Slow Cooker Borracho Beans (Frijoles Borrachos) – Easy Mexican “Drunken” Beans
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Updated Jan 13, 2026, Published Apr 01, 2021
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Slow Cooker Borracho Beans are rich, smoky, and slow-simmered with beer, bacon, and simple pantry ingredients for an easy, comforting Mexican side dish. This hands-off recipe delivers tender pinto beans with bold, savory flavor—perfect for taco nights, backyard cookouts, potlucks, or game day spreads when you need something hearty that feeds a crowd.
Borracho beans remind me of my hometown of El Paso and all the family summer cookouts we used to have. They hold a special place in my heart. After your first bite, I’m sure they’ll become one of your favorites, too.
Table of Contents
- What Are Borracho Beans?
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How to Make Slow Cooker Borracho Beans
- Instant Pot Borracho Beans Instructions
- Pro Tips for Best Borracho Beans
- How to Serve
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Related Recipes You Might Love
- Slow Cooker Borracho Beans (Frijoles Borrachos) Recipe
What Are Borracho Beans?
Borracho beans — frijoles borrachos — are a variation of frijoles de la olla, where pinto beans are simmered with beer instead of just water or broth.
“Borracho” literally means “drunken,” referring to the rich beer-based cooking liquid that infuses these beans with deep, savory flavor.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Hands-off slow cooker method — load it and forget it.
- Perfectly tender beans with smoky bacon and layers of savory flavor.
- Comforting crowd-pleaser for potlucks, weeknight dinners, or game day.
- Budget-friendly & freezer-ready.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This borracho beans recipe uses simple, easy-to-find ingredients that build deep, savory flavor as they slowly simmer together. Below is a quick overview of what you’ll need, along with helpful swaps.
The complete list of ingredients, exact quantities, and step-by-step instructions can be found in the printable recipe card below.
- Dried pinto beans – The base of this recipe. Dried beans give the best texture and flavor after slow cooking.
Substitution: You can use canned pinto beans in a pinch, but the texture will be softer and cook time will be shorter. - Mexican beer – Adds rich, slightly malty flavor to the beans as they cook. Any light to amber lager works well if you don’t have a Mexican beer on hand.
- Water – Used to fully cook and soften the beans.
- Bacon – Brings smoky, salty depth to the broth. Skip the bacon for a vegetarian version or replace with a small amount of smoked paprika for smokiness.
- White onion – Adds sweetness and body to the cooking liquid. Yellow onion works just as well.
- Garlic – Enhances the overall savory flavor.
- Roma tomatoes – Add acidity and balance to the rich beans. Canned diced tomatoes can be used if fresh aren’t available.
- Jalapeños – Optional, but great for a subtle kick of heat. Leave them out for mild beans or swap with serranos for more heat.
- Salt – Seasons the beans as they cook.
- Fresh cilantro – Added at the end for freshness and color. Leave out if cilantro isn’t your thing.
How to Make Slow Cooker Borracho Beans
Step 1: Prep the beans. Sort through the dried pinto beans and discard any debris. Rinse well, then soak in water for 30–60 minutes to help soften the beans and reduce cooking time. Drain and set aside.
Step 2: Start the beans in the slow cooker. Add the soaked beans, beer, water, and garlic to the slow cooker. Give everything a gentle stir to combine.
Step 3: Cook the bacon. Chop the bacon into small pieces and cook in a skillet over medium heat until crispy. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate, reserving a little of the bacon fat in the pan.
Step 4: Sauté the aromatics. Add the chopped onion to the skillet and sauté in the bacon fat until softened. Stir in the tomatoes and jalapeños and cook for another 2–3 minutes, just until fragrant.
Step 5: Combine and season. Transfer the bacon and sautéed mixture to the slow cooker. Season with salt and stir to combine.
Step 6: Slow cook until tender. Cover and cook on LOW for 7–8 hours or HIGH for 4–5 hours, until the beans are tender and the broth is rich and flavorful.
Step 7: Finish and serve. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve warm.
Instant Pot Borracho Beans Instructions
Step 1: Sauté the bacon and aromatics. Select Sauté on the Instant Pot. Add the chopped bacon and cook until crispy. Stir in the onion and cook until softened, then add the garlic, tomatoes, and jalapeños and sauté until fragrant.
Step 2: Add the beans and liquid. Add the soaked and drained pinto beans, beer, salt, and water to the pot. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.
Step 3: Pressure cook. Secure the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on Manual (High Pressure) for 30 minutes.
Step 4: Natural release. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 30–40 minutes. Carefully turn the valve to vent if any pressure remains.
Step 5: Thicken and finish. Remove about 2 cups of beans and blend until smooth. Stir the blended beans back into the pot along with the cilantro. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt if needed. Ladle into bowls and serve warm.
