There are few things more comforting than a big pot of slow simmered Charro Beans (aka Frijoles Charros) that are perfectly seasoned with bacon and spices. Round out your Cinco de Mayo menu with this filling and delicious side that is inexpensive to make and feeds a crowd!
I tested this recipe 5 times to get it just right and have since made it a bunch more times just because we love it so much! I wanted to be able to give you options to make these beans on the stovetop, in the slow cooker, or in the Instant Pot so you can enjoy the best Mexican beans anytime you want them!
Celebrate Cinco de Mayo with some Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros) cooked in the Instant Pot and served alongside some carne asada, grilled Mexican street corn, fresh tortillas, and horchata for a delicious and culturally authentic Mexican food experience at home!
For more delicious bean recipes, be sure to try my Instant Pot Refried Beans, Instant Pot Pork and Beans, and Best Baked Beans recipes!
Why you’ll love this family favorite recipe!
- Multiple ways to make them! You can make these in the Instant Pot, on the stovetop, or in the slow cooker, depending on how much time you have and which method you like best! I’ve included cooking instructions for each approach below.
- Bacon! Doesn’t bacon make everything better? It adds a great smoky flavor and chewy texture to these beans that is fantastic.
- Easy. Aside from a little chopping and stirring, there’s not much to making a batch of charro beans and they go great with everything from Mexican food, to grilled meat, to steak, tri-tip, or ribs.
What are Charro Beans?
Charro beans, also known as frijoles charros or “cowboy beans”, got their name from the Mexican cowboys who ate them.
They are a traditional Mexican side dish that seem to have originated in Northern Mexico and are made by cooking dried pinto beans long and slow until soft, but not mushy, with ingredients like onion, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, and meat (usually bacon, but occasionally ham, sausage, and chorizo).
There is a variation on charro beans known as borrachos beans, which is essentially the same recipe, just with Mexican beer added to the charro beans (borracho means “drunk” in Spanish).
What are Charro Beans made of?
- Dry pinto beans
- Bacon
- Onion
- Jalapeño
- Garlic
- Water
- Beef broth – Chick broth will do if that’s all you have on hand.
- Diced tomatoes with green chilies – You can buy cans of these combined at the store, or just use a can of each.
- Cilantro
- Salt
- Spices – For authentic Tex-Mex flavor, use ground cumin, chipotle chili powder, dried oregano, smoked paprika, and black pepper.
How to Make Charro Beans
- Crisp up the bacon. This works the same whether you are doing these on the stovetop, instant pot, or crockpot. I like to chop it first and then just stir the bacon until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crispy. Transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with parchment paper, but save the bacon grease for cooking the veggies!
- Saute the veggies. Add the chopped onion and jalapeno to the bacon grease in the bottom of the pan and cook, stirring frequently, until softened. At this point, you can transfer everything to the slow cooker, if that’s the approach you are taking.
- Add the beans, liquid, and spices. This is the point where you add the remaining ingredients and stir everything together. If you are doing this on the stovetop, just bring it to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat so the beans can simmer until tender!
How to Make Charro Beans Recipe in a Pressure Cooker
While you could absolutely make this easy charro beans recipe in a slow cooker or on the stovetop by adding a little extra water and soaking the beans overnight beforehand, I really wanted to use my Instant Pot for them so I didn’t have to plan ahead.
- To make these charro beans in the pressure cooker, begin by cooking the bacon in the bottom of the Instant Pot on the sauté setting.
- When the bacon is almost crispy, add in the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes more, until the onions begin to soften.
- Then, it’s just a matter of adding all of the remaining ingredients and pushing a button! Once the Instant Pot pressurizes, the beans only take 30 minutes to cook, followed by about 30-45 minutes for the pressure to release on its own.
How to Serve This Charro Bean Recipe
Charro beans are delicious all on their own as a side to all kinds of grilled meats or other dishes. Or you can serve them with rice as a meal all on their own. They are delicious sprinkled with some extra chopped fresh cilantro and a dollop of sour cream.
Charro beans go great with carne asada, guacamole, Mexican rice, grilled Mexican street corn, and pico de gallo.
Frijoles Charros Recipe FAQ
Refried beans typically aren’t as seasoned as charro beans and they don’t include bacon. They are also typically mashed, whereas charro beans retain their bean shape and texture.
Charro means “horseman” or “cowboy” in Spanish so these charro beans or frijoles charros can also be known as cowboy beans.
More Mexican Recipes You’ll Love
- Shredded Beef Chimichangas
- Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas
- Baja Fish Tacos Recipe
- Smoky Chicken Tinga Tacos
- Grilled Pork Tacos al Pastor
Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros)
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon chopped (about 8 slices)
- 1/2 yellow onion chopped
- 1 jalapeño minced with seeds removed (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups beef broth
- 15 ounces diced tomatoes and green chilies
- 1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Soak the dried beans for at least 8 hours or overnight in a bowl of water. Rinse and drain the beans well, then set aside.
- Cook the bacon until crispy in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Transfer the cooked bacon to a plate lined with paper towel using a slotted spoon.½ pound bacon
- In the same pot, saute the onion and jalapeño in the bacon grease until softened. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds.½ yellow onion, 1 jalapeño, 2 cloves garlic
- Add all of the remaining ingredients along with the bacon to the onions, jalapeño, and garlic. Bring to a boil, then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the beans are tender and thickened to your liking.1 pound dried pinto beans, 3 cups water, 2 cups beef broth, 15 ounces diced tomatoes and green chilies, ½ bunch of fresh cilantro, 2 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon cumin, ¾ teaspoon chipotle chili powder, ½ teaspoon oregano, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Notes
- Storage: Store any leftover charro beans in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container for maximum freshness. You can also freeze charro beans by letting them cool completely, then transferring them to a freezer-safe airtight container or bag and freezing for up to 2 months. Thaw on the counter or in the fridge, then reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave before serving.
