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charro beans

smalltownwoman avatar
Recipe by
Beth Pierce
@smalltownwoman
Ofallon, MO

Delicious and easy Mexican charro beans are pinto beans simmered with bacon, ham, onions, garlic, and tomatoes, with the perfect balance of spicy and smokey seasonings. For folks who love a lot of flavors, this is your dish.

yield 6 serving(s)
prep time 15 Min
cook time 2 Hr 30 Min
method Stove Top

Ingredients For charro beans

  • DRIED BEANS
  • 3/4 lb
    dried pinto beans
  • 1/2
    yellow onion
  • 2 clove
    garlic
  • 2
    bay leaves
  • 1 tsp
    salt
  • 6 c
    cold water
  • CHARRO BEANS
  • 6 slice
    uncooked bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 c
    smoked ham, diced
  • 1/2
    yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 md
    jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
  • 3 clove
    garlic, minced
  • 2
    Roma tomatoes, diced
  • 1
    chipotle pepper in Adobo sauce, minced
  • 1/2 tsp
    dried marjoram
  • 1/2 tsp
    ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp
    smoked paprika
  • salt, to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1/4 c
    chopped fresh cilantro

How To Make charro beans

  • 1
    Rinse the beans and sort through them, removing any pebbles. Add the beans, onion, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water to a large pot or Dutch oven. Bring the beans to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until tender.
  • 2
    Fish out and discard the onion, garlic, and bay leaves. Drain the beans in a colander, reserving all the liquid in a pot below the colander.
  • 3
    Wipe the Dutch oven clean, add the bacon, and cook over medium heat until it is about halfway browned, stirring frequently. Add the ham and chopped onion and continue cooking until the bacon is brown and the onion is soft.
  • 4
    Remove all but 1-2 teaspoons of bacon grease. Reduce the heat to low and add jalapeno pepper, garlic, tomatoes, chipotle pepper, marjoram, cumin, and smoked paprika. Cook for 2 minutes while stirring.
  • 5
    Add the cooked beans and 4 cups of the bean liquid to the pot. Simmer for 15-20 minutes for the all flavors to meld together. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
  • 6
    Garnish with cilantro when ready to serve.
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