexican chorizo casings removed, chopped
1/2 cup white onion chopped
1 jalapeño pepper finely chopped more or less to taste, seeded if desired
1/2 lb roma tomatoes about 2 to 3 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp kosher or sea salt plus more as needed
5 cups cooked pinto beans and their cooking liquid or substitute with black or Peruvian beans

To Prepare

Cook the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until it is lightly browned and starting to crisp. Add the chopped chorizo; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until it starts to brown and crisp. As it cooks, use a wooden spoon or spatula to break it into smaller pieces.
Add the chopped onion and jalapeño; mix well and cook for 1 or 2 more minutes, letting them soften a bit. Add the tomatoes and mix well; cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until the tomatoes soften and appear mushy.
Add the cooked beans and their cooking liquid; mix well and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the beans are moist but not soupy. Add a bit more water if needed. Taste, and add more salt to your taste. Serve hot.

Comments

47comments inCowboy Charro Beans

Vctor M Lopez

Feb 23

Hola Ms Jinich.

Yo he estado haciendo estos frijoles por nuchos años y desde que los aprendi siempre han sido aguados, no demasiado pero no secos como se ve en la foto. Y yo le pongo cilantro hacia el final del cocimiento.

Sus recetas son buenas, este es solo un comentario!

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Feb 29
  
  Mil gracias Victor, tambien conozco esa otra version de los frijoles charros como mas caldositos no? Tambien son deliciosos!
  
Lynnette Brownell

Dec 15

Didn’t you originally make these with a touch of lard

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jan 07
  
  You could add a bit of lard if you like it Lynnette 😉
  
Betty Vasbinder

Oct 21

My was given an 8 lb. bag of pinto beans! After walking past it for a few days, I remembered seeing this recipe. So, I’m cooking the beans now; then I’m going to turn them into Cowboy Charro Beans, and then try caning most of them. My family loves your cooking so I’m really looking forward to learning how these turn out! Thank you.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Oct 29
  
  Thanks so much Betty, I hope the beans came out yummy. My love to you and your family!
  
Kent

Sep 19

I’ve made these beans probably a dozen times. They. Are. INCREDIBLE! Such a great recipe. I add some things like Hatch green chiles and different kinds of sausage/hot dogs. Oh, and a splash of beer 🙂 Love ’em! Thank you, Pati.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Sep 26
  
  Great additions to this recipe Kent, yay!
  
Laura

Aug 30

I have been wanting to make this recipe for a while. Even though it was hot today, I finally made these beans. They are just as delicious as I hoped they would be! Thank you!

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Sep 05
  
  So glad you liked them Laura, yay!
  
Janet Rapel- Palumbo

Apr 24

My husband cooked this amazing recipe for friends of ours, needless to say they where a HIT!! This is a keeper!

1. Pati Jinich
  
  May 01
  
  Yay! Thank you guys, so glad you all enjoyed these beans.
  
Jorge

May 13

Que Bueno!!

1. Pati Jinich
  
  May 23
  
  Gracias!
  
Jeanine

Aug 10

I just made these Charro Beans and they are soooooo good! I used vegetarian chorizo because that is what I had on hand. I also followed your recipe for pinto beans and that worked perfect! Thank you so much. This is a recipe I will use over and over.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Aug 11
  
  Yay Janine! So glad you enjoyed the beans 😉
  
Wasylyna

Jul 07

I made these for breakfast. Me salieron riquisimos.
I did cheat and used canned beans. When I try to make frijoles de la olla, they don’t come out well.
I love your recipes and your show. Thank you for sharing the beauty of Mexico.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jul 08
  
  Hey Wasylyna, haha! A bit of cheating is OK, glad you liked this recipe. Have you tried my way of cooking beans? I hope it helps, here you go http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/frijoles_de_olla/
  
Rona

Jun 09

What would you suggest as a vegetable side dish to go with the Charro Beans?

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jun 10
  
  Nothing starchy, something fresh and not overwhelming, this beans are full of flavor! Maybe some mixed greens with a very light vinaigrette?
  
Juan Carlos Gutierrez

Apr 18

As I was thinking of breakfast, I remember the leftover frijoles de la olla, and I just finished watching your 1st season, so I thought of your “Cowboy Charro Beans” would go great with the eggs I was going to cook. They turned out fabulous…I did substitute the Mexican chorizo with Spanish chorizo porque that is what I had along with several slices of aguacate.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Apr 19
  
  Yumm Juan Carlos, your recipe sounds perfect, who doesn’t like eggs and beans? Spanish chorizo is fabulous and so is avocado, so I am sure your breakfast was delicious 😉
  
Bonnie

Feb 27

Can I use canned pinto beans in their liquid?

