Turn a $2 Bag of Beans into Easy Charro Beans for Meal Prep!
Making beans from scratch is so easy, affordable, and delicious. Here’s how to easily make charro beans in your Crock-Pot using dried beans.
Love a good Crock-Pot side dish recipe? Try making my favorite beans!
If you’re looking for an easy, affordable meal prep idea, don’t overlook that little bag of dried beans at the grocery store! A bag can cost around $1-$2, and with a little time in the slow cooker, you can turn it into a big batch of flavorful charro beans to serve as a BBQ side dish, add to tacos, or turn into easy meal prep bowls.
These Crock-Pot charro beans are hearty, flavorful, and one of those recipes that makes me feel pretty good about stretching the grocery budget. You basically toss everything into the slow cooker, let it do its thing, and end up with a big pot of beans ready for the week.
Feel free to add other ingredients you have on hand, such as bacon, extra tomatoes, green chiles, bell peppers, or a little smoked paprika.
Don’t have time to cook whole dried beans? No worries! I sometimes substitute canned pinto beans on a pot in the stove and pretty much follow the same other ingredients for a shorter cook time! It still turns out delclious! Four15-ounce cans of cooked pinto beans equal a bag of dried beans.
Slow Cooker Charro Beans
yield: 8 SERVINGS
prep time: 15 MINUTES
cook time: 4 HOURS
total time: 4 HOURS 15 MINUTES
A budget friendly side dish made with inexpensive dried beans, savory ham, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and plenty of flavor. Simply add everything to the slow cooker and let it do the work!
Ingredients
- 1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed and sorted
- 1 cup chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 cups beef broth
- 2 cups water
- 1 jalepeno, whole
- 1 teaspoon salt - or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon pepper
Directions
1
Rinse the dried beans and pick out any small stones or damaged beans. Add the beans and remainder of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Close the lid and cook on high for about 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.
2
It will be ready when the beans are tender. Taste and add more salt and pepper if desired. Serve warm as a side dish or as a meal! Enjoy.
Extra tips for making charro beans:
- No need to soak the beans: For the slow cooker version, you can rinse and sort the dried beans and add them directly to the slow cooker. If you prefer to soak them first, you can do an overnight soak, drain, and continue with the recipe.
- Stovetop option: Add all of the ingredients to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook for approximately 1½ to 2½ hours, or until the beans are tender. Check occasionally and add more water or broth if needed.
- Make them into refried beans: Turn your charro beans into an easy homemade refried bean style dish! Drain some of the liquid, then mash the beans with a potato masher or use an immersion blender for a smoother texture.
- Adjust the heat: The whole jalapeño adds great flavor. For more spice, slice or chop it before adding. You can also add additional fresh jalapeño, hot sauce, or a pinch of cayenne when serving.
- Refrigerator: Store cooled beans in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Beans and rice are the ultimate comfort food for me!
I can eat them alone as a meal or as a side with an extra protein and be full and satisfied. Tonight I made a big batch of rice and warmed up some Chipotle chicken from Costco to make a hearty burrito bowl for dinner. My family loves this meal, and I appreciate easy, yummy meals like this!
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