Borracho beans | A boozy, cheesy and soul-satisfying dish.

Borracho beans (from borracho meaning “drunk” or “drunken”), also referred to as drunken beans or frijoles borrachos, is a traditional dish of both Mexican and Southern Texas cuisines made of pinto beans cooked in beer and flavored with cilantro, onion, garlic, bacon, bacon fat, cumin, and chili powder or whole chili peppers. [1] Borracho beans can be served wrapped in tortillas with some form of grilled beef such as carne asada, eaten from a bowl much like chili, or used as a bean dip and eaten with tortilla chips. Variations on this dish in Mexican cuisine often substitute black beans instead of pinto beans.

What are Borracho Beans?

Borracho beans, or “drunken” beans, are similar to Mexican Charro Beans but are simmered in beer, rather than water or broth, giving them a unique flavor.

How to Make Borracho Beans:

• 1Cook the Pinto beans: Rinse beans well and add them a large pot with 6 cups of water, a small chunk of onion, bay leaf and ½ teaspoon of salt. Bring them to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook the beans for 1 to 2 hours, until the beans are tender, but not bursting. (The drier the beans, the longer it will take).
• 2. Drain and reserve broth. Once the beans are tender, drain them, reserving ¼ cup of the liquid.
• 3. In a large pot add the bacon and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove some of the grease. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add ham, diced tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, oregano, paprika, cumin, black pepper and cook for 5 additional minutes.
• 4. Add the cooked beans, reserved broth, and beer. Simmer for 15 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro.

A pot of borracho beans with a wooden spoon in it for serving.

Instant Pot Method: Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. Add bacon and chorizo and cook. Remove some of the grease. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions are softened. Add ham, diced tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, oregano, paprika, cumin, and cook for 5 additional minutes. Add dry beans, beer and 3 cups of chicken broth. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow the pressure to naturally release before removing the lid (about 20-30 minutes). Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Slow Cooker Method: Saute bacon, chorizo, onion and garlic in a pan and add to slow cooker with ham, diced tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, oregano, paprika, cumin dry beans, beer and 3 ½ cups of chicken broth. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until beans are tender. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Variations:

Beans: 5-6 cups of canned pinto beans may be substituted. Reserve ¼ cup liquid from the canned beans and discard the rest. Skip the first part of the recipe and add the beans and liquid when directed in step 2 of the recipe, under “Make Borracho Beans”.
Omit the beer: If you don’t want to add alcohol, make charro beans instead (similar recipe that uses chicken broth instead of beer).
Substitute black beans: You can substitute dried black beans, cooking them the same.
Vegetarian/Vegan Borracho Beans: omit the meat and add vegan chorizo, extra beans (like black beans), or additional vegetables like tomato, celery, and bell pepper. Also substitute 1 tsp vegetable bouillon.

Make ahead and freezing Instructions:

To make ahead: The dry pinto beans can be cooked and stored, along with their reserved liquid, several days in advance, or the entire recipe can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Rewarm over low heat on the stove. To make the dish even simpler, you can substitute canned pinto beans (see my notes in the recipe card).

To freeze: Once the beans are cool store them in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and rewarm in a pot on the stove.

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried pinto beans* (2 cups)
• 6 cups water , or more if needed
• ¼ of an onion
• ½ teaspoon salt
•  1 bay leaf

For the Borracho Beans:

•  5 slices bacon , chopped
• 1 cup diced ham or sausages
• ½ of a yellow onion , chopped
•  3 cloves garlic , minced
• 2 tomatoes , diced
• 1 jalapeno or serrano pepper , seeded and chopped
• ½ – 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce , chopped (optional, but recommended for a smoky spice)*
• 1 cup fresh chopped cilantro (about ½ bunch)
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• Salt and pepper , to taste
• 12 oz. dark beer (Mexican beer, if possible)

Instructions

Cook the Pinto beans:

Pour beans into a colander and rinse them off, removing any unwanted pieces. Add to a large pot with 6 cups of water (or enough to cover them by about 2 inches), a small chunk of onion, bay leaf and ½ teaspoon of salt.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 1 to 2 hours, until the beans are tender, but not bursting. (Mine usually take about 1 hour but depends on how dry/old your beans are). Check them a few times during cooking to make sure they are covered in water and add a little more water if needed.
Once the beans are tender, drain them, reserving ¼ cup of the liquid. Set aside.

Make Charro Beans:

Add the bacon to a large pot and cook for about 5 minutes or until cooked. Remove some of the grease. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent. Add ham (or sausages), diced tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, oregano, paprika, cumin, black pepper and cook for 5 additional minutes.
Add the cooked beans, reserved broth, and beer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Taste and season with salt and pepper, or additional spices if needed.
Serve garnished with cilantro, as a meal with warm tortillas, or as a side dish.

Notes

To use canned beans: Substitute 5-6 cups of canned pinto beans, reserving ¼ cup of the liquid from the cans. Add the beans and liquid in step 2, under “Make Borracho Beans”.

Tomatoes: I often substitute a 15-ounce can diced tomatoes with green chilies or habaneros and leave out the jalapeño in the recipe.
Chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce are located in the Mexican aisle at the grocery store. You only need ½ or 1 whole pepper (depending on your spice preference) for this recipe. You can add the leftover chilis and sauce to a freezer bag and freeze for later use.

Beer: If you don’t want to add alcohol, make charro beans instead (similar recipe but uses chicken broth instead of beer).
Vegetarian/Vegan Borracho Beans: omit the meat and add vegan chorizo, extra beans (like black beans), or additional vegetables like tomato, celery, and bell pepper. Also substitute 1 tsp vegetable bouillon.

Instant Pot Borracho Beans: Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. Add bacon and cook. Remove some of the grease. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until the onions are softened. Add ham, diced tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, oregano, paprika, cumin, and cook for 5 additional minutes. Add dry beans and 4 cups of chicken broth, and beer. Secure the lid and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes (or add 10 minutes if beans are older/dryer). Allow the pressure to naturally release before removing the lid (about 20-30 minutes). Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Slow Cooker Borracho Beans: Saute bacon, onion and garlic in a pan and add to slow cooker with ham, diced tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, oregano, paprika, cumin, dry beans, beer, and 4 cups of chicken broth. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-5 hours until beans are tender. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
Nutrition

Calories: 305kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 17gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 443mgPotassium: 921mgFiber: 10gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 337IUVitamin C: 11mgCalcium: 80mgIron: 3mg.