My version of frijoles borrachos, or drunken baked beans, might just be my all-time favorite version of baked beans. They say beer makes everything better, which might not be literally true, but once you taste a spoonful of these super savory, sweet and tangy, slightly spicy, and thoroughly amazing baked beans, you will surely agree. Not only is this one of the best-tasting baked bean recipes ever, it has to be one of the easiest.
Frijoles Borrachos (Drunken Baked Beans)
My version of frijoles borrachos, or drunken baked beans, might just be my all-time favorite version of baked beans. They say beer makes everything better, which might not be literally true, but once you taste a spoonful of these super savory, sweet and tangy, slightly spicy, and thoroughly amazing baked beans, you will surely agree. Not only is this one of the best-tasting baked bean recipes ever, it has to be one of the easiest.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup prepared red salsa
- 3 cans pinto beans drained, not rinsed
- 1 cup diced onion
- 1/2 cup chopped jalapeno peppers
- 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 12- ounce bottle Mexican lager-style beer such as Modelo
- 3 strips bacon optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
- Add brown sugar, vinegar, and salsa to a 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish or casserole pan. Stir until sugar dissolves.
- Add pinto beans, onion, jalapeno peppers, mustard, paprika, black pepper, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and cayenne pepper. Pour lager over, and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Lay bacon strips on top of casserole.
- Bake in the preheated oven until liquids have reduced and thickened, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Notes
Cook’s Notes
Beans should be liquidy, but not wet and soupy, so if they are not thick enough, bake them a little longer. They will thicken just a bit at room temperature.Â
While I think this is close to a perfect recipe, as always, feel free to play around. Use a different kind of beans, a slightly hotter (or milder) pepper, yellow mustard for the Dijon, or regular oregano–after all, you are the head honcho of your frijoles borrachos.
