Chuckwagon Cowboy Beans
Slow-simmered pinto beans with bacon, onion, and chile, the kind of hearty, portable dish cooked from chuckwagons on Arizona cattle drives.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 180 min
- Total
- 195 min
- Servings
- 8
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 310 kcal
Equipment
- •Dutch oven or heavy pot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- fat
- 11
- carbs
- 38
- protein
- 15
- calories
- 310
Instructions
- 1
Soak the pinto beans in plenty of water overnight. Drain the water completely.
- 2
Put a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook the chopped bacon until crisp and the fat melts out.
- 3
Add the onion and garlic to the pot. Cook in the bacon fat until softened.
- 4
Add the drained beans, crumbled chile, and water or broth to the pot.
- 5
Bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cover the pot partially.
- 6
Cook for 2.5 to 3 hours until the beans are very tender. Stir occasionally and add liquid as needed.
- 7
Stir in the brown sugar if using. Season with salt once the beans have softened.
- 8
Serve hot straight from the pot.
Chef's tips
Cooking low and slow develops the deepest flavor, just like chuckwagon cooks did over coals. Leftovers taste even better the next day.
Storage
Refrigerate up to 5 days; freezes well up to 3 months.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water or broth.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Salting too early, which can make the bean skins tough
- •Boiling too hard, which can break the beans apart
Serving suggestions
Cooked Chuckwagon Cowboy Beans?
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