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Charro Beans

Made from scratch and cooked in a slow cooker, these pinto beans feature onions, garlic, jalapenos, country ham, tomatoes, and cilantro.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 7 hours
Total Time 15 hours 20 minutes
Course Anytime, Appetizer, Main Dish, Side Dish, Soup
Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex
Servings 6
Calories 354 kcal

Equipment

  • pot
  • slow cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 pound dried pinto beans
  • ½ cup uncooked country ham pieces (or 8 slices bacon, chopped and cooked crispy)
  • 3 cups chicken stock (or broth)
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground
  • 2 jalapenos, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 large Roma tomatoes, cored and chopped
  • ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 green onions, sliced
  • cornstarch (optional) (see Note below)
  • salt to taste

Instructions
 

  • Sort through the dried beans, removing any discolored beans or debris. Rinse the beans thoroughly, then transfer them to a medium bowl. Cover the beans with water so it rises about 2 inches above them, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a dinner plate. Let the beans soak overnight. The next day, drain off the soaking water and rinse the beans again before using.
  • Place the beans into a large pot. Cover them with water. Place them on medium heat and bring to a boil. Boil for 30 minutes. Drain. Place the beans into the slow cooker.
  • Rinse the country ham to remove some of the salt and add it to the cooker. (If using bacon, add it along with 2-3 tablespoons bacon grease.) Then add the stock, onion, garlic, black and cayenne peppers, jalapeno, cumin, and tomatoes.
  • Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 7 hours.
  • Add the cilantro and green onion for the last 30 minutes of cooking.
  • When the beans are finished cooking, remove the country ham from the slow cooker and shred the lean meat into small pieces. Discard any fat or bone and return the lean meat to the beans. Season with salt if desired.

Notes

Hard Water

Hard water can increase the cooking time of dried beans. There are two ways to fix this problem. First, add 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda to the hard tap water for every pound of beans. Alternatively, use bottled water instead of tap water.

Old Beans

Old beans can be hard even after cooking them for a long time in the slow cooker. Always use fresh dry beans to avoid this problem.

Salt

Add no salt until the end of this recipe. Country ham and bacon can add saltiness, so taste at the end and add salt if needed.

Cornstarch

To thicken the charro cooking liquid, make a 1:1 cornstarch slurry (equal amounts of cornstarch and water). For example, place 2 teaspoons of cornstarch into a small bowl and add 2 teaspoons of water; stir. Whisk the slurry into the beans and stir until the mixture thickens. If you prefer a thicker bean soup, add more slurry, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the beans are to your desired consistency.

Nutrition

Calories: 354kcalCarbohydrates: 56gProtein: 22gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 323mgPotassium: 1339mgFiber: 13gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 351IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 5mg
Keyword Charro, Charro Beans, Homemade Charro Beans, How to Make Charro Beans, Pinto Beans, Recipe for Charro Beans
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