Mexican Beans 3 Ways: Frijoles Charros, Oaxaqueños, And Puercos
Frijoles de la olla, the ultimate Mexican-style brothy beans, are delicious as is, but if you're looking to put on your hosting hat for Cinco de Mayo or any other celebratory occasion, we're also sharing 3 ways to transform these beans into dishes representing regional favorites across Mexico. Each of these preparations starts with a batch of frijoles de la olla, so if you haven't already tried our foolproof recipe, start there.
The Foundation: Frijoles de la Olla
Before diving into these three preparations, you need to start with frijoles de la olla, literally "beans from the pot." These are simply cooked beans in their flavorful broth, typically seasoned with onion, garlic, and perhaps some herbs. They're the foundation of countless Mexican bean dishes.
The beauty of frijoles de la olla is their simplicity and versatility. They're delicious on their own, served in bowls with their broth, topped with fresh garnishes. But they're also the starting point for more elaborate preparations, like the three regional specialties we're sharing here.
Why These Three?
These three bean preparations represent different regions of Mexico, each with its own culinary traditions and flavor profiles:
- Frijoles charros from Northern Mexico: hearty, bacon-y, perfect for ranchers
- Frijoles oaxaqueños from Oaxaca: refined, aromatic, showcasing indigenous ingredients
- Frijoles puercos from Sinaloa: rich, cheesy, indulgent
Together, they showcase the incredible diversity of Mexican bean cookery and how the same starting point (cooked beans) can be transformed into very different dishes.
Frijoles Charros
Region: Northern Mexico
Featured beans: Bayo, Flor de Mayo, or Peruano
Description: Brothy, bacon-y, and spicy. Perfect as they are or topped with salty, crumbly cheese and avocado.
What They Are
Frijoles charros, literally "cowboy beans", are a hearty Northern Mexican preparation featuring beans cooked with bacon and/or chorizo, tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro. They're called charros because they're the kind of substantial, flavorful food ranchers and cowboys would eat.
Unlike refried beans, frijoles charros are brothy and chunky, with visible pieces of meat and vegetables throughout. They're festive and satisfying, perfect for gatherings.
The Technique
Start by rendering chorizo and/or bacon (2-4 oz total) in a large skillet until the fat is released and the meat is crispy. The rendered fat becomes the cooking medium for the aromatics.
Add diced onion, minced garlic, diced serrano pepper, and chopped fresh tomatoes. Cook over medium heat until the tomatoes release their juices and the onions become translucent, this creates a flavorful sofrito that will infuse the beans.
Stir this mixture into your frijoles de la olla and simmer for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld. The bacon or chorizo fat enriches the broth, the tomatoes add acidity and sweetness, the serrano provides heat, and everything comes together into something greater than the sum of its parts.
Finish with chopped fresh cilantro and taste for salt before serving.
Frijoles Borrachos Variation
To make frijoles borrachos ("drunken beans"), add half a bottle of Mexican beer along with the other ingredients and let it simmer. The beer adds a malty, slightly bitter quality that's distinctive and delicious. Corona, Modelo, or any Mexican lager works well.
Serving
Serve frijoles charros in bowls with their broth, topped with crumbled queso fresco, diced avocado, and extra cilantro. They're excellent alongside grilled meats, as part of a taco spread, or as a main dish with warm tortillas.
The Beans
Bayo beans are traditional, these delicious beans have a creamy texture and rich flavor. Flor de Mayo, or Peruano also work beautifully, each bringing slightly different texture and flavor while staying true to Northern Mexican tradition.
Frijoles Oaxaqueños
Region: Oaxaca
Featured beans: Negro (black beans), Vaquita Negro with their slightly anise flavor are a great choice if you can't find avocado leaves.
Description: Aromatic, creamy, and earthy. Serve with totopos (corn tortilla chips) and mezcal.
What They Are
Frijoles oaxaqueños are a refined bean preparation from Oaxaca, showcasing the region's distinctive ingredients, especially avocado leaves, which have a subtle anise-like flavor that's essential to Oaxacan cooking. Unlike the chunky, brothy charros, these beans are smooth and creamy, somewhere between refried beans and a thick dip.