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Feb 27
  
  Hey Bonnie, I think it is OK to use canned beans but their liquid is normally full of salt and preservatives so I would rather rinse them and then add a bit of vegetable stock to replace the cooking liquid. What do you think?
  
  1. Bonnie
    
    Feb 28
    
    Sounds good! Also can I make them a day ahead of time or better. I’m serving them for dinner tomorrow night and will be gone all day tomorrow.
    
Anonymous

Feb 10

I love these! Even if I’m forced to use canned tomatoes it is still wonderful and hearty

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Feb 10
  
  Canned tomatoes are not too bad, you know? They have this particular sweetness that sometimes I can live with 😉
  
Chris

Nov 09

These are absolutely the best beans I have ever had. Trust me, I dream of them. I could eat them every night and never grow tired.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Nov 11
  
  Love that you dream of them, Chris!
  
Connie

Apr 24

I made this tonight with homemade chorizo since I haven’t found a quality brand where I shop. These beans are SO GOOD! I also love your capirotada recipe. Next is your sardine empanadas!

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Apr 27
  
  Hope you love the empanadas just as much as the beans and capirotada, Connie!
  
Ty

Dec 10

Hola Pati, no se como explicarte cuanto e aprendido contigo y tu programa que me encanta. Voy a tratar los frijoles esta semana. Te confieso que no soy Mexicana pero me encantan experimentar nuevos sabores. Incluso mi comadre me paso una receta de pollo con crema y chile chipotle y a mi novio le encanta. Bendiciones para ti y tu familia.

1. Pati
  
  Dec 18
  
  Uy mil gracias, Ty! ❤️
  
Patricia

Sep 23

I just made these for my family…I was inspired after bringing out my cowboy boots for the fall. I changed it up a bit and instead of using chorizo I used paprika and cayenne pepper for flavor and color. Trying to watch our waistline. They were so good!

1. Pati
  
  Oct 06
  
  Oh I love that your brought out your cowboy boots and were inspired, Patricia!
  
Darah

Feb 05

So simple and so tasty. Thanks for sharing your recipes and culture. It’s always fun to watch your show and I never fail to learn something new!

1. Pati
  
  Feb 06
  
  Oh thank you so much for tuning in Darah!
  
Francisco

Oct 16

What brand of chorizo do you use? Where I live in Texas I can find only the Cacique brand and am not a big fan of it. Could you please recommend any other brands that are good quality.

1. Pati
  
  Oct 31
  
  You can always make your own :)…there’s a link on this page http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/chorizo/
  
Selena down in South Texas

Oct 10

Hola Pati! I’m a proud Tex-Mex mom & learned how to prepare Mexican food, local style, since chiquita. Pero mis frijoles han estado saliendo duro y crujiente! I’ve used local tap water for years, until a few years ago I noticed my beans came out bad! I tried bottled water, (drinking, purifed, &/or spring), soaking & unsoaking beans but I lost my touch & haven’t made in a while! I’d use HEB’s pinto beans, freshly packaged, in light to medium brown color, sort, clean and rinse until clear. I season with salt pork, garlic clove, & later add onion, tomato and salt. I really want to try this recipe, but my beans…yuk. Suggestions? Gracias!

1. Pati
  
  Oct 18
  
  Hm. Please use this recipe to cook the beans (works for black or pinto or others just as well…), don’t add salt UNTIL the beans are already cooked and soft and once cooked, season them and cook them with whatever ingredients you wish, including charro beans!
  http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/recipe/black-beans-from-the-pot/
  
Molly

Oct 03

This is a crowd pleaser! One of my favorite side dishes to share. I prefer the crunchiness of thick cut bacon.

1. Pati
  
  Oct 04
  
  So happy to hear that it is a crowd pleaser Molly!
  
  1. Molly
    
    Apr 22
    
    When did you first release this recipe? I feel like I’ve been making these at least 10 years, is that close? My youngest grown daughter, now 39 years old also makes this for family and friends year round! We happily share your website and recipe!
    
    1. Pati Jinich
      
      Jun 06
      
      Yes Molly, I think it was one of my very first recipes from Season 1 so it should have been around 12 years ago 😉
      
Sherry,from flordia

Mar 20

I’ve made this several times for my family my family loves it

1. Pati
  
  Mar 23
  
  Aww thank you so much Sherry!

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