Vegan Frijoles Charros

This is my vegan recipe of frijoles charros, Mexican-style beans cooked with tomatoes, cilantro, and chiles, and often with pieces of meat or bacon. The name “frijoles charros” literally means “cowboy beans” in Spanish.

What are frijoles Charros (Mexican cowboy beans)?

Frijoles charros are typically made with pinto beans, but other beans, such as black beans or kidney beans, can also be used. The beans are cooked in a pot or clay pot (olla) with water, and seasonings such as onion, bacon, chorizo, and salchichas (sausages) are often added to the pot while the beans are cooking to add flavor and richness to the dish.

Frijoles charros are often served as a side dish with Mexican meals; in Monterrey (the city I grew up), they are often served in carnes asadas (bbq gatherings).

vegan Frijoles charros Ingredients

Onion, tomato, and cilantro
Chile jalapeño or chile serrano peppers
Pinto beans
Plant-based frankfurters or smart dogs
Water or vegetable stock

How to make frijoles charros vegan

Rinse the beans and place them in a large pot. Add the water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the beans for about 2 hours or until they are tender. You could also use your Instant Pot or canned pinto beans.
In a separate pot or dutch oven, cook the vegan sausages until crispy over medium-high heat. Remove from the pot and set aside.
In the same pot, sauté the onion, tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro until softened—season with salt.
Add the cooked pinto beans and vegetable broth and simmer the beans for 30 minutes or until the flavors are well combined.
Add the sauteed sausages just before serving.

Tips

If you want to thicken your vegan charro beans, use a potato masher to mash the mixture a little bit and make it thicker.
Adjust the spice level by adding more or fewer jalapeños or different chiles.
If using vegan sausages, it is important to remove them when browned and not cook them with the rest of the ingredients; they absorb a lot of liquid.

Different charro beans versions

The typical way to make frijoles charros in northern Mexico can vary slightly depending on the region or state, but generally, it follows a similar pattern.

The basic ingredients are cooked beans, onion, garlic, tomato, serrano or jalapeño pepper, and beef, vegetable, or chicken broth. Frijoles charros in northern Mexico are usually very thick and served as a side dish to the main meal, like grilled meat or cabrito, and also served with tortillas.

In my vegan household, we serve vegan frijoles charros as soup on a cold and rainy day or for breakfast next to sopes or tostadas.

Some ingredients that are commonly used in different states to give more flavor are:

Meat: chorizo, bacon, ham, and others are used. To make them vegan, use any vegan meat as a substitution.
Beef or chicken broth: is used to give more flavor and thickness to the beans. As a vegan diet follower, I only use vegetable broth.
Dried chilies: dried chilies such as chile de Arbol, guajillo, and pasilla are used to give more flavor and color to the beans. In Monterrey, México, we use chile serrano or chile jalapeño.
The way of cooking also varies; some regions use regular pots, others clay pots, Instant Pots, etc.

In summary, frijoles charros in northern Mexico are usually very thick and served as a side dish to the main meal; they are rich in flavor and served with meat, dried chilies, and beef or chicken broth.

How to serve the vegan charro beans?

Serve with warm tortillas on the side, homemade corn tortilla chips, and a bowl of Mexican vegetable rice (arroz primavera).

Frequently asked questions

How to store beans?

Dry beans. To store dry beans, place them in an airtight container or resealable plastic bag. Dried beans can be stored at room temperature for up to a year.
Cooked beans should be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Store them in their cooking liquid to keep cooked beans fresh and prevent drying.
Freeze-cooked beans. To freeze cooked beans, place them in a resealable plastic bag and squeeze out as much air as possible before sealing the bag. Cooked beans can also be frozen for up to 6 months.
When you are ready to use the frozen beans, let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight, or place them in a pot and heat them over low heat until they are warmed.

What is the difference between charro and borracho beans?

Charro beans and Borracho beans are traditional Mexican bean dishes, but they are prepared differently. Charro beans are typically made with whole pinto beans cooked with sausages, bacon, onions, chili peppers, tomato, and cilantro. Borracho beans (frijoles borrachos or drunken beans), on the other hand, have similar ingredients but are cooked with beer.

How to store charro beans?

First, let the beans cool completely to room temperature to store charro beans. Then, transfer them to an airtight container such as a plastic container or a mason jar.
Make sure to remove as much air as possible before sealing the container. Charro beans can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When reheating the beans, you can add a little bit of water or broth to loosen them up if they have thickened while stored.
It is always recommended to reheat the beans on the stovetop or in the microwave instead of using a slow cooker or oven; that way, you can monitor them and avoid overheating or burning them.

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Vegan Frijoles charros

Alejandra Graf

This is my vegan recipe of frijoles charros, Mexican-style beans cooked with tomatoes, cilantro, and chiles, and often with pieces of meat or bacon. The name "frijoles charros" literally means "cowboy beans" in Spanish.

3.50 de 2 votos

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 30

Total Time 40

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Mexican

Servings people

Calories 233 kcal

Equipment

Soup pot

Ingredients

3 cups cooked pinto beans 2 cans
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 cups of vegetable broth
1 cup of diced tomatoes fresh or canned
1 cup of diced vegan hotdog sausage
1/2 cup of cilantro chopped
1 jalapeño pepper diced (optional)
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Instructions

Rinse the beans and place them in a large pot. Add the water and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the beans for about 2 hours or until they are tender. You could also use your Instant Pot or canned pinto beans.
In a separate pot or dutch oven, cook the vegan sausages until crispy over medium-high heat. Remove from the pot and set aside.
In the same pot, sauté the onion, tomatoes, jalapeño pepper, and cilantro until softened—season with salt.
Add the cooked pinto beans and vegetable broth and simmer the beans for 30 minutes or until the flavors are well combined.
Add the sauteed sausages just before serving.

Notes

You can add or subtract any ingredient to your taste, such as adding some cumin, coriander, or cayenne pepper to give it some extra flavor.
You can also use a pressure cooker or slow cooker to reduce the cooking time.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 233kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 12gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 34mgSodium: 666mgPotassium: 531mgFiber: 9gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 329IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 63mgIron: 3mg

Keyword canned beans, pinto beans

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Nutritional information of this recipe is only an estimate, the accuracy for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

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