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Mexican Beans are cooked in the crock pot overnight for a truly authentic taste. Made with just a few ingredients, these slow cooker pinto beans are the best side dish for all your favorite Mexican dishes.
You can serve Charro Beans with all of your favorite authentic Mexican recipes, from simple cheese quesadillas to my flavorful Beef Enchiladas.
Table of Contents
The Best Slow Cooker Mexican Beans
Also known by other names, like Charro Beans, Borracho Beans or Frijoles Charros, my Slow Cooker Mexican Beans are the best complement to your favorite Mexican meals. Serve them with Mexican Sopes, Chicken Enchiladas, and Homemade Taquitos. They taste just like an authentic Mexican restaurant, and they are delicious on their own or paired with my Authentic Mexican Rice.
Crockpot Mexican Beans are cooked low and slow in a rich and flavorful broth for a very long time – we usually leave them at least 12 hours or so. Trust me when you walk through the door, or get up in the morning you will be met with the most amazing smell.
Ingredients
You only need 8 ingredients to make this delicious side dish. This is truly a dump and go recipe where you literally just dump everything in the crock pot, set it, and forget it!
- Dried Pinto Beans – The beans go in dry and they soften and cook as the slow cooker does its thing. Be sure to pick through them for small rocks and broken beans and rinse them well.
- Jalapeno Peppers – Chop it up, leave the seeds for heat or don’t. If you don’t want to bite into a piece of jalapeno, you can slice them into larger pieces and pick them out later.
- Calde de Tomate – A powdered tomato bouillon.
- Garlic – fresh or jarred minced garlic adds flavor. You can leave it whole and peeled if you like.
- Onion – the onion can also go in raw or you can saute it first. The beans cook for so long that the onion will be cooked and soft.
- Pace Picante Sauce – I don’t always recommend specific brands but to get the flavor that we love, I highly recommend that you use Pace.
- Bacon – put it in raw to save time, or chop and cook for an extra smoky flavor. Fully cooked chorizo or ham are other options.
- Salt – You want to add a generous amount of salt before cooking, then taste and add more before serving. Beans are starchy like potatoes and will absorb the water as they cook, so salt is important for flavor.
- Water – Water is added to the slow cooker, fully covering the beans. You could even add a little beer if you want, but just keep in mind that beer in a slow cooker is going to retain more alcohol.
↪ About Caldo de Tomate
Tomato bouillon can be found in most grocery stores in the Hispanic foods aisle. If you can’t find it or don’t want to buy a special ingredient, you could sub chicken bouillon and a little tomato paste.
I recommend you buy a jar and plan to make some of my other recipes that call for it:
How To Make Slow Cooker Mexican Beans
- Pour a bag of dried pinto beans into a colander and rinse with cold water. Pick through them to look for any broken beans or pebbles.
- Add the dry beans to the bottom of your slow cooker, then the salsa, bacon, jalapenos, onions, and spices.
- Add enough water to cover the beans completely, then put the lid on and turn the heat to low and cook for 12-14 hours.
Stovetop Variation
If you’d prefer, you can cook the beans on the stovetop. It takes about an hour. If you want to skip soaking the beans, just plan to simmer a couple hours more.
- Place picked-through beans in a large pot or bowl filled with water at least 2-3 inches above the beans. Soak for 6-8 hours, then drain and set aside.
- Saute bacon, then remove and wipe most of the grease out of the skillet. Saute onion, jalapeno and garlic in the leftover bacon grease.
- Add beans, salsa, and seasoning and stir to coat. Pour in water (enough to cover 2-3 inches over the top of the beans). Bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes, or until beans are tender.
If you don’t want to soak the beans, just plan on adding a couple of hours to the simmer time.
Canned Beans Variation
For canned beans, use 3 (15-ounce) cans and 1 ½ cups of vegetable broth. Follow the steps in the stovetop version, omitting the water, and simmer for about 25 minutes.