Pro Tips for Best Borracho Beans
- Soaking helps shorten cook time & improve texture.
- If you’re using a slow cooker, dried beans are the best option. They’re less expensive than canned beans and hold up better during the long cooking time without becoming mushy.
- Choose a rich Mexican amber beer for more depth.
- Swap or add spices like cumin or smoked paprika for extra smoky warmth.
- Leftovers keep 3–5 days and freeze beautifully.
How to Serve
These beans are versatile — enjoy them:
- With carne asada tacos or slow cooker brisket
- Alongside warm homemade corn tortillas
- With cheesy skillet cornbread for scooping
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. If using canned pinto beans, reduce the liquid and cooking time. The beans will be softer, but still flavorful.
Absolutely! Generally speaking, anything that gets made in a slow cooker will do just fine being made ahead. Borracho beans will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, or can be frozen for up to three months.
Yes. The alcohol cooks off during the long simmer, leaving behind rich, savory flavor.
Mexican lagers or amber beers work best, adding depth without bitterness.
Stored in an airtight container, they’ll keep for up to 5 days and reheat well.
Yes. Let them cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months.
Related Recipes You Might Love
If you make this recipe for Slow Cooker Borracho Beans, please be sure to rate and review the recipe below. I always love hearing from you!
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Slow Cooker Borracho Beans (Frijoles Borrachos)
Ingredients
- 1 pound pinto beans, dried
- 1 12 ounce bottle Mexican beer
- 6 cups water
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
- 1 to 2 jalapeños, chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon salt
- fresh cilantro, for garnish
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
- Instant Pot instructions included in the post above.
- For best results, soak the dried beans for 30–60 minutes before cooking to help them soften evenly.
- A Mexican lager or amber beer adds the best flavor, but any light to medium-bodied beer will work.
- Borracho beans will thicken as they cool. Add a splash of water or broth when reheating, if needed.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by Jenna Sparks
These Borracho Beans are packed with bold, comforting flavors! I love the mix of beer, bacon, and spices—it’s the perfect side for any Mexican meal. Thanks for sharing such an authentic and delicious recipe!
Made these last night. Cut the recipe in 1/2 since there are only 2 of us. My wife said it was the best beans I have ever made, and I agree. The flavor was over the top. You don’t need to change a thing.
I love all of Yvette’s recipes. She is my go to favorite for anything Mexican and more. I made the boracho beans in my crockpot they cooked all night and are magic! I wanted a little fancier for the 4th of July. Highly recommend following Muy Bueno Cooking on the gram!
I was excited to try cooking dry beans…I followed the recipe and put everything in the crockpot on LOW…it has now been 10 hours and the beans are still not done ( and I soaked them in water overnight before following the recipe this morning!) ! I also thought that the liquid in the crockpot was rather tasteless, so I did add more salt and added some chili powder and smoked paprika. I live at 3000 feet elevation, so maybe the elevation has something to do with cooking the beans. But in the future, I will just buy canned pinto beans…much cheaper than buying Mexican beer and bacon and dry beans and roma tomatoes!
did you soak your beans in salt water? they will never get tender
Beans were a hit at our family gathering! Everyone loved them. No left overs.
Beans were a hit! Everyone loved them. No left overs
These are my favorite beans to make, hands down! I love to make a batch specifically to freeze. I freeze them in different sized bags so that I have a big bag if company is coming, or small bags for individual portions to go with whatever meal I’m making that day. Plus, with everything right in the slow cooker it couldn’t be easier.
Very bland.
Took 12 hours to cook for beans to get tender. Six hours on low and 6 hours on high.
Why to much water. Four cups max. would have been enough.
Thought this was about borracho beans! Comments about other recipes should be reserved for those recipes. People want to know what you think about this young ladies recipe, not yours, or someone else’s. Your review of a recipe often results in whether or not another reviewer would care to try it or not. Unfavorable reviews determine if gets tried or not. The poster puts a lot of time and effort into preparing the recipe and maintaining a web site to post it on just to have it used as a sounding board for others to talk about the recipes they’ve cooked it the pot NOT related to the recipe presented. Do the preparer a favor, restrict your comments to what she, or he, Has put so much time and effort into! I haven’t made this yet, but I know from the ingredients that it will be very good. I taste as I go along, so if the taste is a little off, I’ll make adjustments, but the first time I try it, I will stay true to the original ingredients, Except for the onions! I love them, but mny wife and son are allergic to them, so have to make separate pots for them.
I’m betting this would be better with two bottles of XX with the water reduced by 12 ounces. And for the remaining 4 to 10 remaining bottles (depending on the carton), how about a cocinero borracho? That’s where I’m heading! A salud!