Beans and Chicos. New Mexico chicos are made from local sweet corn. Once sun-dried, they’re a staple in Southwestern kitchens. Beans and chicos are a popular, simple and hearty dish made from this specialty food.
Last Fall, on one of our trips to Northern New Mexico, I ran across a peculiar bag of dried corn that didn’t quite look exactly like hominy.
What Are Chicos?
A trip to the counter to ask about my find, revealed that I had a bag of Chicos in my hand. And they suggested I make a traditional Northern New Mexico dish of Beans and Chicos. When I arrived home, and thanks to New Mexico Magazine, here’s what I learned about Chicos:
What Are Chicos Made From?
“We take ears of white, sweet corn that is still in the husks, and lay them in a big horno, or outdoor adobe oven, and cover them with wet potato sacks," says Shirley Martinez of Martinez Farms, which produces more than 100 pounds of chicos a year. "We make a hot wood fire, cover the horno completely with adobe and mud, and leave the corn to steam overnight, which gives chicos their smoky flavor. We take the corn out the next day, pull the husks all the way back, and hang them to sun-dry for at least a week." The fruits of this fall's labors, she says, will be sold next year. “
How To Make Chicos And Beans
A horno is an adobe built outdoor oven used by Native Americans. I don’t have one, nor have the inclination to cover anything with mud ….. so I chose my crockpot to make Beans and Chicos. Following a method from New Mexico Magazine, here’s what I did.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chard: Even though chard is not a traditional ingredient used in ancient Puebloan cooking, Modern Southwestern cooks often stir in or serve bean dishes over hearty greens, like Swiss Chard to add color, nutrition and texture.
- Rice: Cooked
- Dried Chicos
- Dried Pinto Beans
- Onions: Sweet or white.
- New Mexico Red Chile Sauce
- New Mexico Red Chile Powder, Preferably Chimayo
- Cooked thick sliced bacon and reserved bacon grease
Step by Step Instructions
- Step 1: Pre-prep: Place the dried beans and chicos in a colander and rinse well. remove any misfits. Place in a crock pot and cover with 1″ of water. Let the beans and chicos soak overnight.
- Fry the bacon until crispy, remove with a slotted spoon and cut into good sized bacon bits. Reserve 1 Tablespoon of the bacon grease and remove all but one tablespoon of bacon grease to fry the onions.
- Fry onion in the bacon grease until tender, about 3 minutes.
- Cooking Process: The next morning, add reserved bacon grease, cooked onions, cooked bacon to beans and chicos. Sprinkle in Chile powder. Cook on low all day or until beans and chicos are tender. Salt to taste.
- Step 5: Prep The Chard: Rinse, then dry chard with a paper towel. Use a knife to remove the green leaves from the tough stems. To wilt the chard, place it on a place and cook in the microwave for 2 minutes.
- Step 6 – How To Serve: Place the wilted chard on a plate. If there is a lot of liquid left in the crock pot, use a slotted spoon to scoop a serving of beans and chicos on the plate. Add a spoonful of cooked rice and drizzle everything with New Mexico Red Chile Sauce.
Variations
- Topping: Drizzle the plate of Beans and Chicos with New Mexico Green Chile Sauce instead of the red. You can also use a spoon full of Red Salsa, Homemade Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde or take a walk on the wild side and serve with Salsa Macha Chile Oil.
- Garlic: Add two cloves of sliced garlic to the crock pot at the beginning of the cooking process.
- New Mexico Red Chile Powder: I prefer and have access to Chimayo Chile Powder, which can be hard to find. Use any New Mexico Chile Powder or a red chile powder like Ancho. For a smokier flavor, use Chipotle Chile Powder. To learn more about chile powders, take a look at my resource article What Is Chile Powder.
Tips For Success:
- Don’t skip the overnight soaking process. Not so much for the pinto beans, but the chicos texture will benefit from the soak.
- Once cooked, this dish will benefit from a healthy dose of salt. Start with one tablespoon of Kosher salt and then test.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store beans and chicos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: You can also freeze them. Once cooled, transfer the cooked beans and chicos to airtight containers or freezer bags. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat gently on the stovetop, adding a splash of broth or water if needed.
FAQ’s
Chicos can be difficult to find outside the Southwest, but they’re commonly sold at specialty markets throughout Northern New Mexico. You can also order them from New Mexico food companies that specialize in regional ingredients. Look for packages labeled “dried chicos” or “New Mexico chicos”. Try New Mexico Connection for on-line puchase.
Beans and chicos have an earthy flavor with subtle sweetness from the dried corn. The chicos develop a pleasantly chewy texture while the pinto beans become creamy, creating a hearty combination that’s often enhanced with pork, onions, garlic, and New Mexico chile powder.
New Mexico Pinto Beans Recipe with Chicos
Explore More Southwestern Recipes Using Dried Beans
And if you’re looking for more Southwestern inspired recipes, don’t miss my Mexican Southwestern Recipe Category. You’ll find lots of New Mexico inspired recipes including the most popular on my site for traditional New Mexico Carne Adovada. One taste and you’ll understand why it’s one of New Mexico’s most celebrated dishes.