What to Serve with Mexican Beans
Charro Beans and rice are a pretty classic side for just about any Mexican meal. Pinto beans are great because they are low in fat and high in protein, and they are actually a great meal or snack all on their own. Top with cheese and sour cream for something extra special, stuff them in warm tortillas or burritos or spread on top of tostadas.
Here are a few of our favorite Mexican meals to serve with beans:
- Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Loaded Chicken Nachos
- Chicken Tacos
- Mexican Chicken Casserole
- Mexican Meatloaf
- Ground Beef Tacos
Or you can go really crazy and just stand over a big bowl of beans with a bag of tortilla chips for dipping!
Storage
How to store leftovers – Cool beans and place in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave, simmer in a saucepan on the stove top or in your slow cooker.
Can You Freeze Pinto Beans? This recipe is perfect for portioning and freezing because it makes a ton. Once the beans are cooled you can portion them into airtight freezer-safe containers or freezer bags. Freeze them for up to 6 months and thaw in the fridge when you’re ready to enjoy them. Reheat smaller portions in a saucepan on the stove, or large portions in a crock pot.
Expert Tips
- You can see in the photos that we cut the jalapenos and onions a bit larger so that anyone who doesn’t like them can pick them out. You can dice them up small if you like.
- See that crispy bacon? You can skip the cooking step for that if you want, but you’ll get a richer flavor if you render the fat and crisp the bacon in a skillet first.
- You’ll want to use a 6-quart slow cooker for this recipe because it will fill it up. Anything smaller and you’ll want to cut the recipe in half.
- Feel free to drain some of the liquid from the slow cooker if you want or if it doesn’t thicken enough for you. Otherwise, use a slotted spoon for serving.
- Add a few squeezes of lime juice for a tangy bite.
- Season really well with salt. You can add salt before cooking, but be sure to taste them afterward because beans on their own can be very bland.
- Try adding some additional spices, like oregano, chili powder or cumin.
Slow Cooker Mexican Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry pinto beans rinsed and picked through
- 1 cup Pace Picante Sauce or other salsa
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2-3 cloves
- 6 slices bacon diced and some fat rendered
- 2 jalapenos seeded and sliced
- 1/2 cup diced onion (half of 1 small onion)
- 1 tablespoon Caldo de Tomate
- 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
- 5-6 cups water (enough to cover the beans completely)
- Optional: fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Stir all ingredients together in the slow cooker. Add about 5-6 cups of water or as much is needed to fully immerse the beans.
- Cover and set slow cooker to low. Cook for 12 hours, or until beans are nice and soft. Since slow cookers vary, cook times can vary as well.
- Garnish with sliced jalapenos and cilantro if desired
Ok, I followed the recipe, let it cook over night,. Tried it early this morning, however I noticed I had to add more water lastnight, not sure if anyone else had to do the same a few hours in or if I didn’t need to do that, I original used about 5-6 cups of water which just covered beans and everything , I’d say about one knuckle on your finger over the beans, I added more water later because the water was down and I didn’t want the beans to burn overnight, even on low. I think I may have diluted the flavor a bit because of that, but it’s still good, and I woke up to my house smelling amazing lol. Thanks .
You did good! You do have to watch and make sure the water doesn’t get all soaked up. I have had times where’s its been enough, and times when I’ve had to add more. So glad you enjoyed them – they are famous in our house!
I made this recipe and substituted chicken bouillon since I didn’t have the tomato bouillon. Delicious!!
Nice! Thanks for stopping by Chris.
Just curious … I’m wondering if I should add the salsa once the beans are almost done since the acid in tomatoes can cause a tough bean ?
Nope! Make just as directed. The beans will be nice and soft if you give them adequate time to cook.
Just woke up to these and they are some of the best beans I’ve ever had! I used medium Pace Picante sauce although I was tempted to try the hot, and left the jalapenos and onion in large slices to be removed because I have a picky eater that can take too much spice in the house, and I’m still so impressed with the great flavors of this. Nice heat, but not too much. I’m looking forward to trying your Mexican rice recipe tonight — we are making burritos!
This one is near and dear to me and a real family favorite, so I appreciate your kind words so much!