Introduction
Frijoles Charros, also known as Charro Beans is a traditional Mexican pinto bean stew. They are so delicious, with great flavor and just enough heat. They pair excellently with Fajitas Arracheras, Cheese and Onion Enchiladas, Tacos de Carnitas, Mexican Rice, and Cheddar Cornbread Muffins. A proper Tex-Mex meal would not be complete without them! I’m happy to share my recipe, which always turns out great.
Recipe
Frijoles Charros
Equipment
- large saucepan
- lage slotted spoon
- cutting board
- kitchen knife
Ingredients
- ½ cup yellow onion – chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp oregano – fresh, chopped
- ¼ cup cilantro – torn
- 1 tbsp Tex-Mex spice blend
- 2 stalks celery – halved
- 1 poblano pepper – halved and seeded
- 4 serrano peppers – split lengthwise, but intact
- 1 Roma tomato – halved
- 4 slices bacon – unflavored, thickly cut
- 32 ounces pinto beans – 2 x 16oz cans
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Gather ingredients. Crush onions, garlic, oregano, cilantro, and Tex-Mex spice blend together a molcajete.1/2 cup yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 tsp oregano, 1/4 cup cilantro, 1 tbsp Tex-Mex spice blend
- Split the celery, poblanos, Serranos, and tomato.4 serrano peppers, 1 poblano pepper, 2 stalks celery, 1 Roma tomato
- Bring a large saucepan up to medium heat. Add bacon and fry until fat is rendered.4 slices bacon
- Add Serranos, poblano, celery, and tomato to the saucepan. Sauté for a couple of minutes until the vegetables are tender.
- Add contents of molcajete. Sauté for 1 minute.32 ounces pinto beans, 1 cup water
- Stir in pinto beans and water.Turn the heat up to high, bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally until reduced and thickened to desired consistency.
- Taste for desired heat and remove serrano peppers once achieved.
- Remove celery, poblano halves, and bacon.
- Frijoles Charros are ready to serve.
Notes
- This recipe uses canned pinto beans, but you could always cook the pintos yourself if you have time.
- You can substitute whole jalapeños for serranos if you desire less heat.
- Frijoles Charros are an excellent base for making amazing refried beans!
- Always a great hit, especially at parties!
PRIVATE NOTES
Nutrition
More Information
Note on regulating heat
I have learned that there are widely different levels of acceptable heat, and by heat I mean pepper. Some folks can’t handle any heat at all, while others want it hot, hot, hot! When making Frijoles Charros, the jalapeños or serranos are an important ingredient. They add heat, but more importantly flavor to the beans. Serrano peppers have a considerably more intense heat than jalapeños, so be aware. You don’t want it to be so peppery as to overpower the other flavors. Taste the pot liquor early to determine the level of heat, and remove the peppers promptly once your preferred level of heat is achieved.
Pro tip
I like to use a paring knife to split the peppers, but don’t go all the way through. This keeps the seeds inside of the pepper, but allows for the liquid to flow through the pepper and pick up some of the heat. Taste the liquid as you cook, and when you get the right level of heat, remove the peppers. You can chop them up and allow your guests to add them back into their serving at the end if they want more heat.
Making Frijoles Charros on the smoker
Frijoles Charros are great on the smoker! I have a cast-iron dutch oven that I will often use to make this on my Bayou Cypress Ceramic Grill. I build a moderate fire over oak and mesquite charcoal. Then I invert the grate and put on a pizza stone. My dutch oven sits perfectly stable on top of the pizza stone. I close the lid, vent it, and keep the heat low, at about 225 degrees. The beans pick up the smoky flavor, which tastes amazing!
When I originally bought the Bayou Cypress Ceramic Grill many years ago, it was a lower cost alternative to the Big Green Egg. I’m glad I saved the money, because aside from occasional maintenance, it has performed excellently, and has been a great addition to my outdoor kitchen.
The store at Bayou Classic has it listed now for $100,000! I’m sure that is a mistake, or maybe they stopped producing it. If someone offered me just half of that, I suppose I would have to sell it, then buy the Big Green Egg after all.
Refried Beans
These Frijoles Charros make excellent Refried Beans. Heat up a skillet with some oil or lard, then add a few strained spoons fulls of beans. Mash them while they fry in the oil until your preferred level of smoothness is achieved. Super easy and delicious!
Fun Fact
The word ‘Charros’ refers to the traditional Mexican cowboy horsemen.
Related Recipes
Tex-Mex Spice Blend
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