This Protein-Packed Pot Of Beans Is For The Meat Lovers... and Cowboys

Frijoles Charros (Meaty Bean Stew)
March 4, 2024

We see your Girl Dinner and raise you Cowboy Dinner. Frijoles charros, (named after Mexican cowboys who ate them to fuel a hard day's work) are the ultimate camping or potluck dish, and like all good guisos, they only get better with time. They're typically made with pinto beans, for which our Heirloom Bayo Beans are an ideal substitute. This particular recipe, lightly adapted from Gemma Aguayo-Murphy of Everyday Latina, is a hearty, meaty stew with beans featuring onion, garlic, and salted pork. We like adding chorizo, hot dogs, jalapeño, and tomatoes for the ultimate one-pot meal — just add tortillas and a cold beer.

Bayo Beans

Frijoles Charros

Frijoles Charros

Ingredients

    blank

    • 5-6 cups cooked bayo beans with liquid

    • ½ onion, diced

    • 2 diced jalapeño (optional)

    • 2 roma tomatoes, diced

    • 5 slices bacon, sliced into ½-inch squares

    • ½ lb chorizo

    • 4 sliced hot dogs

    • 4 cups beef or chicken stock

    blank

    • Cilantro, chopped

    • Onion, diced

    • Corn tortillas

    Directions

    1. Start by cooking sliced bacon in a large pot or dutch oven until it’s slightly crispy. Set aside.

    2. In the same pot, cook chorizo until done, breaking it up with a spoon as needed. Set aside.

    3. Add sliced hot dogs to the pot and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Set them aside.

    4. Next, sauté diced onions until soft. For extra heat, add diced jalapeños. Once softened, add diced tomatoes and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Then, reintroduce the bacon, chorizo, and hot dogs.

    5. If there’s excess fat from bacon and chorizo, carefully remove some with a spoon.

    6. Pour in cooked bayo beans with enough liquid to make a thick soup. We used an additional 4 cups of homemade chicken stock. Bring the mixture to a boil, then let it simmer for 5 minutes.

    7. Season the dish with salt and pepper according to your taste.

    8. Serve the frijoles charros in bowls as a main dish or side. Garnish with chopped cilantro and diced onions, and serve with warm tortillas. ¡Provecho!

    5 comments

    F.M |

    The addition of hot dogs is total Mexican comfort food and actually just like my Nana (from Sonora Mexico) would make. Hot dogs ARE super Mexican BTW..ever heard of dogos Sonorenses??? Look it up. Yeah, it’s not gourmet y todo fancy, but it’s good!

    MARGARET THOMSS |

    I agree…. Hot dogs have no place in Frijoles Charros or any other true Mexican dish!

    WOODY |

    LOVE frijoles charros! You are right that the recipe is flexible, but I think the variety of meats adds something to the dish. I like adding some Modelo Negra to the stock to make the soup base.

    MASIENDA |

    It’s a pretty flexible recipe — feel free to sub in sausage or just leave it out!

    KAREN |

    Kinda lost me with the addition of hot dogs 😬👎

    Leave a comment

    Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

    Read More

    A Guide to Masa Harina

    A Guide to Masa Harina
    How to Get Your Tortillas to Puff Every Time

    How to Get Your Tortillas to Puff Every Time
    Alexa Soto's Mole with Mushrooms

    Alexa Soto's Mole with Mushrooms