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Chicos and Beans
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Dried pinto beans rinsed and misfits removed
- ½ Cup chicos rinsed
- 1 small sweet onion diced
- 6 slices Thick cut bacon chopped and cooked until just crisp
- 1 Tablespoon red chili powder New Mexico Chimayo, Or Ancho Chile Powder, or Chipotle Chile Powder
- 3 Tablespoons bacon grease 1 to fry onions, two to add to the crockpot
- 1 bunch Swiss chard wilted
- 2 cups Cooked White rice
- 1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
Instructions
- Place beans and chicos in a colander and rinse well. Place the beans and chicos in your crock pot, and cover with water by one inch. Soak over night.
- In a fry pan, cook bacon until just crisp. With a slotted spoon remove bacon to a paper towel. Remove most of the bacon grease, reserving two tablespoons. And leave about a tablespoon in the pan to cook the onnion. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 3 minutes.
- In a crock pot, add bacon grease, onions, bacon to the chicos and beans. Add a bay leaf if you'd like Stir in chile powder. Cook on low all day or until beans and chicos are tender. Add salt and test. Add more salt if needed.
- Serve over wilted chard and cooked white rice.
Notes
- Don’t skip the overnight soaking process. Not so much for the pinto beans, but the chicos texture will benefit from the soak.
- Once cooked, this dish will benefit from a healthy dose of salt. Start with one tablespoon of Kosher salt and then test.
Nutrition
New Mexico Pinto Beans and Chicos …They’re what’s for Dinner.
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I bought some chicos at the Santa Fe Farmers Market recently when I was visiting. I’d never seen nor heard of chicos, but I cook a lot of beans. So I brought some home to San Francisco and cooked them tonight along with Rancho Gordo pinto beans. I used your recipe as a guide—thanks so much. The result is delicious! I used a pressure cooker for 15 minutes after a 10 hour (all day) soak.
I am from northern New Mexico and this is a staple for us. I like to buy a lot of chicos to store up in my pantry for winter meals. When I purchased my chicos this year I was interested in what recipes there were on the internet. When I researched I found that only your recipe is true to what we make in New Mexico. My family has always cooked our beans and chicos with bacon, salt pork, or occasionally the ham bone from Christmas or Easter. We don’t usually make rice with ours, but serve ours like a soup with tortillas and green chili sauce on the side.
I had to stop over because I have some and figured it was time to use them! Thanks! Hope we can talk in the new year!
Question: I have some chicos from NM, want to make this recipe but no crockpot, how to make it in a dutch oven?
Northern NM my absolute favorite food after moving from east coast to Wyoming 30 years ago, replaced decades-long fav, Philly Italian! I am so happy I stumbled onto your website, a definite bookmark.
Many thanks!
Hi Nancy and thanks for your note.
I’ve never cooked chicos in a Dutch oven, but would imagine them to be similar to cooking dried beans.
Take a look at these recipe from NM Magazine: https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/articles/post/little-big-corn/
Only thing I’d do differently is soak the chicos overnight. One recipe calls for cooking 4 hours and the next 1 1/2 hours.
And by the way, I’d like to try both of those recipes. 🙂 I have some Chicos in the pantry from last Fall and the pork stew seems like a great way to use them.
I happen to agree with you about New Mexico Food. Growing up in the middle of Kansas, Northern NM was an easy vacation destination. I’ve been a fan for many years and just can’t seem to get enough of those unique flavors.
Again, thanks for your note. And please let me know if you have any other questions and how those Dutch Oven Chicos turn out.
Hi, I was delighted to find a recipe for the little bag of chicos I found at the Santa Fe shop in Englewood a month or so ago. I adapted it slightly to make in the instant pot and I love how the beans are creamy and the chicos are still a little chewy in a good way, grin.
I was also delighted to find you’re Colorado based, having grown up in Evergreen myself (even though I live in New York now).
Thanks for the tasty SW recipes!
Hi Michelle! Those Chicos can be hard to find, so glad you have a bag. I couldn’t find them for a couple of years and then my market all of a sudden had them in stock last Fall. They are a treat. I appreciate your note!
I was born in Southwest Colorado and my mother always cooked beans and chico but when I moved to Tucson no one knew about chico’s so l had to go to the web of New Mexico to order my chico’s. Beans and chico are very good. Maybe someone in Tucson will sell chico because I will order what I need from out off state.
Hi Dora.
Did you mother make them similar to my recipe? I’d love any tips from an expert.
My only source for Chicos is LuLu’s Market in Brighton, CO. I found them about 3 years ago, and they didn’t have any for the next two years.
I was able to purchase a bag last month at LuLu’s. I was so glad to find them again. I’ll be making beans and chicos again and hope to get a better photo.
My wife thinks the chicos should puff up when finished, but they never seem to pop, even after many hours of cooking. Will they cook properly in a crock pot?
You can also use some of your left-over Easter ham in this. Adds great flavor!
Gorgeous! This is the great suggestion for my weekend. I love to cook this dish for my family so much, Thanks for guiding me.
You’re so welcome Denise.
The only “Chico’s” that I had ever heard of was the clothing store! LOL! THanks for introducing me to the food! Delicious! Also, thanks for the taste! Great recipe!
Sounds like a good challenge to keep you shooting and improving photos. I’d never heard of chicos – how did they turn out.
The chicos and beans sound delicious and healthy.
I’m in love with the whole idea of the challenge. I want to learn to use a camera like that. That portrait is adorable!
OK. I’ve found chicos available on several websites and I’m doing this! Looks wonderful! (As does the selfie!)
Love the selfie…did you get that in one shot with your cantankerous friend? Interesting to learn about chicos, I’d probably never see them here in our area of Florida.