charro beans
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.
prep time
15 Min
cook time
2 Hr 30 Min
method
Stove Top
yield
6 serving(s)
Ingredients
- DRIED BEANS
- 3/4 pound dried pinto beans
- 1/2 - yellow onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 - bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 cups cold water
- CHARRO BEANS
- 6 slices uncooked bacon, chopped
- 1/2 cup smoked ham, diced
- 1/2 - yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 - Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 - chipotle pepper in Adobo sauce, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- - salt, to taste
- - freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
How To Make charro beans
-
Step 1Rinse 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.
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Step 2Fish 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.
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Step 3Wipe 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.
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Step 4Remove 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.
-
Step 5Add 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.
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Step 6Garnish with cilantro when ready to serve.
- Last Step: Don't forget to share! Post a picture of your finished recipe here and on your favorite social network. Don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes!
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