What are Charro Beans?
Charro beans (also called Ranchero Beans or simply Mexican Bean Soup) are a simple dish of slow cooked Pinto beans flavored with bacon and chiles. A charro is a traditional horseman from Mexico, originally from the Jalisco region of the state of Mexico.
The Spanish terms vaquero (cowboy) and ranchero (rancher) reference similar horsemen, but all three actually differ in history, clothing, tradition and social status. It appears, though, that they don’t differ in much in their cooking of beans out in the open. This is why charro beans are also referred to as ranchero beans, or Mexican cowboy beans.
We first discovered frijoles charros at El Fogon, one of our favorite taco places in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. El Fogon’s is known for it’s incredible tacos al pastor, marinated pork grilled on a vertical skewer and sliced to order into tacos with cilantro and onion.
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With one platter of grilled meat we received a side of charro beans that blew us away. The pinto beans were perfectly cooked, and the smoky bacon flavor was balanced with just enough heat and spiciness.
After asking around, we discovered that the soup chef (the “Bean Queen”) at El Fogon’s arrives every morning, and cooks 28 kilos (62 pounds!) of Mexican pinto beans in a massive pot – enough to last the whole day at the busy restaurant.
Our Charro beans recipe is lightly adapted from the Bean Queen’s authentic Mexican bean recipe. And off course, ours doesn’t require a steel drum sized pot!
Charro Beans vs. Borracho Beans
You’ll sometimes see Charro beans recipes referred to as “borracho” beans. Borracho in Spanish means “drunken” and references the addition of beer as an ingredient. To convert our Charro bean recipe to a borracho bean recipe, simply add a bottle of your favorite Mexican beer to the mix.
Slow Cooker Charro Beans
We typically cook these stovetop (just like the Bean Queen), but they can just as easily be prepared in a slow cooker. Simply soak the pinto beans, cook the bacon and sausage, and toss everything into the slow cooker.
Simmer until the beans are soft and the smokey bacon bean soup is the consistency you like.
Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros)

Mexican Charro Beans Recipe with smoky bacon and chorizo sausage
Ingredients
- 16 oz (450 g) Dried Pinto Beans
- 2 diced Serrano chiles
- 1 chicken or beef bouillon cube
- 2 strips bacon
- 1 link (4-5 ounces or 120-140 g) of chorizo sausage cut into small cubes/crumbled
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 small red pepper, diced
- 1 tbsp (14 g) Tomato paste
- 5 Roma tomatoes, diced
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight (12 hours) in water. Drain and rinse the beans.
- Add the beans and 6 cups (1.5 liters) of water to a pot and simmer for approximately 3 hours or until tender.
- Add the bouillon cube to the pot.
- Saute the chorizo sausage and bacon in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook until the bacon is crisp and the sausage is cooked through.
- Add the onion to the pan, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes
- Add the garlic and Serrano chiles, and red pepper and cook for another 3 minutes
- Add the diced tomato and tomato paste to the pan and continue to simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the entire mixture to the pot with the beans and simmer for approximately 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Optional: Serve with a slice of lime, cilantro, pico de gallo, and your favorite hot sauce to add as you like along with tortilla chips.
Notes
Add more broth as desired if you want your Charro Beans to be more of a soup. Many Mexican restaurants serve it in this way as an appetizer.
Nutrition Information
Yield
6Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 207Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 13mgSodium 276mgCarbohydrates 28gFiber 9gSugar 5gProtein 12g
shellie
Saturday 30th of January 2021
We are planning to make this as a soup tomorrow! Can you quantify how much chorizo in ounces? We don't have chorizo links here that I've found. Also, the recipe says "small tomatoes" -- does that mean grape tomatoes or cherry tomatoes? We have roma tomatoes which are small compared to beefsteak or on the vine-ripened. Thank you! Can't wait to make it!
Jen
Saturday 30th of January 2021
Roma tomatoes would be perfect. 1 link of Chorizo would be 4-5 ounces. Can't wait to hear how it turns out!
Mich
Wednesday 30th of September 2020
Love this recipe but Where did the English version go?
Jen
Wednesday 21st of October 2020
Thanks for letting us know - all fixed!
Amy
Monday 17th of June 2019
Does this soup just like the frijole charros at El Fogon in Playa? I have tried many times to recreate their soup but it’s never as good! I’ve tried hunting down someone to ask for their recipe but I can’t!!! One of the best things I’ve ever eaten!!
Jen
Thursday 20th of June 2019
You are very correct! We love the soup too. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Mark
Monday 20th of November 2017
This recipe reminds of the "New Mexican" cuisine many of the restaurants in Santa Fe offer now. The old standard of refried beans as a side is going out of favor. Now many of them serve beans whole beans dishes.