Frijoles Charra (Charro Beans)

Whip up a batch of frijoles charra, aka charro beans, a flavorful broth-based Mexican bean recipe loaded with creamy pinto beans, bacon, tomatoes, peppers and spices.

Serve this charro bean recipe alongside other popular Mexican recipes: carne asada, achiote chicken, flour tortillas, tacos, pollo asado, birria, camarónes a la diabla, and instant pot carnitas.

What are charro beans?

Charro beans are a traditional Mexican dish originating in northern Mexico. The dish is named after the traditional Mexican cowboy horsemen, or charros. Therefore they are also called “cowboy beans”. This Mexican bean recipe is served warm and as a soup.

Ingredients

Here are some non-basic ingredients required to prepare Frijoles Charra. See the recipe card below for the full ingredient list.

Charro beans recipe

To make Mexican charro beans, you can use either dried beans or canned beans.

Dried Beans

We prefer dried pinto beans for more control over texture, flavor, and sodium levels. Of course, not everyone has access to dried beans or the extra time it takes to cook them.

canned beans

To use canned beans, drain and rinse the beans in a colander to remove excess liquid. Add them when the dried beans are needed. You will need to reduce the cooking time as the beans are already soft. Think 12-15 minutes.

How to make Frijoles Charros

Preparing Frijole’s charra is extremely easy. Here are a few key steps to crafting them. See the recipe card below for full details.

• Soak the beans (6-24 hours)
• Crisp the bacon and soften the veggies
• Let the rest of the ingredients simmer

variations

Frijole’s charra is highly customizable – here are some popular variations to consider when crafting Frijole’s charra:

vegetarian

Omit the bacon and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.

Low sodium

Use water or a low-sodium broth and avoid adding salt.

Sharp

To boost the spiciness of Frijoles Charra, add some red pepper flakes, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, or extra diced jalapeños. Everything goes!

Frijoles Borrachos

To make “drunk beans,” add a cup of your favorite beer while it simmers.

pinto beans and rice

Prepare and serve a batch of Mexican Rice or Cilantro Lime Rice to prepare pinto beans and rice.

recipe tips

• For maximum nutrition, use Instant Pot Bone Broth when preparing Frijoles Charra.
• Don’t have any broth on hand? Here are beef broth and chicken broth substitute lists in case you need ideas.
• hard beans? If your beans aren’t softening, they’re probably old. It is best to buy fresh pinto beans. Keep cooking and they will soften.
• Use a large pot for this great recipe. It makes plenty of Frijoles Charra! We use our handy large Dutch oven.

drink pairings

Whenever we enjoy Mexican instant pot recipes, we always reach for a michelada, mango michelada, or margarita.

Refreshed bean dip
Smoked Baked Beans
Instant Pot Beans Recipe
Instant Pot pinto beans

Mexican beans

These beans would be a perfect addition to a carne asada platter.