Slow Cooker Charro Beans are flavored with bacon, garlic, tomatoes, green chiles, jalapeños, cilantro, and spices…a perfect side dish for Mexican food!
A few days ago I shared my recipe for King Ranch Chicken Casserole, which just so happens to be one of my family’s very favorite comfort food classics. And if you saw that post, you may have noticed a side of tasty-looking pinto beans adorning the casserole plate.
Well, those beans weren’t merely a photo prop, folks. They were the real, actual side dish that I make when I serve King Ranch Chicken Casserole…or Creamy Dreamy Chicken Enchiladas…or Slow Cooker Carnitas Tacos. In fact, I whip up delicious, effortless, Slow Cooker Charro Beans to accompany just about every Mexican food entree in my recipe files!
I love cooking pinto beans in the crock pot, whether I keep them simple and straighforward for serving with barbecue or cornbread (like my Slow Cooker Ranch Beans), or whether I gussy them up with extra layers of flavor, herbs, and spices, like today’s recipe. Frijoles Charros (or Cowboy Beans) are basically a Mexican version of pork and beans, with bacon as the pork and pintos as the beans, simmered in a savory, as-spicy-as-you-like broth. If you want to turn them into Borracho (Drunken) Beans, you can include a little Mexican beer in the broth for an added dimension. At any rate, they are tasty and zesty, can be spicy or mild, and are the perfect complement to your Mexican food of choice!
So here’s the thing that I’ve learned about cooking beans in the slow cooker over the years…cooking times can vary considerably depending on a number of factors. Some crock pots just run hotter/cook faster than others. Altitude can affect cooking time, which makes sense. But so can the hardness of your water (beans have a more difficult time softening in hard water).
Also, if beans have been stored for over a year, they may take longer to cook or they may never soften! Even if you know that you haven’t had a bag of dry beans in your pantry for that long, you never know how long they were at the grocery store before you bought them. There have been a couple of times that I’ve cooked a pot of beans and was surprised to find them still crunchy at the end of the allotted cooking time. The problem? Geriatric beans! So when possible, always use fresh dry beans. And finally, don’t add the salt or acidic ingredients until the beans have already softened…otherwise, you may end up with tough beans.
That’s a lot of things to worry about, huh? Not really. Despite all of those warnings, beans are really easy to make in the slow cooker! Just get to know how hot your particular crock pot tends to run, use fresh beans, and arm yourself with the above knowledge. Everything will turn out fine!
Now for the biggest bean-related query…to soak or not to soak? To be perfectly honest, I pretty much never soak my beans, primarily because I’m lazy I never remember to do so the night before. If you are a planner-aheader, however, and would like to consume your Slow Cooker Charro Beans a bit sooner than later, you can always soak them before cooking them.
Simply rinse and drain your beans, pick them over for any shriveled up beans, stones, or random particles, dump them in a pot, and cover them with a couple inches of water. Soak for at least 12 hours before discarding any floating beans, draining off the soaking water, and proceeding with the recipe. Soaked beans will probably only need 5 to 7 hours in the crock pot to cook as opposed to 8 to 10, but again, keep all of those aforementioned cooking time variables in mind! Many people also argue that soaking and draining beans results in less bloating and, er, related digestive issues, but I’ll leave that research up to you. 😉
A quick anecdote regarding the potential after-affects of consuming beans…with two little boys in our household, it was only expected that the notorious “Beans, Beans” verse came up at dinnertime the other night while we were enjoying our Charro Beans. My 7-year-old apparently learned it at school recently, but I’m telling you…he had it all wrong. So after listening to him butcher the verse a half dozen times, I could handle it no longer. Despite my better judgement, I finally had to set him straight and teach him the correct words. If any child of mine is going to recite a rhyme riddled with potty words, by golly, he’s at least going to do his mother proud and get it right!
Well, with all of that Bean Info 101 behind us, let’s get to slow cooking some Charro Beans, shall we? These pintos are tasty, they’re zesty, they’re warm and filling…and did I mention that they include bacon??? Yep, I’m pretty sure they’ll be your new go-to side dish any time Mexican food is on the menu!
