This is the best thing to do with a pound of dry pinto beans, if you ask me! These Borracho Beans are full of so much flavor--spices, dark lager beer, bacon and jalapeño. Plus, I'm a Texan so you can trust this recipe for a hearty pot of beans that are absolutely full of flavor!
I might be the only person who spies a bag of dried beans in the back of the pantry and becomes so excited. The possibilities are endless as to what you can do with a bag of beans, but these borracho beans might be my favorite way to use pinto beans.
The foundation of this glorious pot of beans is onions and jalapeño sauteed in bacon grease. After that, we're adding chili powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, and smoked paprika to the pot before pouring in the beer.
What are borracho beans?
So, the word borracho means drunk in Spanish, so these are 'drunken beans.' They are called that because they are made with plenty of beer!
The Ingredients
- Pinto Beans. One pound of dry pinto beans that have been washed and sorted for debris and small stones. Soak for at least 8 hours at room temperature. Drain and rinse one more time before beginning to cook this recipe.
- Bacon. Five slices of thick-cut pepper-crusted bacon. We will chop this and add it to the pot to cook all of the vegetables.
- Onion. One medium white or yellow onion, peeled and diced.
- Jalapeño. One green jalapeño is optional--only use it if you like spice. If you want the borracho beans to be super spicy, leave the seeds in the pepper. If you want to tame some of the spice, slice the jalapeño in half, remove the seeds and inner white membranes with a spoon, and then dice. If you're touching jalapeños and wear contact lenses, I highly recommend wearing gloves. (I speak from experience).
- Chili Powder. Chili powder is a seasoning mix that contains a mix of chile powders, cumin, paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, and salt.
- Cumin. We're adding an extra teaspoon of ground cumin for extra smokiness.
- Smoked Paprika. I add smoked paprika to so many things, because it makes a food taste slow-cooked and grilled with smokiness. It does so much for this pot of borracho beans.
- Oregano. If you can find it, Mexican oregano is a bit more minty than the Mediterranean lemon-y version.
- Garlic Powder. One teaspoon of dried garlic granules.
- Onion Powder. One teaspoon of onion powder.
- Brown Sugar. The smallest amount of brown sugar offsets the slight bitterness in the beer.
- Beer. I like to a 12-ounce bottle of Negra Modelo, but any dark lager beer will work here.
- For serving: I like to serve my bowl of hot borracho beans with finely diced white onion, cilantro, and a lime wedge on the side.
How to Make Borracho Beans
Rinse and pick over the beans and remove any stones, debris or split beans. Then, soak the beans in plenty of cold water for 8 hours at room temperature.
After draining and rinsing the beans, add the beans to a pot, and cover with fresh cool water. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook for about 2 hours, until all of the beans are soft and tender, but not falling apart. Once the beans are done, turn off the heat, stir in 2 teaspoons of the salt and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, drain and reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid.
Meanwhile, add the diced bacon to a skillet and cook over medium heat until almost all of the fat is rendered from the bacon and it is beginning to crisp up, about 5-7 minutes. Add the dicd onion and jalapeño to the pan with the bacon and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Place the beans back in the pot with the cooking liquid, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, sugar, and beer. Turn the heat back on and bring this mixture to a simmer and cook while stirring occasionally for 15-30 minutes.
Turn the heat back on and bring this mixture to a simmer and cook while stirring occasionally for 15-30 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning and serve.
Both pots of beans are made with bacon, veggies, and spices, but only borracho beans have beer as a component of the simmering liquid.
What to Serve with Borracho Beans
I use this recipe as a side dish for my crispy lentil tacos, or my vegetarian enchiladas.
Borracho Beans
Borracho beans made with pinto beans, bacon, beer, veggies and plenty of spices. Don't be scared by the long cook time--it is mostly hands-off.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pinto beans, rinsed and soaked at least 8 hours
- 3 teaspoons salt, divided use
- 5 slices thick-cut bacon (pepper-crusted bacon is my favorite), diced
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 1 jalapeño, stem and seeds removed, diced
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 12-oz can or bottle of bottle dark Mexican-style lager beer
- For serving: finely diced white onion + cilantro + lime wedges
Instructions
- Rinse and pick over the beans and remove any stones, debris or split beans. Soak the beans in plenty of cold water for 8 hours at room temperature.
- Then, drain and rinse the beans. Add the soaked beans to a pot, and cover with fresh cool water. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower to a simmer, and cook for about 2 hours, until all of the beans are soft and tender, but not falling apart. Once the beans are done, turn off the heat, stir in 2 teaspoons of the salt and set aside to rest for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a separate skillet, add the diced bacon and cook over medium heat until all of the fat is rendered from the bacon and it is beginning to crisp up, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the dicd onion and jalapeño to the pan with the bacon and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. - Once the beans have soaked in the salty brine for 30 minutes, drain them, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Place the beans back in the pot with the cooking liquid, and stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, sugar, and beer. Turn the heat back on and bring this mixture to a simmer and cook while stirring occasionally for 15-30 minutes.
- To serve, ladle into a bowl and garnish with finely diced white onion, cilantro and lime wedges.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 162Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 953mgCarbohydrates: 23gFiber: 6gSugar: 3gProtein: 9g
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