Slow simmered pinto beans, frijoles borrachos, or “drunken beans” get their flavor from dark Mexican beer and bacon. Juicy and bursting with flavor!
Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: The recipe is easy to make and the beans are so good!
How long it takes: Dried beans have to soak overnight. Then you’ll need 10 minutes to prep them and at least 2 1/2 hours for the beans to cook.
Equipment you’ll need: large pot, stove
Servings: 10
Traditional Mexican fare, frijoles borrachos are about the best beans I’ve ever had. I first tried them at a restaurant up north. When I saw drunken beans on the menu, I had to try them. I like anything with pinto beans.
When the bowl of beans arrived at our table, I was slightly surprised to see that they were really juicy, actually soupy. After the first spoonful, I eagerly slurped up all the soupy goodness.
The broth is the best part! Flavored with dark beer, molasses, and lime juice, it’s so so good. I not so subtly asked the waitress what could possibly be in those delicious beans and she gave me a few pointers. Not the whole recipe, of course.
But don’t worry, I won’t leave you wondering about how to make your own frijoles borrachos, or drunken beans. I can’t wait for you to try this recipe for the most flavorful beans ever!
About This Frijoles Borrachos Recipe
Because you start with dried beans, this recipe takes a little time. It’s pretty much all hands-off time and plus, you get to enjoy the delicious aroma while they cook. Just let your pot of beans simmer gently on the stove, and enjoy the fragrance. Anticipation can be one of the best parts of cooking!
Ingredient Notes
- Dried Pinto Beans: Dried pinto beans need to be soaked at least 12 hours or overnight unless you have a pressure cooker (see Instant Pot pinto beans for directions). If you prefer, canned beans can be substituted.
- Bacon: I like center cut bacon because it’s leaner. You’ll also end up with meatier chunks of bacon because it’s sliced thicker. There’s no need to cook it first.
- Onion: Use any type of onion you happen to have. I usually use yellow onions for this type of recipe where the onion is cooked so thoroughly that it pretty much disappears. Yellow cooking onions are inexpensive and have lots of oniony flavor.
- Jalapeño Pepper: The peppers add a little flavorful heat but aren’t too spicy by any means.
- Garlic: Two fresh garlic cloves add a subtle garlic flavor. Increase it if you love lots of garlic.
- Dark Beer: Use a Mexican beer such as Modela Negra. Stay away from really hoppy beers which can be bitter when used in cooking. You’ll need one bottle. Serve the rest of the six pack with your meal :)
- Chicken Broth: You’ll need three cups of broth. Once the beans are soaked, drain the water off, and use broth to cook the beans so they have plenty of flavor.
- Molasses and Brown Sugar: This combination of adds deep notes of caramel and sweetness to the sauce.
- Dried Mexican Oregano: There are lots of different types of oregano and they don’t even come from the same type of plant. Look for Mexican oregano in the spice section of your grocery store.
- Chili Powder, Ground Cumin, and Salt: This trio seasons the beans.
- Fresh Lime Juice and Cilantro: Please don’t be tempted to skip the lime juice. Stir it in right before serving the beans, along with some fresh cilantro.
How To Make Drunken Beans
Sauté bacon and veggies. To start the party, sauté bacon, chopped onions, jalapeño peppers, and garlic in a Dutch oven until the bacon is cooked and the veggies are softened.
Add beer. Deglaze the pan with a bottle of dark Mexican beer. I like to use Modela Negra. Pour the beer into the pan and cook over medium high heat, scraping the bottom of the pan to get all the browned bits.
Add beans and sauce. Now it’s time for your beans to party. Dump the pinto beans in the pan, along with broth, molasses, brown sugar, and seasonings. The beans will absorb the beer and the broth, and get soft.
Cook. Let the drunken beans simmer for at least a couple of hours, stirring occasionally to make sure they aren’t sticking. Check the beans to make sure they’re not drying out. If you need to, add more broth. Remember, it’s all about the juice.
Serve. When the beans are tender and you’re ready to serve them, stir in some fresh lime juice and chopped cilantro. DO NOT skip the lime juice. It adds just the right note of tanginess. You may even want to add more! I like to serve them with tortilla chips and homemade pico de gallo.
Serve drunken beans in a bowl with a spoon so everyone can scoop up all that yummy juiciness.
What does the word "borracho" mean?
Well, you guessed it: “borracho” means drunk or boozy. Since these frijoles (beans) are soused in beer, you could say that they’re drunk. The alcohol will burn off or evaporate during the cooking process so don’t worry that drunken beans will have you feeling tipsy, too! If you’re wondering about how borracho beans differ from charro beans (sometimes known as cowbow beans), it’s the beer. Charro beans are cooked in broth or water.According to this article by the Bean Institute, soaking beans will help reduce gassiness. Rinsing them during and after the soaking process removes some of the compounds that cause flatulence. Some cooks add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the beans to reduce gassy side effects.
