These Mexican charro beans are incredibly flavorful and tender! Featuring pinto beans simmered with savory bacon and smoky chorizo in a robust broth flavored with onion, garlic, chilis, tomatoes and spices! You can make these zesty "cowboy beans" with dried or canned pinto beans and serve them as a main dish or side dish!Recipe can be scaled up or down by using the slider if you hover your mouse over the number of Servings.
Cook bacon: Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon (add a splash of neutral oil if you are using lean bacon) and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is cooked and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon and remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Turn off heat and drain or blot all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease (fat) from the pot.
Cook the chorizo: Increase heat to medium-high and add the chorizo to the pot. Cook undisturbed for 1 ½ minutes. Flip and cook another 1 minute undisturbed. Stir and continue to cook, using the back of a wooden spoon to break the chorizo up into small pieces, until browned, about 1 more minute. Use a slotted spoon and remove the chorizo to a SEPARATE paper towel-lined plate. Turn off heat and drain or blot all but 1 tablespoon of grease from the pot.
Sauté vegetables + seasonings: Decrease heat to medium and add the onions and jalapenos. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, sugar, chili powder, oregano and paprika. Season with ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add remaining ingredients: Add in the beans and liquid, tomatoes, broth (or beef if using) and the reserved chorizo to the pot. Stir well to combine. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a rapid simmer. Immediately reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
Simmer: Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, or until slightly thickened. (NOTE: For soupier, more stew-like beans, cover the pot and simmer for the first 15 minutes, then remove the cover and simmer an additional 10 minutes.)
Add bacon, cilantro & adjust for seasoning: Turn off the heat and add the bacon and half the cilantro. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve: Garnish with remaining cilantro, along with fresh tomatoes or Pico de Gallo and jalapenos if using. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Borracho "drunken" Beans: Substitute 1 cup or the entire 1 ½ cups of the broth for an equal amount of your favorite dark Mexican beer, such as Negra Modelo or Dos Equis.
To use dry pinto beans: Follow the simple steps below for soaking and cooking dry pinto beans before proceeding with the recipe. You will need approximately one pound of dry beans.
Soak beans: Place the beans in a large pot and add enough cool water to cover the beans by two inches. Let the beans soak on the counter overnight before cooking.
Drain beans: Transfer the beans to a colander to drain. Rinse the beans lightly with water and drain again.
Add water + optional flavoring: Place the beans in a large pot and season the beans with ½ teaspoon of salt. Add enough water to cover the beans by three inches. If you want to flavor the beans, feel free to toss in a yellow onion (quartered), fresh garlic (smashed and peeled), a bay leaf and even a hambone!
Simmer: Bring the water to a rapid simmer and then immediately reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the beans are tender, but not bursting or mushy, about 1-2 hours. Make sure you check on the beans a few times during cooking to make sure they remain covered in water – add more water as necessary. (NOTE: The exact amount of time dry beans will take to cook can greatly vary depending upon how “old” they are. “Old” beans that have been sitting on the grocery store shelf or in your pantry for months (or years) will take much longer to cook than “new” beans.)
Drain, reserving liquid: Once the beans are soft, drain them in a colander, reserving about ½ cup of the liquid. Rinse the beans with cool water and drain again.
Use or store: Allow the beans to cool down completely after cooking. Either use the pinto beans according to the recipe below or, store them (with the liquid) in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutritional information is an estimate based upon 12 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.