Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Beans

1 lb (450 g) dried pinto beans (or 3 cans, drained)

8 cups water

2 bay leaves

Meat

8 oz thick-cut bacon, diced

8 oz smoked sausage (beef or pork), sliced

½ lb Mexican chorizo

8 oz smoked ham, diced

Vegetables

1 medium white onion, diced

5 garlic cloves, minced

2 Roma tomatoes, diced

2 jalapeños, diced

1 serrano pepper (optional)

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Seasonings

2 tsp chicken bouillon

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp Mexican oregano

½ tsp black pepper

Salt to taste

Instructions:

Step 1 – Cook the Beans

Rinse the pinto beans well.

Place them in a large pot with:

water

bay leaves

Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer for 1½–2 hours, or until tender.

If using canned beans, skip this step.

Step 2 – Brown the Meats

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot:

Cook the diced bacon until crispy.

Leave about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat.

Add:

sliced smoked sausage

diced ham

Cook until lightly browned.

Add the chorizo.

Break it apart and cook until fully browned.

Step 3 – Cook the Vegetables

Add:

onion

garlic

jalapeños

serrano

tomatoes

Cook for about 6–8 minutes until softened.

Step 4 – Combine Everything

Add the cooked beans with about 4 cups of their cooking broth.

Stir in:

chicken bouillon

cumin

paprika

oregano

black pepper

Simmer uncovered for 30–40 minutes so the flavors blend together.

Stir occasionally.

If the soup becomes too thick, add a little more bean broth or water.

Step 5 – Finish

Stir in the chopped cilantro during the last 5 minutes.

Taste and adjust salt if needed.

Serve With

Warm corn tortillas

Flour tortillas

Mexican rice

Fresh avocado slices

Radishes

Lime wedges

Pickled jalapeños

Crumbled queso fresco

Tips

Cooking the bacon, sausage, ham, and chorizo together creates the rich, smoky flavor that makes authentic Frijoles Charros.

Simmering the beans with the meats allows the broth to become deep, hearty, and slightly spicy.

The soup should remain brothy rather than thick like refried beans.

Leftovers taste even better the next day as the flavors continue to develop.

For extra authenticity, cook the beans from dried instead of using canned beans.