Make It Your Own
- Make vegetarian beans. Leave out the bacon, sauté the chopped onions and jalapeño in 2 teaspoons olive or avocado oil, and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth. These beans have plenty of flavor so I’m guessing no one will miss the bacon. Drunken beans are perfect for meatless Mondays. Serve the beans with a hearty bread and a salad.
- Add smoky flavor. Stir in ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or substitute chipotle chili powder for the chili powder.
- Alcohol-free beans. Don’t want your beans to be “drunken”? Make them without beer, and add 1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. Increase the molasses to 3 tablespoons so you still get the rich caramel flavor that the dark beer gives the beans.
- Substitute canned beans. If you want to make a quicker version of frijoles borracho, use canned beans. You’ll need three 15.5 oz. cans of pinto beans, rinsed and drained. Instead of 3 cups of broth, use 1 cup. Reduce cooking time to one hour.
Leftover beans are so good. Simply put them in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge for best results. To reheat, gently microwave the beans or warm them in a saucepan on the stove.
Make a big batch of frijoles borrachos and enjoy them all week! Or freeze the beans in portion sized containers so you can enjoy them later.
More Bean Recipes
Frijoles Borrachos (Drunken Beans)
Ingredients
- 16 ounces dried pinto beans (2 cups)
- 6 slices uncooked center cut bacon, diced
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion (about 1 medium yellow onion)
- 2 jalapeño peppers, ribs and seeds removed, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bottle (12 ounce) dark beer (such as Modela Negra)
- 3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Rinse beans (sort out any foreign objects) and place in a large bowl. Cover with cold water and cover. Soak overnight (at least 12 hours). Rinse and drain well.
- In a large pot over medium heat, add bacon and cook until lightly brown and fat has rendered, 5-7 minutes.
- Add onion and jalapeño and cook until softened, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Add beer and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the pot.
- Add beans, broth, brown sugar, molasses, oregano, chili powder, salt, and cumin. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, partially cover pan, and simmer for 2 ½ hours or until most of the liquid is absorbed and beans are tender, stirring occasionally.
- Before serving, stir in lime juice and cilantro. Serve in bowls.
Notes
- Vegetarian: Omit bacon, sauté the chopped onions and jalapeño in 2 teaspoons olive or avocado oil, and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
- To make without beer: Substitute 1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes. Increase the molasses to 3 tablespoons.
- With canned beans: Use three 15.5 oz. cans of pinto beans, rinsed and drained, insetad of dry beans. Reduce broth to 1 cup. Cook beans for 1 hour.
- For a smoky flavor, add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or substitute chipotle chili powder for the chili powder.
For Instant Pot Drunken Beans
- No need to soak beans! Just rinse them and sort out any foreign bodies. Heat Instant Pot to Sauté. Add bacon, onion, jalapeños and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Add garlic and continue to cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add beer and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the Instant Pot. Add beans, broth, brown sugar, molasses, oregano, chili powder, salt, and cumin. Stir to combine.
- Place lid on and turn valve to seal. Set for Manual (or “Pressure Cook,” depending on model), high pressure, for 50 minutes.
- When cooking is complete, let pressure naturally release for 15 minutes. Release any remaining pressure after 15 minutes and turn Instant Pot to sauté. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, longer if beans are not yet tender. Add lime juice and cilantro and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Honestly the best recipe of drunken beans Ive made so far! The bacon I had was super thick cut and more fatty which worked really well in this recipe.
Wow, thank you so much! We pride ourselves on the way in which we test our recipes and want to make sure they are the best, so it truly means a lot to hear you say that.
How might I adapt this recipe for canned pinto beans? Omit or use less chicken broth ? Thanks ! Looking forward to serving this for our family over the 4th !
I included this in the notes of the recipe – here you go: With canned beans: Use three 15.5 oz. cans of pinto beans, rinsed and drained, instead of dry beans. Reduce broth to 1 cup. Cook beans for 1 hour.
Love your recipe actually all of your pinto bean recipes are amazing my question is I’m new to using my instant pot and I want to know about the pre soak of the beans it’s something that I have always done so I can eat them can I still do this and how long would I cook them please?
In the instant pot, soaked beans should cook in 15 minutes with a 15 minute natural release.
I’ve made this twice now and have been very happy with the results. The second time around I skipped the bacon, used vegetable broth instead of chicken, and added a couple drops of liquid smoke and a tablespoon or two of soy sauce to add meat-esque flavor depth while keeping the dish vegetarian.
I usually forget to add the cilantro and lime juice before serving and it’s still wonderful, as satisfying as chili.
(The second time around I also learned that Trader Joe’s has a very acceptable store brand version of Modelo Negro, in case anybody has an easier time accessing the former than the latter.)
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for sharing your adaptations.
Rachel, I don’t see your instructions for if one uses an instant pot.
So sorry for the delay on this, but those instructions have now been added to the recipe card notes!
One of the Pinterest images says “stovetop & instant pot”, but I’m not seeing the IP instructions. Unless I’m really just overlooking them?
So sorry for the delay on this, but those instructions have now been added to the recipe card notes! Thanks for letting me know!
these sound delicious.
Thanks, Denise!