Slow Cooker Charro Beans -- flavored with bacon, garlic, tomatoes, green chiles, jalapeños, cilantro, and spices -- are the perfect pinto beans to accompany your favorite Mexican entrees!
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound bacon
- 1 pound dry pinto beans
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups beef broth
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- Fresh jalapeno (seeds & membranes removed), diced, optional
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 (10-ounce) can Rotel (diced tomatoes & green chiles)
- 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place beans in a colander, rinse well, and remove any stones or shriveled beans.
- Cook bacon until just crispy. Drain, chop, and set aside.
- Pour beans into slow cooker. Cover with water and beef broth. Add chopped bacon, garlic, jalapeño (if using), cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. Cover and cook on low for 7 hours or until almost done. Stir in Rotel and chopped cilantro, cover, and cook for an additional hour or until tender (total cooking time will probably be between 8 to 10 hours). When beans are done, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste (I add 1/2 teaspoon of salt at a time, tasting in between).
Notes
My favorite way to cook bacon is to lay it in a deep, foil-lined baking pan and bake it on the center rack at 400°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
The first time you cook beans in your slow cooker, periodically check that they remain covered with liquid. Add additional hot water during the cooking process, if necessary.
One seeded jalapeño cooked for that many hours should add flavor rather than spice. If you prefer spicy beans, add more jalapeños and leave the seeds/membranes intact. Also, if you prefer mild beans, you may use mild Rotel instead of regular or hot.
For Borracho Beans, swap out 6 ounces of the beef broth with Mexican beer.
If you prefer to soak your beans, simply rinse, drain, and pick over your beans. Place them in a pot, cover with 2 inches of water, and soak overnight. Drain off the soaking water before proceeding with the recipe. If beans are soaked, cooking time will probably be shortened to 5 to 7 hours on low.
Always use fresh dry beans, as old beans can take much longer to become tender (and may possibly never soften!).
♥MORE slow cooker recipes with real food ingredients!
♥More favorites featuring beans…
Easy White Bean, Kale, & Sausage Soup
Slow Cooker Chicken & White Bean Chili
Slow Cooker German Lentil Soup with Sausage
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Erin @ Simple, Sweet & Savory says
Hey Samantha, I just saw these beans on the link party and knew I had to get a better look. These look amazing! I can’t wait to try ’em 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Thanks so much, Erin! I hope you enjoy them if you have a chance to try them. 🙂 I’m so glad you hopped over…have a great evening!
Lily Lau says
I love slow cook, it tastes much better and is made with much more love than fast food! Thanks for the recipe, I definitely need to try it in a cold and rainy day 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Thanks so much, Lily Lau! I don’t know what I’d do without my slow cooker…I particularly love using it this time of year. 🙂 Hope you have a chance to try this recipe on the next cold and rainy day…it sure is a nice way to warm up! 🙂 Have a wonderful week!
Michelle @TheGraciousWife.com says
This looks so yummy! Thanks for sharing! Pinning!
-Michelle @TheGraciousWife.com
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
You’re welcome, Michelle…thank you for the pin! Hope your week is going well! 🙂
Carolyn says
These beans looked great and tasted even better. I loved the added flavor from the beef broth and bacon. I did make the borracho version, yum, yum! I’ve made countless pots of beans over the years, but this is my new favorite recipe. Thanks for sharing.
As long as I am gushing about your recipes, I also want to add a huge thanks for the King Ranch Chicken recipe, which I also cooked. And at the risk of being repetitive, your version is even better than my mom’s oldie, but goody! The sauce was so delicious, I will have to find other uses for it. Muchas gracias!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Your sweet comment made my day, Carolyn. If the queen of cooking has success with my recipes, I can go to bed happy tonight! 🙂 Hope you’re having a wonderful week and thanks, as always, for stopping by!
