Authentic Charro Beans
Get ready to tantalize your taste buds with Authentic Charro Beans, a traditional Mexican dish bursting with bold flavors and hearty textures. This recipe combines tender pinto beans simmered to perfection with crispy bacon, savory chorizo, and a vibrant medley of fresh ingredients like Roma tomatoes, jalapeños, white onion, and cilantro. Infused with aromatic spices like cumin and cayenne pepper, the beans develop a rich, smoky sauce that's irresistible. The addition of lime juice adds a bright, zesty finish, making it the perfect side dish or comforting main course alongside warm tortillas. With minimal prep and big, authentic flavors, these Charro Beans are a crowd-pleasing favorite for any occasion.
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Recipe Information
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 8 slices bacon
- 8 ounces Mexican chorizo
- 1 large white onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 4 medium Roma tomatoes
- 2 medium jalapeños
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 6 cups vegetable stock or water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 0.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 lime
Instructions
Rinse and sort 1 pound of dried pinto beans, removing any debris or stones.
Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with water. Let them soak overnight or for at least 8 hours.
Drain and rinse the soaked beans and set aside.
In a large pot over medium heat, cook 8 slices of bacon until crispy. Remove and crumble the bacon, setting it aside, but leave the bacon fat in the pot.
Add 8 ounces of Mexican chorizo to the same pot and cook until browned, breaking it apart with a spoon. Remove the chorizo and set aside.
Finely chop 1 large white onion and mince 4 garlic cloves. Add them to the pot and sauté in the remaining fat until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Dice 4 medium Roma tomatoes and 2 medium jalapeños, and add them to the pot. Stir and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
Add the drained beans, 6 cups of vegetable stock or water, 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, and 0.5 teaspoon of cayenne pepper to the pot.
Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Let it simmer until the beans are tender, about 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally.
Add the cooked bacon and chorizo back into the pot, stir to combine, and raise the heat to medium. Cook uncovered for an additional 15 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Chop 1 bunch of cilantro and stir it into the beans. Adjust the seasoning with more salt or spices, if necessary.
Squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the beans, give it a final stir, and serve hot as a side dish or as a main course with warm tortillas.
Nutrition Facts
Calories |
2255 | ||
|---|---|---|---|
% Daily Value* |
|||
| Total Fat | 115.0 g | 147% | |
| Saturated Fat | 38.5 g | 192% | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol | 236 mg | 79% | |
| Sodium | 13287 mg | 578% | |
| Total Carbohydrate | 187.2 g | 68% | |
| Dietary Fiber | 56.3 g | 201% | |
| Total Sugars | 29.4 g | ||
| Protein | 128.0 g | 256% | |
| Vitamin D | 0.3 mcg | 1% | |
| Calcium | 472 mg | 36% | |
| Iron | 18.4 mg | 102% | |
| Potassium | 6132 mg | 130% | |
*The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
