Quick Charro Beans (with Canned Pinto Beans)

These Charro Beans are in honor of the beans that I ate as a child in San Antonio, but made quick and easy with canned pinto beans. Flavored with smoky bacon and charred onions and jalapeños, they are out of this world delicious! Bonus: they make the best refried beans and I show you how!

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I grew up in San Antonio Texas and lived in San Diego California for over a decade, and we used to always say that you could tell how authentic a Mexican restaurant was just by tasting their Mexican Charro Beans. After moving away from the Northern Mexico border, I couldn't find my favorite beans anywhere, so I learned to make them myself.

Whether you call them charro beans, frijoles charros, or Mexican cowboy beans, to me they are the most flavorful beans in the world. Usually made with dried beans that are slowly simmered and flavored with meat and aromatics, I developed a quicker version using canned pinto beans that are super simple, but just as delicious. They are great as a main dish for dinner or are the perfect side dish for so many of my favorite Mexican foods.

This simple recipe is so good that it has literally become an obsession for my whole family. My daughters would text me regularly with just the word "BEANZZZ" and I would have to try to remember each ingredient and every step. I finally wrote it all down and now I'm passing it on to you. Warning: you will also be obsessed.

(p.s. they are almost better the next day and also make the most epic refried beans, which I will share with you at the end of this post.)

Ingredients & Substitutions

Yes, you can start this charro bean recipe with dry pinto beans, soak them overnight, and then simmer them for a couple of hours and meet me back here, or you can buy canned pinto beans and doctor them up in a way that would fool even your Abuela. I'm going the canned route. Meet me there.

• Canned pinto beans - I use 4 cans of pinto beans in these ranchero beans. I am a freak for pinto beans, but my husband loves black beans. You could probably make this just as delicious with black beans, but just don't invite me over 😝 You could also do this with kidney beans, cannellini, beans, navy beans,… whatever bean you prefer!
• Fresh jalapeños - Depending on the day, I might use one or two fresh jalapeños. I will usually remove some of the seeds and white inside membranes, because that's where all of the heat is contained. If you like it really hot, you can substitute with serrano pepper.
• Pickled jalapeños - I know! We just used fresh jalapeños! Why would we use pickled jalapeños? I like the acidity that they add and they add just a little bit of a different heat. You can skip them if you like, but I would recommend at least adding the jalapeño brine from the jar. You need that little bit of a acidity to balance the heat. If you don't have any, you can use one or 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
• Bacon - The first time I made these Charro beans I used some fatty pork shoulder, but I don't always have it and it's not always available at the butcher. You can also use salt pork, but I find bacon is easiest. I usually keep a baggie of raw chopped bacon in my freezer for bean emergencies. That's a thing.
• Fresh Cilantro - Did you know that 14% of people have a gene mutation that makes cilantro taste like soap? And quite a few of them are my friends 🤨 You can substitute with good Mexican, oregano, fresh parsley, or just skip it all together. If using cilantro, finely chopped everything, including the tender top stems. You can cut off the large bottom stems, but there is no need to pick off the individual leaves. There's so much flavor in the top stems.
• Broth - I like to use a nice roasted chicken broth, but you can use vegetable broth in its place. If you don't have chicken broth, you can use a bouillon cube and one cup of water.
• Onion - I generally use whatever onion I have available. Today I had a white onion, some days I have a Vidalia onion, sometimes I have a common yellow onion. If you have an allium allergy, you can try using sautéed kale or chard stems. You can also add in celery tops and celery seed which adds a lot of flavor. Different, but delicious.

See recipe card below for the full recipe including measurements.

Variations

Here are a few variations you can try to make this easy charro beans recipe your own.

• Tomatoes - Traditional charro beans include diced fresh or canned tomatoes along with a little chili powder, but I never really liked tomatoes in mine (I do like marinated tomatoes though) so I didn't add them, but you can if you like.
• Extra spicy - You can add one (or two) chipotles from the can. Whether or not to add the adobo sauce is a personal choice you'll have to live with 🥵
• Vegan - Skip the bacon and add a couple of smashed garlic cloves and then use your favorite vegetable broth.
• Boozy - Adding a bottle of dark Mexican beer (like Negra Modelo) would give you Borracho beans, which are slow simmered in beer instead of broth.

Step-by-Step Instructions

I know, I know, you wanted to have to soak pinto beans overnight and then simmer them for a couple of hours. Instead I'm going to show you how to make delicious Charro Beans in less than an hour. I'm a monster.

Step 1: Heat a dutch oven, or large pot, over medium high heat and add one tablespoon of vegetable oil (can use bacon fat or lard). When the oil shimmers, add in your bacon, onion, and fresh jalapeño.

Step 2: Saute until the bacon is just starting to crisp up on the edges and the onions and jalapeños are are softening and beginning to get dark on the edges. The bottom of the pan will have a dark color, called fond, and this is good.

Step 3: Add in your canned beans, juice and all, and scrape to get some of the fond off the bottom.

Step 4: Add broth and stir.

Step 5: Add in diced pickled jalapeños, finely chopped cilantro (stems and all), salt, and black pepper.

Step 6: Add a couple tablespoons of the jalapeño brine and stir in. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper and add the rest of the jalapeño brine if you like.

Step 7: Bring to a boil and then turn the heat down to medium-low, cover and let simmer for about 20 to 30 minutes. Eat them as is, or with your favorite toppings like cheese, avocado, more cilantro, and more jalapeños.

Tips and serving suggestions

If you don't have an immersion blender you can still make delicious refried beans. Use a food processor or stand blender to purée your cold beans to your desired consistency. Carefully add to hot fat in the cast-iron pan and simmer as directed above.

These refried beans are delicious served with chips, on tostadas, with carne asada, as the base of your huevos rancheros, or our personal favorite, the best bean and cheese burritos of your life! You're welcome ❤️

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