Lisa @ Cooking with Curls says
They look delicious Samantha, and I love the tip about the “geriatric beans” {that cracked me up} and the hard water. We have horribly hard water here, so I might used bottled water! 🙂
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Thanks so much, Lisa! We have pretty hard water as well. I always use our reverse-osmosis water when I cook beans and they always turn out nice and tender…as long as I make sure they weren’t geriatric, of course. 😉 I appreciate you stopping by…hope you’re having a great weekend!
Natasha says
It looks like our slow cooker is going to be busy once my husband returns home from sea! I just saw this after stopping by your chicken tortilla soup. I’m sure this would be a big hit with my husband, too! Yep, he’s Latino. Pinning!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Well I hope your husband enjoys these beans as much as the chicken tortilla soup, Natasha! 🙂 Hope you both have a wonderful weekend!
Big Bad John says
Hey, I hope it’s OK for guys to post here. This is just the recipe I’ve been looking for, and I’ll be making this soon. I can’t handle the cilantro, but I suppose parsley will work. Thank you for posting, looks delicious.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi John! Guys are more than welcome to comment here. 🙂 I’m so glad that these beans are what you’ve been looking for and I hope that you enjoy them! I totally understand that a lot of people don’t like cilantro, but if you’re going to substitute parsley, I would probably start out using a bit less to make sure it doesn’t clash with the other Mexican-inspired ingredients. 😉 Thanks for taking the time to comment and I hope your December is off to a great start!
Jo says
Hello! Going to try this delicious recipe!
Question- do you soak your beans over night for this recipe?
Thanks!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Jo! No, I don’t soak the beans when I make this recipe. I explained a bit about soaking vs. non-soaking in the body of the post if you’d like more clarification. 🙂 Hope you’re having a great week…thanks for the question!
John says
Cooking time on this is SOOOOOO screwed up. Soaked beans for 36 hrs. Cooked now for more than 10 hrs on low foe over 10 hours and still hard as hell. U need to recalculate this recipe
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi, John. I’m sorry to hear that you’re frustrated, but the cooking time for this recipe is accurate. As I tried to explain very thoroughly in the post preceding the recipe, there are a variety of factors that can cause beans to stay hard when you cook them, including altitude and the hardness of your water. However, if your beans were still not soft after 36 hours of soaking and 10 hours of cooking as you described, you are most likely dealing with old beans, which may never soften no matter how long you cook them. The beans may have been in your pantry for awhile, or if you recently purchased them, they might have already been at the grocery store or the warehouse for a long time. I’m sorry that this recipe didn’t work out for you…hope this helps explain why.
Simona says
I had to make these beans and since I didn’t have dry beans on hand, I cheated with canned beans :-). Since I used canned beans, I tweaked the recipe a bit (sorry Sam). I used 4 cans of beans and only 1 1/2 cups of water instead of 4. I cooked them in the crockpot for about 5 hours on high. These beans are the best beans I’ve had and my husband kept saying that they were the best beans he’s ever had, soooo this recipe is definitely a keeper along with many others from your arsenal Sam :-).
Thanks for sharing them with us, as make more o them I will come back and report the results which I am sure will be nothing short of awesome.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
I’m so glad y’all enjoyed these, Simona, and thanks for sharing your tweaks with us! I’ve doctored up canned beans with these flavors before as well, but I’ve never tried throwing everything together in the crock pot like you did…great tips! 🙂 Hope you’re having a wonderful week!
Amanda says
Have you ever made these beans as a freezer meal? Do you think that it would be OK to do?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Yes, Amanda, I have frozen leftover beans before with success. I just thaw them in the refrigerator overnight and then slowly reheat in a pot on the stove. You may have to add a tad more water or broth and watch them so that they don’t stick to the bottom of the pot as they reheat. 🙂 Good luck and enjoy!
Shari says
I’ve been looking for a good recipe for pinto beans and this one is awesome. I’ve tried three others that sounded good but turned out really bland. These turned out delicious and were sooo easy! I cooked them overnight last night and I can’t wait for my husband to try them tonight. He is going to LOVE them!
