Charro Beans

I know that many of you are familiar with this very popular dish called Charro Beans or Frijoles Charros, and I also know that you will be questioning if this dish is healthy… the answer is yes, they are, with a few small changes.

Beans provide us with fiber, protein, and antioxidants among so many other nutritional benefits. To make this dish a bit healthier we will be making some changes. To begin with, I will not be using pork rinds (chicharron), I know that in many houses they are commonly used in this dish, but I have never used it for my recipe. I will be choosing hot dogs that are turkey / chicken and turkey bacon vs the pork bacon.

Finally, for the chorizo I will use the longaniza from La Bonita Supermarkets because of the reasons I shared with you in an earlier post. It is whole, fresh and does not have preservatives.

The beans take about 2-3 hours to cook, but this varies a lot depending on the kind of pot you use and if your stove is electric or gas. So please keep these factors in mind when cooking your beans.

Enjoy your Charro Beans!

Don’t miss our Day 14 – Pineapple Tea.

You may find all these ingredients in our market or at a Hispanic Supermarket in your area.

Visit us everyday for more healthy recipes and if you make this recipe share a picture with us.

By: Tu Vida Bonita

January 21, 2021
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Ingredients

2 Pounds Pinto Beans
½ pound Longaniza
2 Chicken/Turkey Hot dogs
2 Slices of Turkey Bacon
3 Tomatoes
3 Jalapeño Peppers
½ White Onion
1 Bunch of Cilantro
Fresh Epazote

Directions

Step 1: Wash your beans. Bring enough water to cover the beans to boil over high heat. When the water is boiling, add the beans, reduce the heat and cover your pot.
Step 2: After an hour, add the hot dogs, bacon, longaniza, epazote and salt to taste. Put the lid back on your pot. When adding your meats, if you notice that the beans do not have enough water, add some more.
Step 3: Dice the tomatoes, jalapeños, onion, and cilantro. Set aside.
Step 4: Many people when adding their meats also add their veggies, but personally I like to add them after the beans are cooked. You can choose whatever method you prefer.
Step 5: When your beans are cooked, taste them to make sure they have enough salt.
Step 6: Serve your beans in individual plates and to each plate add the chopped vegetables.
Step 7: Accompany this dish with corn tortillas.