Slow Cooker Charro Beans

Charro Beans are on the menu in the Mexican restaurants we frequented in South Texas this past February.  As we cope with lots of stay-at-home time during the COVID-10 virus, I decided to give them a try.

I relied on several recipes from the internet but did make a few adjustments as I’m trying to rely on ingredients we have on hand. For example many recipes called for a can of Rotel tomatoes, but I used a bag of our blanched and frozen garden tomatoes; consequently I added them at the beginning of the cooking period and then put in a small can of green chilies near the end. It was also a chance to use some of our frozen jalapeño peppers, again from the garden. Also, had no fresh cilantro so used dry instead.  I omitted the bacon (the beans were full of flavor even without it) and cut this basic recipe in half for just the two of us. Even then, it was a lot so I’ll use them in Cornbread Salad tomorrow.

Despite those changes, the recipe included below is written without my personal adjustments. 

By the way —

The recipe is named after the traditional Mexican cowboy horsemen, or charros.

Bowls of Charro Beans were added to our assemble-your-own taco bar. 

Slow Cooker Charro Beans  Servings 8 to 10 servings

1 pound dried pinto beans

4 to 6 pieces of bacon, chopped

4 cups water

2 cups beef broth (could use all water or even vegetable or chicken broth)

6 cloves garlic minced

Fresh jalapeño diced 

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

1. Place the beans in a colander, rinse well, and remove any stones or shriveled beans. Cover with water and soak overnight.
   
2. Drain beans and place in the slow cooker. Cover with water and beef broth. 
3. Add chopped bacon, garlic, jalapeño, cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. 
   
   
   
   
4. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or until almost done. 
5. Stir in the Rotel and chopped cilantro; cover and cook for an additional hour or until tender (the total cooking time will likely be between 8 to 10 hours.  
   
6. When the beans are tender, season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste (stir in about  1/2 teaspoon of salt at a time to avoid over salting). Note: Salt is added after beans are tender as it can interfere with the beans ability to soften if added in the early stages. 
   

Recipe without photos . . .

Slow Cooker Charro Beans  Servings 8 to 10 servings

1 pound dried pinto beans

4 to 6 pieces of bacon, chopped

4 cups water

2 cups beef broth (could use all water or even vegetable or chicken broth)

6 cloves garlic minced

Fresh jalapeño diced 

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

1. Place the beans in a colander, rinse well, and remove any stones or shriveled beans. Cover with water and soak overnight.
2. Drain beans and place in the slow cooker. Cover with water and beef broth. 
3. Add chopped bacon, garlic, jalapeño,cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder. 
4. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 9 hours or until almost done. 
5. Stir in the Rotel and chopped cilantro; cover and cook for an additional hour or until tender (the total cooking time will likely be between 8 to 10 hours, depending on how hot your particular slow cooker runs). 
6. When the beans are tender, season with salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste (stir in about a 1/2 teaspoon of salt at a time to avoid over salting). Note: Salt is added after beans are tender as it can interfere with the beans ability to soften if added in the early stages.