Slow Cooker Borracho Beans
User Reviews
4.5
Slow Cooker Borracho Beans
Description
This borracho beans recipe starts by sorting and rinsing dried pinto beans, soaking them briefly, then slow cooking them with Mexican beer, garlic, and water to develop flavor and tenderize the beans. Bacon is fried until crispy, and the same pan is used to cook onions, tomatoes, and optionally jalapeños, incorporating the browned bits for richness.
The bacon and vegetable mixture are added back to the slow cooker to join the beans, along with salt for seasoning. Slow cooking allows the flavors to meld gradually, resulting in tender beans with a slightly smoky aroma from the bacon and subtle heat from the jalapeños if included.
Borracho beans can be served as a side dish or part of a meal with rice, tacos, or cornbread. They hold well as leftovers and can be refrigerated or frozen for later use.
Using dried beans is recommended for texture and flavor infusion during the long cooking process. Substitute varieties such as navy or great northern beans may be used. The beans keep well refrigerated up to a week and freeze for up to three months.
Ingredients
- 1 pound pinto beans dried
- 1 ounce bottle Mexican beer
- 6 cups water
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 pound Bacon thick-cut
- 1 white onion chopped
- 3 Roma tomato chopped
- 1 to 2 jalapeños chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- cilantro for garnish, fresh
Instructions
- Spread beans over your counter so you can look for beans that are broken, discolored, or shriveled and remove them. There will also be small stones or pebbles that should be sorted out of the beans during this phase. Discard all of the undesirable pieces.
- Place beans in a colander. Rinse the beans thoroughly with cool water.
- Soak your beans for 30 minutes to 1 hour before cooking.
- Add soaked beans, beer, water, and garlic to slow cooker.
- Chop bacon into 1⁄2-inch pieces and fry in a large skillet until crispy; drain and set aside.
- Add the onions to the skillet and cook, stirring frequently to loosen the brown bits left behind in the pan from the bacon, for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and jalapeños (if using) and, cook, continuing to stir and incorporate and leftover bits from the skillet, keeping all the delicious goodness in your beans, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add the contents of the skillet to the slow cooker, along with the cooked bacon. Add salt and stir until well combined.
- Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve warm.
Notes
- Use dried beans for best texture and flavor during the long slow cooker cooking time; they absorb flavors better and remain intact.
- If preferred, navy, great northern, or cranberry beans can substitute for pinto beans.
- Borracho beans store well refrigerated for up to one week and freeze safely up to three months.
- Soaking the beans before cooking helps reduce cooking time and ensures even tenderness.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8- 10 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 32888 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 328.88kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 18.15g | 6% |
| Protein | 12.68g | 25% |
| Fat | 22.94g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat | 7.63g | 38% |
| Cholesterol | 37.42mg | 12% |
| Sodium | 1259.24mg | 52% |
| Potassium | 434.65mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 5.66g | 23% |
| Sugar | 1.47g | 3% |
| Vitamin A | 233.52IU | 5% |
| Vitamin C | 6.97mg | 8% |
| Calcium | 41.39mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1.51mg | 8% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.5
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