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Tender and filling, these Borracho Beans, also known as Drunk Beans, are an easy to make Tex Mex side! Pinto beans are slow simmered in a flavorful broth made of bacon, onion, tomato, spices and beer! Serve these beans alongside your favorite tacos or with some fresh homemade flour tortillas.
Get Your Beans Buzzed
Borracho Beans have a special place in my kitchen—because they remind me of those big family gatherings where the house is filled with laughter, and everyone’s hovering around the stove, waiting for the food.
These beans are slow-simmered to perfection with smoky bacon, onion, and a splash of dark Mexican beer, giving them a rich depth of flavor that feels like home. I love making them for taco nights, but honestly? I could eat them straight from the pot, scooping them up with warm tortillas.
And let’s be real—life is busy, and sometimes cooking dried beans feels like a lot. But when you take that first bite of creamy, savory, melt-in-your-mouth pinto beans, all that soaking and simmering? Worth. Every. Minute.
They’re perfect for feeding a crowd, or better yet, enjoying them as leftovers the next day when the flavors are even more intense. Trust me, once you try them, you’ll be making them on repeat.
Ingredients Needed
Image shows all the ingredients needed to make a pot of drunken Mexican beans. Ingredients include: dried pinto beans, diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeno, Mexican beer, bacon, water, salt, cumin, chili powder, dried oregano, and bay leaves.
- Pinto Beans: using dried beans gives a creamier, more flavorful finished dish. But it does take longer due to the soaking and cooking of the beans. If needed you can make this recipe using canned beans, instructions are detailed below.
- Jalapeno: this can be substituted for any other green chile or pepper of choice.
- Beer: use a dark lager, avoid using lighter sour beers.
Find the complete recipe card below with measurements and full instructions.
Let’s Make Some Borracho Beans
- First prepare your beans. If you’re using dried beans, soak them overnight then drain. Add to a large pot or dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium allowing the beans to simmer for about 2 hours. They should be tender and cooked through. If using canned, then drain and rinse first before using.
- Cook the bacon, then remove the bacon and saute the vegetables in the bacon grease. Add beans and remaining ingredients to create a thick, flavorful broth while the beans continue to cook.
- Let the beans simmer another 20 minutes. Then add the bacon back in and add toppings.
Expert Tips
- Feel free to switch up the peppers—Poblano is my favorite, but jalapeño or Serrano will add heat. Fresh diced tomatoes can be added and simmered with the beans for extra flavor.
- Use any beer you like, but a dark beer, like Shiner Bock or Negra Modelo, adds a savory depth; avoid lighter, sour options. If you need more liquid, add beer, water, or chicken broth.
- Remember, simmering reduces the alcohol content, but it won’t be eliminated completely, so use your discretion when serving.
Watch How To Make Them
Our Favorite Way to Serve This Bean Recipe
These pinto beans are the perfect side for tacos, enchiladas, or any other Mexican dish. Some of our favorite main dishes to serve these beans with include: Ground Beef Tacos, Chicken Tacos, and Cheese Enchiladas.
Borracho Beans (Frijoles Borrachos)
Ingredients
- 1 lb pinto beans notes below on using canned beans
- 8 cups water
- 2 bayleaves
- 5 slices bacon uncooked
- 1 jalapeno seeds & membranes removed, diced
- ½ cup onion diced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 12 ounces beer Shiner Bock or Negra Modelo
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 (14 ounce can) diced tomatoes
Toppings
- ¼ cup Cilantro diced
- lime juice
Instructions
- Soak Beans: Sort through the beans, then pour into a colander and rinse off. Add the beans to a large bowl and cover with water. Set aside to soak for at least 8 hours or overnight. After they have doubled in size, drain the excess water and rinse the beans off.
- Cook Beans: Add the beans to a large pot or dutch oven and cover with water, about 8 cups, enough to cover by 2 inches. Add the bayleaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium allowing the beans to simmer for about 2 hours. Beans should be tender and cooked through.
- Drain: Drain the beans, reserving about 1/3 a cup of the bean broth from cooking the beans, and set aside. Rinse out the pot and wipe dry.
- Cook Bacon: Heat the large pot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy. Remove the bacon and set aside. Drain the grease, reserving 1 tablespoon in the pot.
- Cook veggies: Add the diced onion and jalapeno. Cook until the onion and jalapeno are soft and tender. Add in the garlic and cook an additional 30 seconds.
- Make Broth: Add in the pinto beans, reserved broth, beer, diced tomatoes, oregano, cumin, chili powder and salt.
- Simmer: Bring to a simmer, let the beans simmer covered for about 15-20 minutes over medium heat.
- Add Bacon: stir in the bacon and diced cilantro before serving.
Equipment
Notes
- Pinto Beans: recipe can be made using four 14 ounce cans of pinto beans. Skip soaking the beans and precooking the beans. Proceed to step 4 with cooking the bacon.
- Jalapeno: use any kind of Chile you would prefer, poblano will have a milder heat, Serrano would give more heat.
- Beer: use a dark beer, either a Shiner Bock or Negra Modelo.
- Omit the beer: If you don’t want to add alcohol, make charro beans instead.
- Vegetarian/Vegan Borracho Beans: leave out the bacon and substitute with additional vegetables as desired: bell peppers, diced tomatoes, celery.
- To make ahead: Prepare the dry pinto beans by soaking and cooking, then storing in a sealed container 2-3 days in advance. The completed recipe can be made 2-3 days in advance and stored in a sealed container in the fridge. Reheat on stovetop over low heat.
- 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 reheat on the stovetop.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Borracho Bean FAQ’s
These are two very similar bean recipes, the main difference will be the addition of beer to the broth.
Yes you can, simply drain and rinse the beans and continue the recipe from step 4.
Some of the alcohol will cook out, but not all of it. For further information here is an interesting article. Please use caution with this recipe if you are needing to avoid alochol. If needed you can make a pot of Charro Beans instead.
More Bean Recipes
Recipe first published on September 20, 2019. Updated July 9, 2021 with new images and information. Recipe is unchanged.
Photography done by the talented @KJandCompany.co
The alcohol dissipates during cooking,. just like wine when added to a hot pan or deglazing when deglazing.
“Some” of the alcohol will dissipate. There are many studies available online that show not all of it will. The fact that there could be some alcohol remaining in the dish when served is why there is a disclaimer.
My cousin added slices of hotdogs and served it with a side of fresh handmade flour tortillas.
Just stumbled across this recipe and was wondering…can’t I also cook the dried beans for about 30-40 min in the instant pot/ presser cooker then proceed with the recipe? I make Cuban black beans from scratch and do this… I’m assuming that would also work for this recipe.. thoughts?
I would say these beans are a really good base. I did use a crock pot, omitted bacon to keep vegetarian. I used a can of mild chili and tomatoes like Rotel as I didn’t have a jalapeno I would have to agree with the person that said they had to increase the seasoning thought they were pretty bland. We will definitely make again
Can the leftovers be frozen?