Cowboy Beans

Mexican Cowboy Beans, or “Frijoles Charros”, are the secret to the best carne asadas or barbecues in the north of Mexico. The reason being is that they are so delicious, moreish and full of tasty bits that no meat-eater could refuse them.

This cowboy beans recipe is how it’s prepared in Mexico, cooked with any delicious meat you can find, bacon, sausage, chorizo, sometimes pork etc. Served like a soup or stew, and simply garnished with finely diced onion, coriander and lime juice.

The good news is that with the help of our Gran Luchito Cantina Beans you can make these cowboy beans in no time! There is no need to soak and cook beans for ages anymore.

Our cowboy bean stew is made with bacon and spanish chorizo, fried with onion, garlic, Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste and a few spices. They’re left to simmer for a couple of minutes and served with freshly diced tomatoes and coriander. Feel free to duplicate the recipe if needed.

Prep time

20 mins
Cook time

15 mins
Total time

35 mins
Ideal for

Lunch
Make it

Mexican
Serves

4

Nutrition: Per serving

kcal 78 fat 5g saturates 1.4g carbs 5.3g sugars 2g fibre 0.9g protein 3.9g salt 1g

This recipe uses

Chipotle Paste

Cantina Beans

Found in the
Mexican Section

Ingredients

Cowboy Beans:

2 tablespoons olive oil
150g / 5 oz of streaky bacon, chopped into small pieces
1 teaspoon honey
100g / 3 ½ oz of Spanish chorizo, sliced into small discs
1 white onion, finely diced
2 fat garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon Gran Luchito Chipotle Paste
1 sachet of Gran Luchito Cantina Beans
570ml / 19 fl. oz of chicken stock
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 vine tomatoes, with seeds removed and diced finely
1 handful of coriander, chopped finely

Garnish:

1 red onion, finely diced
2-3 limes cut into wedges
1 handful of coriander (for garnish)

How to make it

In a deep saucepan, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil over a medium heat. Add the bacon and fry it for a couple of minutes with the honey and cook until lightly brown. Remove from the pan and place it in a bowl on the side.
Now add the chorizo and fry it until it gets a bit of colour. Remove and place it in the same bowl with the cooked bacon.
Add the remaining olive oil and fry the onion and garlic. Stir and cook until translucent. You can now add the cumin, oregano, Chipotle Paste, the cooked bacon and chorizo. Stir it all together and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
Pour in the Cantina Beans (with their juices), and the chicken stock, the Worcestershire sauce, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer on a low temperature for 9-10 min, approx. While it simmers, remove the foam that forms at the top of your beans with a spoon.
Add the tomatoes and coriander just before serving, and serve warm. We recommend serving in little bowls to your guests before or alongside a meal, garnished simply with a bit of red onion, a squeeze of lime juice and some coriander. Enjoy!

What To Serve With Cowboy Beans

If you’re wondering what to serve with this cowboy beans recipe, a bowl of them goes really well with our:

Mexican Steak

Pollo Asado

Similar Recipes You Might Like to Try

Refried Beans

Black Beans and Rice

FAQs

What are cowboy beans?

Cowboy beans is a bean dish popular in the southwestern United States. It consists of black beans with different types of meat, in a sauce. A staple of the working cowboy, traditionally beans made up the bulk of a cowboy's protein intake.

Are black beans really good for you?

The antioxidants, fiber, protein, and carbohydrates in black beans make them nutritionally very good for you. They also help prevent cancer because they're filled with phytochemicals that protect your cells from damage.

Do you have to soak beans before cooking them?

Our Cantina Beans are ready to eat and warm up, and do not need soaking. However, in general, soaking dried beans for up to 12 hours before cooking is so that the beans cook faster.

Comments / Questions / Tips

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Claire Worthington

1 year ago

#480

Rating :

Hi, is it best to use fresh chorizo or dry-cured chorizo? Dry-cured is easier for me to get hold of. Cheers

Author

Celia - Chica Chismosa - Gran Luchito(@celia-abc)

1 year ago

#483

Reply to Claire Worthington

You get the best results from fresh chorizo, but you can use dry cured too, as it will still infuse the chorizo flavour into the beans, which is all we want! Good luck!