- Slow Cooker Method: If making in the slow cooker, follow the same approach by cooking the bacon, onions, and garlic first in a pan, then add the remaining ingredients plus one additional cup of water and cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. There is no need to soak the beans if using the slow cooker approach, but if you DO want to soak them overnight beforehand first, they will cook in 5-7 hours on low instead of 8-10.
- Instant Pot Method: In the Instant Pot using the sauté setting, cook the chopped bacon until crispy. Transfer the bacon to a plate and set aside. Saute the onions and garlic in the bacon grease until softened, then return the bacon to the pot along with all of the remaining ingredients. When the time is up, allow the pressure cooker to do a complete natural release before removing the lid. Secure the lid and change the setting to high pressure (my Instant Pot has a button for “beans/chili” that I press and set to “Normal”) for 30 minutes. When the time is up, allow the pressure cooker to do a complete natural release before removing the lid. It will take about 30-45 minutes. There is no need to soak the beans if using the Instant Pot method.
This is my go to recipe in the summer, to go with grilled fajitas. I love that everything goes in the Instapot and then you just sit back and let it cook. My nephews say, “What’s not to like, bacon and beans.”
Just made these beans. I scooped them out of the IP w/out the liquid, into a large mixing bowl, followed by adding some of the liquid it was cooked in and them blended them into refry w/out the refry. They came out perfect!
What if you did soak the beans overnight? What would be the cook time?
You could decrease the cook time by 10 minutes and see how that goes. Honestly, I never bother to soak the beans though.
I’ve made this recipe a billion times and the cook time isn’t long enough. I soak mine the night before and still cook them 45 min in the IP. 30 min is not long enough at all, even with the natural release. Every time I’ve done 30 with a natural release, I’ve had to cook them longer!
What if I wanted to make vegetarian? Should I add something else instead of bacon for flavor?
I absolutely love your style of writing. I am a professional Chef with many years of experience, and i still find your content super engaging. I do start to have great interest towards Mexican Cuisine, was wondering what you think about this.. what are the main differences between Frijoles Charros and Borrachos? Interested to know what you think. In the meantime… keep the great writing going!
I actually think they are quite similar recipes. Mainly I think the difference is that borracho beans are made with beer for the liquid, although that might be an oversimplification. I don’t make borracho beans so I can’t really remember without some digging to research them!
This recipe is not just good it’s great! Made to go with smoked baby back ribs! Now the friends at the party ask me to make them when ever we get together. Everyone just loves them and so easy to make!
So glad you enjoyed them, Joan!
Do you double ingredients and cooking time for 2lbs of beans in the instapot?
You double the ingredients, but you shouldn’t need to double the cooking time at all. It should cook in the same amount of time.
I cook mine in the IP for an extra 30 minutes, add a tablespoon of maza flour to thicken. And yum.
I mash these for Refried beans and they are great!
The best recipe I’ve found for Charro Beans! Rave reviews every time I serve them!
I’ve made these beans too many times to count. They are the best! I always add extra green chilis. I made these for a party of 40 people and they couldn’t stop talking about how good the beans were! Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!
Great recipe thank you!!!
Thank you! Glad you liked it!
Delicious! Will make again!
I would like to add that 30 min is def not enough cook time. I did 60 min with 25 NR then finished with QR. Texture was just a tad soft for my liking. Next time I’ll shave off maybe 5 min of cook time?
My bacon didn’t have much grease at all and in fact, started to burn and stick to the bottom well before it was crispy. I was able to deglaze with the liquids and just scraped and kept the burnt bits for flavor. Next time I may cook the back separately in a non stick pan on the stove to get it really crispy. Those are the only two things I would do differently. Otherwise, they are delicious and your family will love them!
* bacon not back
I made this today. It is awesome. My house smells yummy. I did add things & changed some things, but basically it is your recipe.
I only used 6 strips of bacon (cut up) fried up with the onion. I used 1 cup chicken broth & 1 cup beef broth. I didn’t have that big of can of rotels, so I used a 14.5 oz petite diced tomatoes & a 7 oz can of green chilies. I used garlic salt, 1 tsp of smoked paprika since I didn’t have chipotle chili powder (only plain chili powder). 1 tsp each, pinto bean seasoning & smoked swine seasoning. I tasted it just a few minutes ago, and it tastes so good. Better than the restaurants. Thank you! ❤️
This is my go-to. I have made it regularly for a few years. We had a big graduation party for a couple of young men a year ago. I had 4 moms make a pot of these beans to go with the dinner that served over 100 people. Now it is a favorite for each of them as well.
I’m so glad you are sharing this recipe! It’s the perfect side for so many things!
I’m not sure of the origin of this recipe but, I have cooked this and must say it is the best of many recipes I have made. I have made several dozens of variant recipes of Charros.
Delicious but I added 4 cups of chicken broth no beef broth. A family favorite!
Great! I am glad you and your family like it!
Delicious, economical and so easy! I used chicken stock, and it was perfect.
Have made this several times, family loves it! I do have to cook about 45-50 minutes but otherwise follow the recipe as stated.