BTW, I added 1 large jalapeno, seeds and all and they have great flavor but are not overly spicy.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
I’m so happy to hear that you loved these, Shari…I hope your hubby enjoyed them just as much! And yay for finding the perfect balance of jalapeño for your tastes… 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment. Hope you’re having a wonderful week!
John Anthony Cantergiani says
Hi Samantha,
Thank you for all your recipes. The slow-cooker method rocks! I want to make a suggestion for your “Tips, Tricks, and Variations” section. As an option, diced white onions and/or Mexican chorizo can be added to the mix. This brings a great flavor dimension and is commonly used in the Mexican recipes for Charro beans (Frijoles Charros). LOVE the cilantro, by the way! Thanks again for sharing your passion for cooking.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi John Anthony! So happy to hear that you enjoy the site and thanks so much for the suggestion for these beans…your additions sound tasty! I’m glad you enjoy this recipe and I have to agree on the cilantro…it makes charro beans exponentially better. 🙂 Thanks again for taking the time to comment and I hope you have a great weekend!
Adrienne says
Hello! I was wondering if you thought this dish would be still be good without bacon? I have a pork allergy. Thank you!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Adrienne! I think this recipe would still turn out great without bacon! Just taste your beans at the end and add a tad more salt (to make up for the missing bacon) if necessary. 🙂 Enjoy!
Sharon says
Hi! I was wondering if using Chicken broth instead of beef would work? That’s what I have so thought I’d see if anyone has made them that way before.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Sharon! I think chicken broth would work just fine in place of beef broth if that’s what you have on hand. A lot of people use water for making beans…I just think that broth adds a little more flavor. Hope these turned out well if you already cooked them! 🙂
Drew Floyd says
Love this recipe. We are taking it to a pot luck tonight with a basket of cornbread muffins. Can’t wait for my friends to try it. Did a little quality control taste testing already with my family and we just love it. The only tip I have is that if you pre-soak the beans, you don’t need quite as much water in the cooking process. We has a lot of liquid compared to amount of beans. We just ate the broth this afternoon with the cornbread- delicious! Thanks for a great recipe.
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
You’re very welcome, Drew…I’m so glad this recipe was such a success with your family and I hope your friends enjoyed it just as much! Thanks for sharing your tip about reducing the water if you pre-soak the beans. I’m glad you were able to enjoy the extra broth anyway with some cornbread. 🙂 I appreciate you taking the time to comment…hope you’re having a great week!
Lynn says
Samantha: tried this yesterday, soaked beans night before cooked beans on low for 7 hours and beans were still rather hard, harder than I like. Any suggestions as to what I did wrong?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Lynn! I’m not sure if you had a chance to read the post that accompanies this recipe, but I explained a variety for reasons why dry beans sometimes never soften (or take longer than usual to do so). My best guess would be that your beans may not have been fresh. They could have been in your pantry for awhile, or perhaps they were already old when you bought them? However, even if you cooked fresh beans that were soaked, it’s possible that 7 hours on low just may not have been enough time for your particular slow cooker. I wonder if your beans would have continued to soften with an extra hour or two? At any rate, see if any of my tips from the post help and I hope your beans soften to your liking if you decide to give this recipe another try! 🙂
Rachele says
Hi, just wondering if there was a particular reason for not adding the rotel until the end?
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Rachele! Acidic ingredients, such as tomatoes, can toughen the skins of dried beans and cause them to take longer to fully cook/soften. Also, Rotel added at the beginning would completely break down as the beans cook, and the flavor may become somewhat lost. By adding it towards the end, the tomatoes are more recognizable and you can actually taste it. Hope that helps! 🙂
Gina Eveland says
Fantastic loved these beans served with roasted shrimp enchiladas for guests and the meal was a big hit. Who knew making beans could be so easy, thank you!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
You’re very welcome, Gina! I’m so glad that you found these beans easy to make and that they were a hit with you and your guests. And I may have to get your recipe for Roasted Shrimp Enchiladas…they sound delicious! 😉
April says
So glad I found this on Pinterest! I’ve put it on this week’s menu plan. Can’t wait.
