Name: Frijoles Puercos
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 5 cups pinto beans (cooked); 8 oz Mexican chorizo; ½ small onion (chopped); 1 chipotle pepper; 2 Tbsp pickled jalapeño (chopped); 4 Tbsp lard or bacon grease; 1 cup Asadero or Oaxaca cheese (read notes); salt (as needed)

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Frijoles Puercos is a creamy, flavorful, and versatile Mexican dish made with refried beans, chorizo, cheese, and chilies. The easy recipe comes together in just 20 minutes and is perfect for potlucks and parties.

Authentic Frijoles Puercos served in a clay talavera dish with some corn chips on the side and garnished with cheese and pickled jalapeño peppers.

What Are Frijoles Puercos?

Frijoles puercos is a very popular dish originating in Northern Mexico and it consists of refried beans with various ingredients such as chorizo, chili peppers, and cheese among others.

This typical dish is very common at parties and it’s often served as a side dish or as a dip with tortilla chips. particularly during celebrations like weddings, baptisms, birthdays, and first communions.

Because it originated in Northern Mexico, the dish is particularly popular in Sinaloa, Sonora, and Chihuahua, where is often served as an accompaniment to carne asada (grilled meat).

Variations of the Dish

Though the base of the dish is pinto beans that are mashed and refried with pork lard and chorizo, there are many different variations. The dish has been adopted throughout Mexico and different things are added in different states.

Here are some of the most popular variations of this delicious dish:

Chihuahua – In this state, cheese is often added to the mix along with pickled jalapeños peppers and other ingredients depending on the region where they’re made.

Colima – Refried pinto beans are the most common, pork lard, shredded pork or shredded beef, and aged cheese (queso Cotija). This variation has a paste-like consistency and they’re garnished with verduras en vinagre, a pickled salad made with onions, cooked sliced carrots, grated cabbage, and serrano chiles.

They can also be refried with pork chorizo, sausage, onion, tomato, cheese, olives, canned sardines, and guajillo chilies. This variation is enjoyed on its own or accompanied by pickled vegetables, dried arbol chilies, cheese, and totopos (tortilla chips).

Guanajuato – In Guanajuato, the beans are stewed with onion, tomato, serrano chili, bacon pieces, sausage, chorizo, and ham. They can also be prepared with pasilla and guajillo chilies, chorizo, and xoconostle (cactus fruit).

Guerrero – In Guerrero, there are many different variations. The most common one contains refried beans with chorizo and cheese. They also add bits of chicharrones (crispy pork rinds) or other ingredients to the mix.

Jalisco – The recipe is made with flor de mayo beans, chorizo, bacon, green olives, and jalapeños en escabeche. The consistency is similar to a soft paste, usually served with queso ranchero, and accompanied by tostadas or tortilla chips. They are often enjoyed as an appetizer to accompany traditional drinks.

Michoacán – In Michoacán, the dish is made with flor de mayo shelling beans, or canary beans. They’re mixed with chorizo, bacon, jalapeno peppers, aged cheese, and pork rinds. They’re eaten with tortilla chips and they’re often served for breakfast or as a side dish for other meals.

Nayarit – Last but not least, in this state the recipe is made with a native type of beans called frijoles azufrados. It consists of cooked beans that are fried in pork lard with chorizo and chile de árbol. They also add aged cheese or cotija cheese and are served with tostadas or tortilla chips. In the coastal area of Nayarit, they add canned sardines to the dish as well.

The Ingredients

We are making here a simple version of this typical Mexican dish and below are the ingredients we used and some substitutions for convenience.

Beans. Use pinto beans or any type of beans you prefer. You can use canned or make our recipe for frijoles de la olla (pot beans).
Chorizo. Mexican chorizo adds lots of flavor to the recipe. If you can’t find that type, use Spanish chorizo, just cut it into chunks so it will be easier to blend.
Cheese. Your first option should be any Mexican string cheese such as asadero, Oaxaca, or manchego. If needed, sub with a blend of Mexican cheese for quesadilla or mozzarella.
Onions. It adds texture and flavor. Use white, yellow, or red onions.
Chilies. For spiciness and flavor. Chile chipotles add an amazing smoky kick, while pickled jalapeños add some tanginess too. Sub with any hot chilies available.
Grease. For an amazing flavor, add pork lard or bacon grease, otherwise, substitute with olive oil or any other oil you prefer.

Ingredients for Frijoles Puercos in various bowls and displayed on a countertop with names.

Now let’s see how to make the easy bean dip recipe.

How To Make Frijoles Puercos

In a pan or cast-iron skillet heat 2 tablespoons of lard over medium heat. Add first the chorizo and crumble it with the back of a spoon. Cook while stirring for about 1 minute

Cooking chorizo in a pan to make frijoles pierces.

Turn the heat to medium-low and add the onions. Cook until onions are translucent and nicely cooked through (about 5 minutes).

Cooked chorizo and onions in a pan for frijoles puercos.

Add the beans, pickled jalapeño, and chipotle in adobo sauce peppers. Mix to combine and turn off the heat.

Beans (frijoles) and other ingredients in a pan to make frijoles puercos.

Allow the mixture to slightly cool down, then transfer everything to a food processor or a blender.

Add 1 cup of the cooking water from beans, or just plain water, and blend for a couple of minutes or until you will have a smooth mixture. Tip: You can also add a few tablespoons of jalapeño juice.

Frijoles puercos blended in a food processor.

Heat the remaining lard in a pan over medium heat. Add the beans mixture to the pan and cook for half a minute.

Mix in the cheese, cooking everything together until the mixture has the desired consistency.

Frijoles puercos mixed with cheese in a pan.

Transfer to a bowl or serving plate and garnish with pickled jalapeños and queso fresco. Enjoy!

Pro Tips

If you use a good quality Mexican chorizo, you don’t need anything else to flavor the beans because the chorizo already has many spices.
But feel free to add other spices such as garlic, cumin, or oregano.
If needed, to adjust the frijoles puercos consistency, add some cooking water from beans or hot water to the pan when you cook them.

Frijoles puercos served in a talavera dish and garnished with cheese and pickled peppers. Some corn chips on the side.

Serving Suggestions

As we mentioned before, this dish can be served as an appetizer (think of a bean dip) along with corn chips or toasted bread. But if you want to serve them as a side, here are our recommendations:

Atun a la Mexicana. Canned tuna with tomatoes, onions, and chilies.
Birria Tacos. Cheese beef tacos dipped in a flavorful chili broth.
Papas a la Mexicana. Sauteed potatoes with onions, chilies, and tomatoes.
Chipotle chicken enchiladas. Baked cheesy enchiladas.

How To Store And Reheat

Those frijoles puercos are the perfect prep meal for potlucks and parties. Once cooked and cooled down, place them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge for up to 4 days. Or freeze them for up to 3 months.

For reheating, transfer the beans to a pan and add a splash of water. Stir for a couple of minutes until they are creamy again and heated up. In the microwave, you can heat them at 1-minute intervals stirring in between.

Watch How To Make It