The Technique
Start by straining your frijoles de la olla, reserving the broth. In a dry cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, toast chiles de árbol (2-3) and dried avocado leaves (5) for a few minutes until fragrant. This toasting releases their essential oils and deepens their flavors.
Remove the stems from the chiles and break both chiles and avocado leaves into pieces. Don't discard the chile seeds, they add heat and flavor.
In a blender, combine the strained beans, toasted chiles, and toasted avocado leaves. Blend until smooth to create a thick paste, adding broth only as necessary to keep things moving. The goal is a thick, creamy consistency.
In a large skillet, sauté chopped onion in vegetable oil for 6-8 minutes until golden and sweet. Add the bean mixture and cook on very low heat for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding broth as needed to prevent sticking.
This long, slow cooking concentrates flavors and develops the beans' texture. They should be thick and creamy, not soupy.
Serving
Serve topped with crumbled queso fresco, alongside totopos (thick, rustic corn tortilla chips, more substantial than regular chips), and perhaps some mezcal to drink. This is elegant food, the kind you'd serve at a special dinner rather than a casual cookout.
The Avocado Leaves
Avocado leaves are essential to authentic frijoles oaxaqueños. You can find them dried at Mexican grocery stores or online. They have a subtle flavor reminiscent of anise or tarragon that's distinctive and irreplaceable. If you absolutely can't find them, you could proceed without, but the dish won't taste quite right.
Frijoles Puercos
Region: Sinaloa, Northern Mexico
Featured beans: Bayo, Peruano
Description: Smoky, cheesy, and spicy. Slather on warm flour tortillas.
What They Are
Frijoles puercos, literally "pig beans", are a rich, indulgent preparation from Sinaloa featuring pureed beans mixed with chorizo, cheese, and chipotle. They're called "pig beans" because of the generous amount of pork (chorizo) in them, not because they're messy to eat (though they are deliciously so).
The Technique
Strain your frijoles de la olla, reserving the broth. In a blender, puree the beans until smooth with chipotle in adobo and a little of the adobo sauce to taste. The chipotle adds smoky heat that's essential to the dish's character. Start with one chipotle and add more if you want it spicier.
Add broth as necessary to create a thick paste, not soup-like, but smooth and spreadable.
In a large skillet, cook chorizo (3 oz) until browned and fully cooked. The chorizo will render fat, don't drain it. Add diced onion and cook until translucent.
Stir in the pureed bean mixture along with grated melting cheese (4 oz), asadero, Oaxaca, or Chihuahua cheese are preferred for their melting qualities, though Monterey Jack works too. Cook over low heat until bubbling and the cheese is completely melted, creating a smooth, rich, cheesy bean mixture.
Serving
Serve hot in a bowl or directly from the skillet, with warm flour tortillas for slathering. The combination of smoky beans, spicy chorizo, and melted cheese on a soft flour tortilla is incredibly satisfying.
These are rich and indulgent, a little goes a long way. But they're absolutely delicious and perfect for special occasions.
The Cheese
Mexican melting cheeses (asadero, Oaxaca, Chihuahua) are ideal because they melt smoothly without separating or becoming grainy. Monterey Jack is an acceptable substitute available in most supermarkets. Avoid pre-shredded cheese if possible, block cheese that you grate yourself melts better.
Celebrating Mexican Bean Traditions
What makes these three preparations special is how they showcase the regional diversity of Mexican cuisine. Mexico is a huge country with varied geography, climates, and culinary traditions. Beans appear everywhere, but how they're prepared differs dramatically from region to region.
Northern Mexican food tends to be heartier, with more meat and wheat flour tortillas (frijoles charros, frijoles puercos). Oaxacan food is more refined and indigenous, showcasing ingredients like avocado leaves and maintaining connections to pre-Hispanic cooking (frijoles oaxaqueños).
By learning these three preparations, you're not just learning recipes, you're learning about Mexican food culture and regional identity.
Perfect for Celebrations
While these beans are delicious any time, they're especially appropriate for celebratory occasions, Cinco de Mayo, Día de los Muertos, family gatherings, or any time you want to put on a feast.
Serve all three together as part of a larger spread, letting guests try different regional styles. Or focus on one preparation that appeals to your taste and the occasion.
Either way, starting with quality beans cooked properly (frijoles de la olla) ensures the final dishes will be authentic and delicious.
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