Jody says
Can’t wait to try all of these recipes! My poor slow cooker has been a bit neglected… I’m starting by making these frijoles borrachos tomorrow 🙂
Laurie Cosby says
These were superb! Thanks!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
So happy to hear it, Laurie! Thanks for letting me know that you enjoyed them. 🙂
Mark Allen says
Jus lettin ya know not boiling beans can cause some serious food borne illness.and the slow cooker actually exasperates up to five fold.
http://www.fda.gov/food/foodborneillnesscontaminants/causesofillnessbadbugbook/ucm071092.htm
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
Hi Mark Allen! Thanks for sharing that. I became aware of phytohaemagglutinin when developing a recipe for red kidney beans, and I would never recommend cooking those in the slow cooker, as your link confirms. However, many other varieties of beans contain only a small fraction of the toxin found in red and white kidney beans and can be safely cooked in a slow cooker. Of course, if you have any reservations preparing pinto beans in a slow cooker, you can always boil them in a pot on the stove for 10 minutes in order to destroy any small amount of toxin before adding them to the slow cooker. 🙂
Mark Allen says
Oh wow, good to know that other beans are safe in the slow cooker! Thanks for the thoughtful response.
Elizabeth says
I just wanted to let you know that I have made these beans 4 times and they are fabulous!
Jess says
Hello! I just found your recipe, and used with some adaptation in my instant pot. I used the saute setting to brown the bacon in olive oil, and then added the onion and garlic. In the final step, I added all the other ingredients (including unsoaked beans) and cooked for 60 minutes on high. I let the pot depressurize on it’s own, and it spectacular. Thanks!
Samantha at Five Heart Home says
What great tips, Jess…thank you for sharing! So happy to hear that this recipe worked in an instant pot. 🙂
Jennifer says
Hi Samantha I have these beans in my crockpot cooking right now. I had to double the recipe for a large group. Do you think these will take longer to cook or still the same amount of time?
Kelly Byerly says
These sound delish! Do you think I can make this on the stove instead?
Geoff says
My favorite local Mexican restaurant makes this and it is my absolute favorite. This recipe looks very similar, but they put diced pineapple in it; not a lot, not to little, just the right amount. Its diced the same size as the onions, it cuts the heat of the jalapeno but also pairs well with it. I’m going to try your recipe!
Viv says
Your recipe ingredients sound good. I’ve been making charro beans for years, I’ve never used bacon, I only use salt pork. I try to find one that has plenty of meat on it, cut it up in smaller chunks and just toss them in the beginning of the cooking process. Although I do cook mine on the stove top. The flavor and taste of the salt pork just take these type beans to another level.
Brandy says
I’m a bit confused by the recipe since you stated that salt and acidity can prevent the beans from softening but the recipe calls for bacon (salty) and broth (also salty even in the low sodium versions) at the very beginning of the cooking process.
I love beans but have had several poor experiences cooking them. I want to make sure I do this correctly to ensure that I can enjoy some tastiness for the effort.
Is the salt from the bacon and broth low enough to not affect the cooking process? Or should I wait to add them until I add the tomatoes in the last hour or two of cooking?
April E Grady says
These are great! I made them for a family that had lived in Mexico for many years and they said the beans tasted like home. I cooked them in an Instant Pot, decreasing the water slightly. Also I substituted onion powder for the garlic powder. It seemed like enough garlic with minced garlic. Love this spicy but not hot recipe for beans.
Jennifer says
I made these beans for my family today and everyone loved them! Such good flavor and the house smelled yummy as they were cooking.
Frankie says
I started making these beans as part of a weekly meal prep about a month ago. I’ve made 3 batches so far and don’t plan on stopping! I’m a novice cook to say the least, but when people at work tried these beans I had requests for more! I started making double the recipe at a time; it’s so fun and easy to make. I’ve got a batch going now and the house smells amazing! I use one jalapeño per pound of beans and do not remove the seeds or membranes. I also don’t drain the beans and add all ingredients in the beginning(accidentally the first time but it worked🤷♂️). Love them!