The magical fruit meets bacon and beer.
That’s right, today we’re talking drunken beans. Also known as frijoles borrachos. Or if I were given the naming rights to this one, which I guess I am, I’d probably go more along the lines of Bacon and Beer Simmered Beans.
Whatever you call them, though, these guys have been on my Mexican food cooking bucket list for awhile. I somehow only discovered them a few years ago at a local Mexican restaurant. (Where had they been all my life?!) And ever since, I instantly order them whenever I spot them on a menu. I mean, is there any way to go wrong with beans simmered in dark beer and bacon?! Not in my book. Well, my only complaint is that most people simmer these guys low and slow for hours, and I usually tend to be fairly impatient when it comes to wanting Mexican food right now.
So I created a 30-minute drunken beans recipe that is way more my style. And way easy. And way good.
For those of you who’ve never tried drunken beans, they are basically just that — pinto beans simmered in dark Mexican beer, bacon, onions, a handful of seasonings, and topped with cilantro. Most of the alcohol from the beer boils out during cooking, and you’re left with some seriously savory, soupy, and scrumptious frijoles. I went with Negra Modelo beer to get that nice, deep, dark flavor, but really just about any beer would work.
Here’s how to make ’em…
Begin with your bacon. Mmmmmbacon.
Dice up a few slices, then fry them in a large saute pan or medium saute pan until crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, and leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan.
Then saute the onions and jalapeno up in that bacon grease for extra bacon-y flavor.
Add your beer…
…and frijoles…
…and a few seasonings. Then let ’em simmer for about 20 minutes on medium-low heat.
Then serve warm, and sprinkle on a little cilantro for freshness. And dive in with a spoon. :)
Ok, after staring at these photos for an hour, I’m off to make another batch with my leftover beer. So frijole-flippin’ good. Cheers!
Drunken Beans (Frijoles Borrochos)
Ingredients
- 4 pieces (uncooked) bacon, diced
- 1 small white onion, finely diced
- 1 jalapeno, stemmed, seeded and diced (add an extra jalapeno for more heat)
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (12-ounce) bottle dark Mexican beer (I used Negra Modelo)
- 4 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Cook bacon in a large saute pan over medium-high heat until crispy, stirring occasionally. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and transfer to a separate plate. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon grease in the saute pan, discarding the extra. Add the onion and jalapeno, and saute for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft and translucent. Add the garlic, and saute for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the beer, beans, brown sugar, oregano, chili powder, salt and cumin, and stir to combine. Continue cooking until the beans reach a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low, and continue simmering uncovered for about 15 minutes.
- When ready to serve, stir in the bacon and lime juice. Then serve the beans topped with fresh cilantro.
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
Just made these tonight for a dinner party and they were AMAZING! Thanks so much for the recipe :)
You’re welcome Lindsey — we’re so glad they were a hit! :)
Is there any way I can make this ahead of time??
Yes, you can make these, let them cool completely, refrigerate and then reheat. We hope you enjoy! :)
That’s one quick honky way of making Frijoles Borrachos!!! Gonna have to try it…..
We hope you enjoy the recipe JoAnn! :)
Oh my gosh that looks sooooo good. Only thing is my soon to be hubby is gluten free. Would a hard cider work ok in it?
Thank you, Cass! Hmm, we haven’t tried this with a hard cider, but it sounds delicious, and we don’t see why it wouldn’t work. We say go for it! Let us know how it turns out. : )
this sounds and seems delicious! did you use canned beans or did you pre wash them?
You missed the diced tomatoes, and we don’t use chili powder, other than that we use the same ingredients. Congratulations
do you think these would be able to be easily made in a slow cooker as well or only to keep warm after cooked?
I haven’t tried these in a slow cooker, but imagine it would do well! If you give it a try, let me know! :)
We as Mexicans have been cooking this recipe for years and years,and even that your recipe looks good,the original recipe doesn’t have brown sugar and you are missing diced fresh tomatoes. Other than that all is the same, and also we cook the beans from scratch.
Drunken Beans in Spanish = Frijoles Borrachos** (with an “a”) Just an FYI :) Looks yummy!
Por favor quisiera la receta en español. Gracias